Chelmsley Wood residents frustrated by "long-running saga"

A RESIDENT has made an impassioned case for Solihull Council to scrap plans to pull down a set of bungalows in Chelmsley Wood, which he claimed would “destroy” a close-knit community.
Peter Wilson has questioned the logic of bulldozing the single-storey homes in Lambeth Close, given that they are still structurally sound.
The homes in question have been at the centre of a long-running dispute, ever since it became apparent a few years ago that the council was considering demolishing the buildings as part of its Local Development Plan.
Up to 14 dwellings and the nearby Centurion pub would be affected by the proposals.
Mr Wilson, who has lived in the area since it was built in 1970, said that the residents had endured “a very long period of uncertainty.”
“They are now a little bit upset and annoyed that this saga is dragging on and on, year after year,” he told last month’s Full Council meeting.
“A forced move for the bungalow residents, many of whom are elderly and infirm, and have been in their houses for a very long time, would be traumatic.”
Councillor Ian Courts, the Deputy Leader of the Council, said the development was being considered as part of the wider Regeneration programme.
He insisted that “extensive consultation” to discuss residents’ personal needs and wishes would take place before any final decision is taken.