THE giant Excelsior Industrial Estate, which straddles Blackheath and Halesowen, is set to be redeveloped into a housing estate and business park.

Dudley Council's development control committee passed outline permission for 209 houses, business premises and a footbridge connecting the site to Hurst Green Park.

A new entrance will also be built off Fairfield Road when Langtree Property Partners develop the almost nine hectare site.

A spokesman for Langtree Property Partners said: "This will strengthen the economic base of Halesowen and Blackheath and act as a regeneration catalyst and demonstrate a new role for the area.

"The objective is to provide a mix of residential homes from apartments, terraced housing, semi-detached and detached houses with green space, play and recreation provision and links to the adjoining Hurst Green Park."

He added: "The objective has been to separate this between the two uses with access to employment from the north and residential to the west and south.

"The design quality of the proposal has been seen as an important factor and in this case establishing green buffers to adjoining industrial use to the south and to the proposed employment use off Cakemore Road.

"Combined with the open space provision on site and street tree planting a strong landscape structure has been seen as an important characteristic."

Halesowen South Councillor David Vickers, who sits on the development control committee, supported the application.

He said: "I thought the footbridge to Hurst Green Park was a great idea and the original entrance might have created problems but it is a big site which needs to be redeveloped."

However, Halesowen North Cllr Karen Shakespeare complained about potential parking problems concerning the number of new residential properties.

She said: "There are already traffic problems on Fairfield Road due to people parking for Rowley Regis Train Station.

"I do not feel there will be enough parking provision which will cause further problems for residential roads which already suffer from commuter parking."

Other objections made by residents about the new development include the new Fairfield Road entrance, lack of retail outlets, anti-social behaviour in the new open spaces and the removal of the perimeter wall.

In recommending approval Dudley Council's planning report said: "The proposed development is acceptable in principle and issues relating to noise

from surrounding recreational or employment uses can either be mitigated by acoustic barriers or modifications to the layout."