An independent report commissioned by the Government has criticised a council’s plans to build on protected green belt land.

Lichfield District Council wants to build on the land south of Lichfield.

The report questions a core strategy of using the land as and endorsed the view that “significant development within south Staffordshire could undermine the urban renaissance of the Black Country”. An independent panel scrutinised the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy.

The panel report has recommended a comprehensive study for the Streethay and Fradley area. It says that the West Midlands Regional Assembly should have an open mind over new settlement proposals as one way to provide new homes.

Compared with losing sensitive green belt land to the south of the city, the panel said development to the north-east for a settlement would minimise risk to the urban renaissance of the conurbation.

The Independent Study of Fradley and Streethay would consult local stakeholders such as Lichfield City Council and Homezone.

The Curborough Consortium, developers behind Curborough new settlement proposals, welcomed report recommendations for a comprehensive study to meet long term development needs in the wider Streethay and Fradley area.

Consortium spokesman Jackie Alderson said they were in discussions with Lichfield District Council, supportive of the Streethay/Fradley study and would do everything they could to co-operate with its preparation. They believed clarification of development needs of Streethay and Fradley would be beneficial for everyone involved.

The consortium is a group of four national house builders and developers – Hallam Land, Banks Developments, Redrow Homes and Gleeson Homes.