Families rev for Heathens fight

Furious residents have bombarded councillors with letters and emails opposing plans to build a new stadium for the Cradley Heathens speedway team on greenbelt land.

Since the official application to build the stadium on land off Oldnall Road was submitted to the council, ward councillors have been swamped with more than 90 letters and emails from people opposed to the proposal.

Councillors have been so overwhelmed with the strength of local feeling that they have organised a meeting at the Wilson Hall Labour Club, Colley Gate, tomorrow at 7pm for people to vent their fury.

The application to build the stadium on land behind the Powerleague football complex was submitted to Dudley Council last week and is backed with a near 10,000-name petition signed by supporters clamouring for the return of the sport to the area.Cradley Heathens became known as the Manchester United of speedway after a trophy-laden spell in the 1980s and early 1990s, but the Heathens' base at Dudley Wood was sold for housing in 1995 and the team folded a year later.

Councillor Richard Body said he expected at least 200 people to turn up to the protest meeting.

"I've had more than 90 emails and letters since the application was handed to the council," he said.

"I've never known anything like this. I have had more emails and letters on this issue than I have ever had before, which just goes to show how strongly local people are opposed to this plan.

"I've had emails supporting the stadium proposals, but they've been sent from people living as far away as Lancashire, Derby and Stoke. People living in the area it's going to be built don't want it. People have gone out of their way to show how concerned they are at these proposals.

"The land was only made green belt in 1980.

"The land is worth more to us as it is because the borough doesn't have a lot of greenbelt land."

By Jon Wood