Rattlechain Tip in Tividale, Oldbury, is a privately-owned brownfield site that has been identified as being suitable for housing in the local plan, subject to planning permission being granted and reclamation work being done on the land.
Planning officers from the council have met with the agents acting for the landowner to discuss how this large site can be reclaimed and redeveloped to provide much-needed housing.
Earlier in January the landowner started to clear vegetation in advance of future site investigations which will inform a future planning application.
Independent ecologists have assessed wildlife and protected species that live or may be living on the site and an ecologist attended the works with a watching brief.
Preparatory works of this type are a normal part of the development process.
The council has been advised that the private landowner has distributed leaflets to nearby residents to explain the works being undertaken which includes a contact number for the contractor should there be any queries relating directing to the works themselves.
The council is aware of the work and has seen the contractor’s risk assessments to ensure the work being done is being properly managed. There will be no ground investigation of the site at this point.
The council was advised that the work, which began on 8 January 2025, should take around two weeks to complete and this work has now been completed.
This is a very early stage in investigating the potential future use of this site and no planning permission for development has been granted at this time.
At the point a planning application for any residential development is submitted, the Biodiversity Net Gain on site will be calculated in relation to the pre-clearance value of it. Further information on BNG can be found on the GOV.UK website.
Council officers will continue to monitor the situation and advise should any further work be suggested to be undertaken by the site agents.
Should an application be made in the future, consultation on the proposals will be undertaken with residents who would then have a chance to make any comments. Any comments can be raised in writing via email to info@eliastopping.co.uk