'This would be an absolute travesty': 350 people sign petition against supermarket in village near Stourbridge
Hundreds of villagers have voiced their objections to plans for a supermarket on a road junction near a school.
The plans to demolish the former Swinford Insurance office in Potters Cross, Kinver, near Stourbridge, have been met with an angry response from residents. concerned about road safety and the impact on the village post office.
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Dharminder Singh, of Dudley-based SEP Properties wants to demolish the existing 2,000 sq ft insurance office in Enville Road, opposite the junction with White Hill and Meddings Lane, and replace it with a 3,300 sq ft supermarket with 15 parking spaces.
The site is within yards of the driveway to Brindley Heath Academy and Kinver High School.
So far 350 people have signed a petition organised by postmistress Becky Spicer, who says a number of other businesses in the area had also been gathering their own petitions, which will be presented to South Staffordshire Council next week.
A further 20 objections have been posted on the council's website.
Mrs Spicer admitted that, if approved, the plan could potentially destroy her business.
"It depends on what type of store it is.," she said. "There are rumours it could be a Tesco Express, and we wouldn't be able to compete with Tesco."
She said her biggest concern, though was about the traffic and road safety.
"It's on a four-way junction, and if you park by the junction it's going to be chaos," she said.
Mrs Spicer said there was a vacant former supermarket in Kinver High Street, which would be far better suited for such use.
However, a statement issued on behalf of the developer suggested that most visits to the shop would be made on foot.
It said there had been three crashes in the vicinity during the five-year period starting in 2019, and running up to 2023: two involving a car colliding with a pedestrian and one involving a motorcycle and pedestrian.
The developer said the barber's shop in an extension to the site of the building would be retained.
Resident Gillian Mathews feared air pollution from increased traffic, including delivery vans 'coming into Potter's Cross from every direction'.
"Currently, it is very dangerous for children, parents and grandparents who have children at the school at dropping off and picking up times," she said.
"There is always a very large volume of cars parked in the area at these times, often on pavements, which makes it extremely hazardous for people on foot as well as traffic trying to squeeze through on the road when cars are parked on both sides.
"An emergency vehicle has no chance of getting through at these times."
Mrs Mathews said she fond it stressful trying to cross the road at the bottom of Meddins Lane at most times in the day.
"Cars approach the junction from four different directions, I have to look at each of these directions two or three times before feeling safe enough to cross the road," she said.
"I do not want to take my life into my hands every time I try to cross the road when the volume of traffic is going to be even larger."
Martina Walton added: "The traffic there is already chaotic, this can only add to the problem. There is a High Street in Kinver selling everything needed and a post office at the bottom of White Hill that sells everything a convenience store needs to.
"The ladies that run it are a real asset to the local community and a Tesco or something similar would be devastating to them."
Steve Weaver said: "This would be an absolute travesty if this was passed.
"The location at the moment during school pick up and drop off is absolute carnage, I personally have had a couple of near misses with cars when I've dropped my children off," he said.
"There have been a couple of accidents over the last couple of years and many many more near misses. The site backs straight onto the school gates and I'm stunned it has even got this far."
The plans will now be considered by South Staffordshire Council planners.
* Find out about planning applications, licensing and roadwork notices in your area by visiting publicnoticeportal.uk.
