115 homes planned for 'grey belt' farmer's field near Dudley

Plans have been lodged to build 115 homes on ‘grey belt’ farmland on the edge of the Black Country.

Clowes Developments has submitted plans to develop fields on green belt land in Himley, near Dudley, close to Himley Hall and the Dudley Arms pub.

The site, in Bridgnorth Road, was once part of the Earl of Dudley’s estate, and at the moment is used for arable farming.

It is one of several sites in the vicinity which have been targeted by developers which have claimed ‘grey belt’ designation, sparking protests from residents. These include proposals for 550 homes at a site known as The Triangle in Kingswinford, and 330 homes at Holbeache Farm in Wall Heath.

A statement issued on behalf of Clowes said the developer had held a comprehensive consultation with the community at Himley, which had been used to shape the plans. It said the development would have only a minor impact on the green belt.

The developer argued that the site met the criteria laid out by the Government to qualify for ‘grey belt’ designation.

It said government planning guidelines allowed land to be considered ‘grey belt’ if it could be demonstrated that green belt designation was not required to ‘check the unrestricted sprawl of large built-up areas’, to prevent neighbouring towns merging into one another, or to preserve the setting and historic character of historic towns.

The applicant said the land in question served none of those purposes.

“The proposed development is a small site on the edge of the settlement which forms a very small portion of the landscape character area,” said the statement.

“Any change within the site would not be perceptible from the majority of the wider character area. The character of the proposed development is consistent with the character of the adjoining settlement and will appear as a continuation of it.”

The statement said the existing vegetation around the boundary of the site would be retained and enhanced through the creation of ‘landscape buffer zones’.

“The assessment of impacts on landscape character has determined that the magnitude of impact within the study area will be low,” it added.

“Assessed alongside the low-medium sensitivity, this will result in a minor adverse effect.”

The plans will now be considered by South Staffordshire Council’s planning department.

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