Express & Star

Homes plan at historic evidence pub site agreed

A housing development next to a historic former Wolverhampton pub has been given the go-ahead despite fears it could harm wildlife.

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Halfway House on Tettenhall Road. Photo: Google

Nine new houses will be built on land behind the Halfway House, on Tettenhall Road, after Wolverhampton's planning committee approved the application at a meeting on Tuesday.

But Councillor Michael Hardacre said residents had a raft of concerns about the development and felt it was being "railroaded" on to them.

Dr Hardacre said: "Residents are crystal clear – that is a very dangerous junction for pedestrians and will get worse.

"Since the bowling green area stopped being used by The Halfway House, it has become a very rich ecological site and it is quite clear there is wildlife such as foxes, badgers and the major objection is the loss of what could be a beautiful little pocket park.

"We will lose run-off land that would soak away rain with the chopping down of trees.

"Even though there are said to be replacements, they would need to be somewhere between 10 and 30 years old before they actually contribute to the carbon neutrality that the city is projecting under its plans for 2025-30.

Evidence

"Residents are extremely concerned and feel they are having this railroaded on to them and I object on their behalf."

Planning officer Phillip Walker said: “Certainly, there is evidence of badgers using the site, however we don’t think they are residing there.

"Ecologists have visited and come to the conclusion that is the case – they just pass through.

"As and when the development was to happen, there would be further assessments by specialist ecologists to make sure that no harm was to come to protected species such as badgers.

"There will be a loss of trees on site but the majority that will be lost are of low quality if not all.

"We’ve had a response from Severn Trent that the drainage proposals are acceptable so I can support this application."

The Halfway House dates back to at least 1842 and the developers said it was used as a staging post between London and Holyhead.

The pub closed a number of years ago and became a dentists but the land behind remained vacant.