Disappointment as development for Brierley Hill 'eyesore' shelved
Plans to build dozens of homes on a landmark steelworks site in Brierley Hill have been thrown out by councillors.
The proposals for the Cookley Works would have transformed the derelict land with the addition of 70 new homes.
But Dudley Council has rejected the proposal on the grounds that access to the site would be dangerous.
The rejection notice sent out by the authority says the plans had 'insurmountable technical issues' and 'would have the potential to cause severe highway danger'.
Councillor Ken Finch said he was disappointed that development on the 'eyesore site' would not be going ahead.
He said: "I am disappointed because the need for affordable housing in that particular area is great, as it is elsewhere.
"It's an eyesore site and doesn't do a lot for the image of the Black Country."
UKIP group leader Councillor Paul Brothwood was critical of the decision, saying the council should have worked with the developer to help them iron out issues with the proposals.
Steelworks dominated the site in Brockmoor for more than 150 years but the area off Leys Road has been dormant since its closure in 2006.
Factories have since been demolished, leaving the vast site empty, which for decades formed a part of the town's industrial heritage.
Developer Harris Lamb hoped to construct the new homes and overhaul the site. The company said the scheme would bring 'many benefits' to Brierley Hill.
Around a third of the new properties were due to be affordable housing.
A design and access statement submitted to Dudley Council with the plans said: "The development will enable the creation of a small, new community within Brierley Hill bringing new people to the town.
"The affordable housing will offer the opportunity for prospective tenants on the council's waiting list to be housed in new, up-to-date, modern dwellings.
"The affordable housing will bring the opportunity for people to take their first steps on the housing ladder through shared ownership."
Nearly 40 jobs were lost when Cookley Works was axed by steel giant Corus in 2006, bringing more than 150 years of steel making to an end.
