Children’s homes to be built after changes approved

Revised plans will now see children’s residential homes built on ‘much-loved’ green space after receiving the backing of council planners.

Four new homes will be built on green space off Holloway Bank, West Bromwich, to be then used as residential homes for up to eight vulnerable children after plans were approved by Sandwell Council.

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.”

Approving the application, the council’s planners said: “ Although it is appreciated that local residents have used the land for their own enjoyment over the years, it is noted that this has been allowed by the land owner who could have restricted access to this privately-owned site; for example, by fencing off the site.

“Therefore, the informal historical use of the site, should not preclude the site coming forward for development.”

The local authority’s planning committee gave the green light to a move to build four three-bed houses on the patch of land two years ago despite ten objections from neighbours in Francis Ward Close 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.

The same as the original plan, a new entrance would be built from Holloway Bank.

In 2024, the council’s highways department said the risk of the new homes causing more accidents was “low” despite warnings the busy route was already an accident blackspot.

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.”

Sandwell Council had recommended the new homes were approved in 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.