Factory site crisis fears

More land needs to be earmarked for factory sites and jobs in the Wyre Forest district, say campaigners.

Their claim comes after the area was labelled an "industrial backwater" in a government report.

Wyre Forest District Council members fear a lack of suitable sites could ruin chances of investment.

The Government's new blueprint for the future, the West Midlands Regional Spacial Strategy, foresees as many as 5,700 new homes being built in the next few years but suggests that only 15 hectares of land should be made available for industrial use up until 2026.

Councillors attacked this figure today and claimed it had been based on flawed research.

They claim there is a need for 40 to 50 hectares to be earmarked for industrial use so that the area is not left behind in the wake of other West Midlands towns which are seen to have more potential for growth.

The information is contained within the Government blueprint, currently out for consultation.

Councillor Jamie Shaw said the research was based on the growth of larger businesses in the area, whereas most of the expansion in the district had been among smaller companies.

The region's Spacial Strategy gives local authorities information on what land they should make available for industrial use, homes and green space.