to Radio WM

Dear Kath and Adam (is that name right?) - and copied to Andy and the Brum and Black Country Wildlife Trust

It was so good of you to remember that I wanted to speak to Andy about the very important, half used, Black Country Railway "of national strategic significance", as in the letter, here:

 "of national strategic significance".pdf

I listened back to the full one hour of the time with Andy and you were very fair with every caller and with Andy.  You were excellent.  I interrupted you, Kath at one stage and now wonder if you  can remember what you were about to say?  Sorry about that!

I have never voted Conservative in all my 75 years but did so in 2017 and 2021 in order to vote for Andy.  I did so because he has always held public meetings, open to all and sundry, from soon after he was chosen as the candidate in 2016.

When you next have him on, would you allow me once more to ask him, not about the railway but about one of these matters affecting and at Merry Hill Shopping Centre, please?

1. The public open space on the Dudley No 1 Canal embankment that is still due to have a 400 metre, concrete and steel tramway viaduct for the Dudley Tram project.  Right here! :-
   
    6 glorious white trees.jpg
2. The massive 23,000 sq m of housing land at Merry Hill, called High Plateau, that is partly taken by the tram.  See the official plan
   
    WBHE plan for Merry Hill.jpeg
   Nothing has been done about it for decades yet, we are in the midst of a housing crisis.
3. The Black Country Urban Forest that was started, I believe, in the 1990s but was soon heard of no more.  I am suggesting it be resurrected for the other two grassy areas at Merry Hill, as an obvious positive measure since Dudley Council declared a climate emergency in 2020, I believe.
4. The possible SSSI that is Daniels Land at Merry Hill.  It is untouched by we humans for decades, fenced off on all four sides, right next to the important Dudley No 1 Canal and, hence a paradise for nature.  The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world, we keep on being told.  The pond and wetland area might have great crested newts that give Pensnett Nature Reserve its Triple SI status a mile north of Daniels Land.  I am trying to get a qualified person to do the ecological survey that is the first and, rather essential, first step.  No one is interested and I'm getting nowhere, Kath.  Not even the Brum and Black Country Wildlife Trust will help