Mr Richard Pitt3 Butts Road

2nd FloorPenn

Civic CentreWolverhampton

St. Peter’s SquareWV4 5QD

Wolverhampton

WV1 1RP17 January 2007

Dear Mr Pitt

I would be pleased if the planning committee would consider the following comments on application 06/01645/FUL, Battle of Britain public house, Birchwood Road.

I am in broad agreement with the recommendation of council officers to convert the Battle of Britain into flats. However, the closure of any public house is a great loss of a community facility and so one must not take such a decision lightly.

I do not agree that the Battle of Britain is unviable as a pub as any business can beviable by providing a good service which people want: the fact that there are a large number of pubs within a mile radius demonstrates this! Although there are many pubs within a 1 mile radius, the range of real ales which is sold is limited and largely confined to national and major regional brands. I believe the Battle of Britain could be successful selling real ales from the smaller brewers such as Batham’s, Ma’ Padoe’s, Sarah Hughes, Holden’s and the many micro-breweries in Staffordshire and Shropshire.

However, the trade generated by a successful pub selling a range of real ales would undoubtedly lead to complaints from local residents. The Battle of Britain has been largely silent for many years and the area is now quiet and residential. It is perhaps, therefore, in the best interests of everyone for the pub to be converted into residential accommodation. Nevertheless, the pub is a community facility and therefore the developershave a moral responsibility to leave an investment for the community when the pub closes: especially as developers tend to make good profits from the conversion of pubs into residential dwellings.

I believe that a very good way in which the developers could do this is to fund improvements to cycle infra-structure within the immediate vicinity, especially as they intend to attract more cars into the area when it is already heavily-congested during the morning rush hour.

Specifically:

widen and resurface the path between Westminster Avenue and Sutherland Road to provide a dual-use, segregated cycle path and pedestrian path (see Fig. 1);
improve the link between Sutherland Road and Coton Road so that cyclists are able to pass through easily (see Fig. 2);
and improve the bridleway, “The Paddock”, which runs parallel to Goldthorn Avenue from Westbourne Road to Goldthorn Hill: this is a very useful cycle route on weekday mornings when Goldthorn Avenue is solid with cars (see Fig. 3).

These three suggestions above would:

be a significant improvement for Wolverhampton’s cycle network;

provide Safe Routes to School for Colton Hills and GoldthornPark schools;

and help to offset the problems caused by the additional cars which the developer intends to attract into the area.

I note that the text of the planning application mentions garages and car parking spaces but not cycles; however, it isgood to see the provision of a cycle store on drawing 9534/PL02.

Yours sincerely

Mr Alastair J Hopkins

Fig. 1. The path between Westminster Avenue and Sutherland Road

The paving slabs are uneven and potentially dangerous and so the path requires relaying anyway. The tall, overhanging trees make the path dark and unattractive. These could be cleared and replaced with low-growing foliage to make the route more attractive and provide space for a separate cycle path.

Fig, 2.Sutherland Road / Coton Road Fig.3 The Paddocks bridleway