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Walker enjoying views from a threatened footpath
Walkers enjoy stunning views across the Clents and Clees to Wales at the Coombeswood Stour Valley Viewpoint. Both footpaths providing access to this viewpoint, including the one pictured, are now threatened by Dudley MBC with diversion and closure.

Fri 29th Jan: Last Minute Online Footpath Objections

Many thanks to a resident who emailed to point out that last minute objections can be submitted online through the Dudley MBC website Footpaths page. A link to a general contact form for the Legal and Democractic services department responsible for accepting objections can be found at the foot of the page. Please note that the form does not accept more than 1000 word submissions.

Sun 18th January: Footpaths Readathon - Free Radio-Play Style Sound Preview

If you are curious about the readathon event to take place next Saturday 23rd January, then wonder no more: listen to this 6 minute mp3 sound file for a radio-play style preview of Halesowen author Francis Brett Young's chilling horror novel "Cold Harbour". Please note that although the preview is a Friends Of Coombeswood production, all contents are copyright of the estate of Francis Brett Young. Enjoy!

Sat 17th January 2010: Footpaths Readathon - How To Donate

All funds raised by next Saturday's (23rd Jan) readathon will go to Mary Stevens Hospice. We hope loads of people  will come along to the free event on the day, where it will be possible to donate in person as well as enjoy some refreshments, have some fun and support the protection of some of Halesowen's most-used and enjoyed public footpaths into the bargain! Otherwise, either email coombeswood@hotmail.co.uk or ring 07834909373 to pledge a donation, or alternatively use paypal or credit card to donate directly via the Mary Stevens Hospice website.    

January 2010
NEW YEAR FOOTPATHS CLOSURE THREAT
1ST FEBRUARY 2010 PATHS PROTEST DEADLINE
SEASONS GREETINGS AND MANY, MANY THANKS TO THE 1000+ LOCAL PEOPLE who kindly supported the protest against the inappropriate and insensitive St Modwen application for permission to build in the Green Wedge early last year. Sadly, we are now only too aware of the regulations swept under the carpet in order to enable Dudley to rubber stamp the application in Feb. The project has yet to start.

A completely separate development is that Dudley MBC announced on 28th December that they are about to close and divert the Coombswood Landscape Heritage Area's two most important footpaths: those currently providing access to the Stour Valley Viewpoint 100 yards inside the main Stewarts Road entrance. Add your voice to the protest against the threat to Halesowen's finest viewpoint by submitting an objection letter to Dudley before the February 1st deadline. Follow the links below for a printable version of this information:-
  1. Printable Paths Objection Guide Page 1 of 2
  2. Printable Paths Objection Guide Page 2 of 2 

2010 NEW YEAR  FOOTPATH THREAT: MAJOR REASONS TO OBJECT
  • Continuous use: the paths to be closed are very well used paths each well over 20 years old. Both a wealth of residents' written testimony and Dudley recognise these as public rights of way. 
  • Access to viewpoint: the two paths under threat provide access to Halesowen's finest viewpoint, with views across Clent, Shropshire and through to Wales, together with views North and South across the green Coombeswood hillside itself and on into Leasowes. Access to this - the Coombeswood Landscape Heritage Area's most important viewpoint - is essential to recreation and enjoyment of the Landscape Heritage Area in total. If acess is lost, this priceless resource is gone forever.
  • Loss of leisure: the threatened paths are regularly used by hundreds of residents for a variety of leisure purposes including enjoyment of views, exercise, sports and wildlife appreciation.
IMPORTANT PLEASE NOTE: ENOUGH PUBLIC OBJECTION TO THESE ORDERS WILL AUTOMATICALLY TRIGGER AN ENQUIRY BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE, KICKING THE MATTER UPSTAIRS AND OUT OF DUDLEY'S HANDS. GIVEN SUFFICIENT OBJECTION, OJECTORS' VIEWS CANNOT THIS TIME BE LEGALLY IGNORED.

DUDLEY MBC'S CURRENT PROPOSAL to close  and divert the two footpaths shown below is a TOTALLY SEPARATE issue to the St Modwen's sports facilities application of last year. Therefore the current proposal requires the writing of a new and separate objection letter if the paths are to be kept open.

2010 New Year Footpaths Threat: Map of Threatened Footpaths
Map of threatened paths

2010 NEW YEAR FOOTPATHS THREAT: OJECTION LETTER EXAMPLE - FOR GUIDANCE ONLY

Example Objection Letter


January 2010
NOVEL RESPONSE TO FOOTPATHS THREAT

The Friends  Cold Harbour reading
L-R: Walker Sue Westbury, Simon Roberts as the villainous Mr Furnival, walker Sue Yeadon, Georgia Clare as Evelyn
Picture: courtesy of Mike Clare

23 November 2009
Divert and Close - More Dudley Disappointment
 
Council attempts to sweep a residents' public footpath application under the carpet will now almost certainly lead to an inquiry by the Secretary of State.

