Developer Launches Appeal for Additional Homes on Troubled Cradley Heath Estate
A housing developer is challenging a council decision that blocked the construction of additional properties on a Black Country estate previously affected by significant landslides. Dunedin Homes, the company behind the 53-home development off Halesowen Road in Cradley Heath, has appealed to government planning inspectors after Sandwell Council rejected proposals for six new dwellings last year.
Persistent Landslide Issues Plague Residential Area
The estate, which was completed in 2020, has experienced multiple geological problems including several landslides that created substantial obstacles for residents. One particularly severe incident resulted in a massive mound of earth completely blocking access roads and isolating approximately a dozen properties. The subsidence issues first became apparent two years ago when a tree fell in adjacent woodland, with subsequent heavy rainfall exacerbating the situation dramatically in the lead-up to Christmas.
The proposed new three and four-bedroom homes would occupy a plot previously utilized as a storage yard and haul road during the original construction phase. This location sits approximately 150 metres from Haden Cross Drive, where previous landslides spilled over retaining walls and temporarily trapped several homeowners without driveway access.
Council Cites Multiple Planning Concerns in Rejection
Sandwell Council's planning department refused the application after receiving thirty formal objections from concerned residents. Planning officials expressed significant reservations about the proposed development's impact on neighboring properties, particularly regarding privacy and visual dominance. The council's rejection statement highlighted that the new buildings would appear "overly dominant and overbearing" from existing homes at lower elevations, negatively affecting both habitable rooms and garden spaces.
Additional planning concerns included what officials described as a "cramped" site layout with poorly designed parking arrangements and problematic communal bin storage areas. The local authority further criticized the application for failing to adequately acknowledge nearby environmental features including a nature reserve, wildlife corridor, and designated conservation sites.
Developer Defends Proposal as Sustainable Community Development
In documentation submitted with the planning application, Dunedin Homes presented the development as creating "a vibrant and inclusive community" in what they described as a sustainable location. The company's statement emphasized their aim to deliver "high quality place-making" while addressing housing needs through what they characterized as an attractive open space setting.
The appeal now moves to government planning inspectors who will review both the council's decision and the developer's arguments for overturning the refusal. This case highlights the ongoing tension between housing development pressures and legitimate concerns about geological stability, residential amenity, and environmental protection in the West Midlands region.
