Residents of Keresley claim that Coventry’s Council is destroying wildlife

by Javier López-Cuervo

www.coventrytelegraph.net

Former Greenbelt is set to be removed to build 388 homes. 

Keresley’s Planning Committee celebrated last Thursday, the 2nd of November, concluded the restart of the construction plans that nevertheless affect the greenbelt of the village. 388 homes Will be removed, and residents have said to be “fed up”. “We need these houses. The people of Coventry, the people who want to move to Coventry, the people who work in Coventry, need housing,” Councillor Maton said. 

The residents of Keresley have expressed their disagreement with Coventry City Council, whom they accuse of “destroying” the natural life of their town. The former Greenbelt land on Bennetts Road in Keresley has been approved to have 388 homes built. The city council, on the other hand, has assured that the construction of housing is “desperately needed.” Some residents have pleaded to the Planning Committee to consider the “time frame applications” as well as the impact that this “wildlife destruction” can cause to mental health: “Nothing I say here today is going to stop the building of houses. But I plead to you, the Planning Committee, to consider the time frame implications with all that is happening in Keresley and the impact on the mental health of residents. Certainly, for the remainder of my lifetime, unless I move, I will be living in the midst of a construction site,” exposed one local. 

“Should be building on brownfield sites not on green belt sites destroying wildlife. Also, there is only housing crisis because people cannot afford to buy or rent homes,” alleged a woman living in the area. Some of them have branded this process as ‘disgraceful.’ 388 homes, of which 97 will be affordable, six hectares of open space will be the construction site, with a value of £9 million boost for local services and infrastructure. 

The council has stated that this is an extension work whose plan began in 2017 for 3,100 new homes, a primary school, and a secondary road in Keresley. 

Other citizens, however, have shown their satisfaction with the project and have expressed that the works will help the town attract students and young people: “Nice to see Coventry building to house people rather than expect Warwickshire to do it for them. They need to think residents first and university second instead of other way round.”