This evening’s meeting of the council Development Control Committee marked still another Dudley disappointment as councillors rubber stamped a request for Coombeswood footpaths to be closed and diverted.
 
The paths – acknowledged by both Dudley and St Modwen as valid rights of way - currently provide access to stunning landscape heritage area views across Shropshire. And for this reason several of the paths in question were also included in a separate application - made over a year ago by Friends of Coombeswood - to be considered by Dudley as public footpaths.

The Friends' public footpaths application was backed by the written testimony of almost 30 residents that had walked the paths for over 20 years. But this has been ignored in favour of the application to close and divert because the paths also stand in the way of bitterly contested St Modwen plans to build large scale sports facilities within the Coombeswood nature reserve.
 
The sports facilities were originally approved by the same planning committee in March. At that time several of the footpaths crossing the proposed development area had already been officially registered with Dudley as potential public rights of way by Friends Of Coombeswood.
 
Under government guidelines no decision should have been made upon the sports facilities application until the footpaths application process was complete. This breach of protocol now leaves Dudley wide open to an official inquiry by the Secretary of State into mishandling of the footpaths application.
 
WHAT CAN I DO? Following tonight’s decision to allow the St Modwen footpath closures and diversions the council has to post notice of the decision in local newspapers and at the Coombeswood site. Once the notices go up, there will be 28 DAYS ONLY during which to write letters of protest.
 
Watch this space for further details including WHO to write to, WHICH points of protest will pack the biggest punch and WHAT the outcome may be. If you require an information pack once notice is posted, please email coombeswood@hotmail.co.uk now or ring one of the contact numbers.




20th November 2009
Coombeswood Skylarks Update
Resident flock of at least 8 to 10 Skylark's seen in the area of development Site B and field to the south. This bodes well for 2010 breeding prospects if Coombeswood reamins free of the threatened developments.

Unfortunately there has been no subsequent movement or hint of a respite from Dudley Council or St Modwen with regards to the Skylarks of Coombeswood, other than vague statements that enhancement/mitigation measures will be implemented with regards to what remains of the Wedge after the proposed development. However as far as the resident breeding population is concerned it is a fact that what remains of the Wedge will not be suitable, for many reasons which have been outlined to the council and company. The outcome would  be that the last remaining breeding colony of these birds in 2009, in the whole of the urban Black Country, will almost certainly cease to exist when Sites B and A are fenced off.


I will shortly be lodging a formal complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (P.O Box 4771, Coventry, CV4 0EH) with regards to the councils failure to comply with various UDP policies (see Dudley Planning approval document dated 16 Sept. 2009) and consequently their compromising the integrity of a Landscape Heritage Area and Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation.

Coombeswood Skylark Factfile 

  1. Coombeswood in 2009 was the last remaining site in the whole of the urban Black Country where Skylarks still breed, and the nearest colony to Birmingham City Centre.
  2. There is strong evidence of a very large local reduction in numbers during the preceeding 3/4 years, and this is in addition to a national 53% drop from the early 1970s to the mid 2000s.
  3. Consideration should now be given to the whole of Coombeswood being afforded some measure of urgent protection for 2010 for the preservation of this last remaining local colony of an iconic and much loved bird.
Courtesy of John Ebrey BTO Breeding Bird Surveyor



Sunday 28th June: Skylarks Breeding In Threatened Wedge Site

OFFICIAL BRITISH TRUST FOR ORNITHOLGY BREEDING BIRD OBSERVER JOHN EBREY has confirmed the presence of breeding skylarks within Coombeswood Green Wedge. And not only that - the breeding site is located within an area of land due to be built on by owners St Modwen following the granting of planning permission in March.

Mr Ebrey has pursued the options available for obtaining a respite for the protected birds, contacting Dudley Council's officers, St Modwen and the RSPB. More on this issue soon as responses become available. 



Sunday 28th June: Fresh Start For Friends

Hi again folks


Many thanks to the thousand people who provided their support in opposing last year's St Modwen application to develop in the Coombeswood Green Wedge. After the disappointment of the March 16th decision to allow the proposals, we are now rolling up our sleeves and getting on with looking to the future of the Wedge. First on the list, as you can see we have returned to a a couple of web pages - we are going to re-develop(!) the site now with a view to expanding it with useful information about the wedge, natural history, history etc, and to provide a source of information on current wedge issues. Please bear with us as we swing back into action.