60-bed care centre, 51 homes and supermarket planned for 8.4-acre green-belt site near Wolverhampton

Plans have been lodged to build a 51 new homes and a 60-bed care home on green-belt land in a village near Wolverhampton.

Brian and Emma Saunders have applied to develop the 8.4-acre site off the A449 Stafford Road in Coven, next to the double roundabouts.

A new convenience store is also planned as part of the development, along with GP drop-in and dentistry rooms.

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The news comes just four months after residents lost their battle to stop 150 homes being built on land at Grange Farm. A total of 465 residents had objected to the plans by Bloor Homes in School Lane, but the scheme was approved nevertheless.

However, early indications are that residents support the latest scheme.

Under the plans, a 60-bed care home, 18 apartments and an 1,100 sq ft convenience store will be built in a single building, with a further 23 houses and 10 bungalows also planned. Six of the properties will have single garages, and two of them will have double garages.

So far 12 residents have written to South Staffordshire Council in support of the plans, while one has lodged an objection.

Access will be from the southern traffic island, on the opposite side of the Stafford Road to the Anchor Inn.

Karen Smith said the development appeared to be well-planned, bringing a range of long-term benefits to the village, particularly with regard to an ageing population.

“The inclusion of a care home alongside accessible healthcare facilities such as GP consulting and dentistry rooms is especially valuable, addressing both current and future care needs,” she said.

Mrs Smith said plans for a range of housing types and a convenience store would create a balanced and sustainable community.

Geoff Hall also welcomed the proposals, saying it offered important accommodation options for older residents, allowing people to remain within the area while benefiting from a safe and supportive environment designed for later life.

“The inclusion of healthcare facilities such as GP and dental services within the development would also be a major advantage, helping to improve access to essential care and easing pressure on existing local services,” he said.

“In addition, the provision of smaller apartments suitable for first-time buyers and single occupants would create opportunities for local people to stay close to family, friends, and the community they have grown up in.”

However Mark Clarke voiced concerns about the extra traffic, particularly from the care home which he described as being ‘on an industrial scale’.

He also voiced concerns that it would reduce the open space between Coven and Coven Heath, which he said was against government policy.

“Access and egress would be off a 60 mph high-speed road with no approach and departure lanes proposed in the design,” he said, adding that three-storey houses would not be in keeping with the area.

“Fencing to the A449 creates a closed-in tunnel approach and is not in keeping with the area,” he said, calling for existing hedgerows to be retained.

“A proposed care home on an industrial scale would generate a huge spike in traffic movements and pollution from medical professionals, emergency vehicles and visitors,” he said.

The proposals will now be considered by South Staffordshire Council’s planning department, with residents having until June 24 to have their say.