Homes bid for village rejected

Councillors have unanimously voted to throw out plans to build 178 new homes in a Staffordshire village.

Countrywide Homes had wanted to build the new housing estate on the former Britool site off the A34 Walsall Road, in Great Wyrley. But at a meeting of South Staffordshire Council's regulatory committee the proposal was criticised for being "unimaginative" and creating a "concrete jungle" in the village.

Officers at the council had recommended the plans, which are the second phase on the site, for approval after a plan to build 102 homes was granted on appeal in 2003. Councillors met last night.

They said the plans contained too many breaches of planning policy and needed to go back to the developers who could come up with a better plan.

They criticised the distance between some of the houses which would be closer than the council's planning policy and also claimed the gardens were not big enough.

Great Wyrley councillor Janet Johnson said the estate was poorly planned which could lead to problems with crime and parking.

She said: "Great Wyrley is not an urban area, we are a rural area and we want to stay like that.

"We are not against housing on the site but this is creating a concrete jungle and it should go back to the developer for them to come up with a new plan.

"When you look at this in detail it is not acceptable."

Kinver councillor Ena Ray added: "There are so many minor breaches of planning that when you add them together it amounts to a lot of breaches."

Planning officers told councillors the breaches were minor and were not strong enough on their own to justify a recommendation of refusal.

Councillor Bernard Williams warned: "Other developers could say if they can get away with it then so can we."

Councillor Brian Edwards added: "This isn't very imaginative and I think this should go back to the developers."