WORRIED residents believe plans for more than new 60 homes on a derelict school site in ‘the most congested housing area of Stourbridge’ will cause traffic chaos and pose danger to drivers and pedestrians.

Old Quarter residents have long campaigned for a resolution to the problem of the overgrown, vandal-hit former Longlands School site in Brook Street, which has been empty since 2011.

But while many locals have welcomed the move to turn the site into new houses, there are concerns about the scale of the development with several letters of objection already received by Dudley Council.

One resident wrote: “The road network in the Old Quarter is already insufficient for the current volume of traffic in the area.

“Adding in potentially 60 or even 120 additional cars that use the road network on a daily basis would cause the area to become highly congested, polluted and dangerous.

“These roads are not just used by local residents but by those wanting to take a short cut to and from Stourbridge, Wollaston, Kinver, Kingswinford and Amblecote.

“These are not quaint, quiet roads – they are well-used, busy roads. The majority of roads in the Old Quarter do not have drives and the road network is not just used for moving traffic but for parking.

“Driving in the area is already challenging without full visibility at times and lots of waiting to let others pass.

“As an area that is also widely used by pedestrians of all ages, including many children walking to and from school, this development and the increased traffic it will bring poses a risk to pedestrian safety.

“The Old Quarter is the most congested housing area of Stourbridge – why on earth would you want to cram an extra 62 families into it?”

Another objector to Persimmon Homes’ 62-home plan added: “This is an excessive number of dwellings for a site of this size and for an area already densely populated.”

Wollaston and Stourbridge Town councillor Nic Barlow said he shared residents’ fears after pleading for a ‘sympathetic development’ as recently as earlier this month.

Cllr Barlow added: “I know they are looking to get as much from the site as possible but there has been no great thought to this development, just cramming as many houses in as they can.

“It’s not ideal, I’m not at all happy with the design and there is very little green space. It’s paramount that Persimmon engage with residents as much as possible to listen to their concerns.”

The 2.3 hectare site has been empty since owners Birmingham Metropolitan College closed its doors seven years ago and has grown into a haven for vandals and trespassers.

A number of plans to bring the site back into use have fallen through since it has stood empty and council chiefs are welcoming the new proposals.

Councillor Ian Kettle, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said: “I’m delighted an application has been submitted to bring this site back into use.

“The application will have to go through the planning process for a decision but this is a great opportunity to ease residents’ concerns about the site and bring much needed housing to the area.”