Changes made to plans for four new homes on ‘much-loved’ West Bromwich green space

A new application has asked for permission to build four homes on a field off Holloway Bank, West Bromwich, to be then used as residential homes for up to eight vulnerable children.

Sandwell Council’s planning committee gave the green light to build four three-bed houses on the patch of land in 2024 despite 10 objections from neighbours who said they worried they would lose a valuable piece of green space that was regularly used by dogwalkers and children.

Neighbours also said they would lose their privacy and the new homes would block sunlight. But the plan was nevertheless approved at that time.

The application by Surinder Buray from developer Beaver Homes said the new plans would provide a “safe, supervised, and family-like environment for vulnerable children.”

Sandwell Council had recommended the move was approved ahead of the meeting in February 2024 – saying that despite residents enjoying the use of the green space, it was actually private land and there was little they could do to protect it.

A new entrance would be built from Holloway Bank Road – despite warnings the busy route was already an accident blackspot.

The council’s highways department said the risk of the new homes causing more accidents was “low.”

Tina Jennings spoke on behalf of her mother at the planning meeting saying the proposed new entrance would add to problems in Holloway Bank.

“That road is a really busy road with HGVs thundering up and down it all day,” she said. “There have been numerous incidents, including fatalities and there was one a few months ago where somebody hit the wall.

“It’s difficult to turn out of that road onto the main road as it is, so with another access road it’s going to be impossible.

“I think it was described in the application as unloved, unused and in a bad state. It’s not unloved, it’s not unused and it’s not in a bad state… it’s a nice green space for the community.”

Paul Rees from architects Harper Sperring, the agent for the previously approved application, told the 2024 meeting: “The land is privately owned and whilst we acknowledge it has been used by the residents in the area, the previous owners before the application never fenced the area off.

“It has been used without permission, for want of a better description, from the landowners.”