Two huge US-style retirement villages look set to be built in Dudley, it has been revealed.

Developments with up to 130 homes each are planned for council land behind Middlepark Road, Russells Hall Estate and on the site of Coseley Youth Centre.

Both are part of a long-term plan to resolve shortage of housing for pensioners in the borough.

Council bosses will decide whether to approve the ambitious plans at a meeting next week – when, ironically, they are also set to approve a £4,195 grant for Coseley Youth Centre, in Whitehouse Street.

Councillor Serena Craigie, whose ward covers Russells Hall Estate, said she was worried about the scheme, saying it could compound parking problems on the estate.

“I am alarmed that there is no mention in the report of how this development is going to increase traffic,” she said.

“I welcome the development suggestion, as there is a great shortage of accommodation for the elderly in the borough.

“But traffic management within Russells Hall is at crisis level and if this development goes ahead, it could do so in such a way that is detrimental to our community.”

A report to the council’s cabinet committee from housing director Ron Sims said private firms would be bought in to run the schemes and that significant investigation of the sites had already taken place.

He said the council would be following in the footsteps of other authorities across the country that had been working on similar schemes, albeit on a larger scale.

Dudley Council spokeswoman Katherine Finney said that if the development in Coseley did go ahead, the youth centre would be re-located.

By Richard Williams