News
Chuckery a step closer to village green
After successfully opposing plans to build a youth centre on a green space near their homes, residents in Chuckery are now seeking official village green status for the land.
Plans for the £452,000 youth centre on the corner of Walhouse Road and Charlotte Street were dropped last year after more than 600 residents signed a petition calling for the green to be saved. A second plan to build the centre on the site of the old Jones’s bakery in Paddock Lane was also abandoned.
Since then, community group the Friends of Chuckery Corner Green have investigated historical information about the green as part of its case for village green status. More than 400 questionnaires were delivered to local households asking residents for their views on the future of the site. Alan McDevitt, secretary of the friends group explained that the survey showed that the use of the green as a community space had increased from around 5% in the early 1970s to about 45% between 2005 and 2010. He said: “The overwhelming response was that local people wanted it kept as a green space. The reason behind the green space status is that we know that the green won’t be built on.”
He added that residents wanted a youth centre but also wanted to keep the green as a play area. The group submitted the application to Walsall Council last week which will be considered sometime in the future.