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Council rejects bid for more homes on ‘landslide’ Cradley Heath estate where residents have been cut off

An attempt to build more homes on a new-build Cradley Heath estate previously ‘cut off’ by landslides has been blocked by a council.

By Christian Barnett
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Dunedin Homes, the developer behind the 53-home estate off Halesowen Road in Cradley Heath, wanted to add six more homes to the development on a patch of land previously used as a storage yard and haul road during the construction of the wider estate.

A total of 30 objections were lodged against the plans before Sandwell Council made a decision.

The land off Farmhouse Close, Cradley Heath, where the new homes could be built. Pic: Google Maps. Permission for reuse for all LDRS partners.
The land off Farmhouse Close, Cradley Heath, where the new homes could be built. Photo: Google

Rejecting the proposal, the council’s planners said: “The development would have a significant impact on privacy and overlooking of existing residential properties at lower land levels and would appear overly dominant and overbearing from the habitable rooms and gardens of these properties.

“The site layout would be cramped with poorly designed runs of parking to frontages and areas of communal bin stores.”

A bird's eye view of the estate off Halesowen Road, Cradley Heath, with the site for the six new homes highlighted in read. Pic: Google Maps/LDRS. Permission for reuse for all LDRS partners.
A bird's eye view of the estate off Halesowen Road, Cradley Heath, with the site for the six new homes highlighted in read. Photo: Google/LDRS

The local authority added that the application did not “adequately recognise” the nearby nature reserve, wildlife corridor or conservation sites.

The estate, which was completed in 2020, has been plagued by issues, including several landslides that left a huge mound of earth blocking the road and cutting off a dozen homes.

Residents at Haden Cross Drive, Cradley Heath, where a landslide has caused problems for residents. Photo: Steve Leath
Residents at Haden Cross Drive, Cradley Heath, where a landslide has caused problems for residents. Photo: Steve Leath

The six new three- and four-bed homes would have been built on a new cul-de-sac around 150 metres away from Haden Cross Drive where landslides spilled over a retaining wall and blocked the road, and would have been accessed via Farmhouse Close on the edge of the estate.

A number of trees would have been chopped down to make way.

The subsidence in nearby Haden Cross Drive was first seen nearly two years ago when a tree fell in the nearby woods.

Heavy rain and bad weather throughout the year came to a head in the run-up to Christmas with a huge mound of earth leaving the road completely blocked.

The tonnes of soil left the cul-de-sac ‘cut off’ and homeowners without access to their driveways.

A statement included with the application said: “The site is in a sustainable location and relates well to the wider context to the site and has been designed with the aim of creating a vibrant and inclusive community.

“The proposal creates a high-quality residential development, set within an attractive open space setting, that will deliver high quality place-making whilst providing much needed new homes.”