Hands off our green spaces! More than 6,500 people sign petition against plans to build on Dudley's green belt

• Sign up to our free newsletter today

They met with Dudley Council leader Councillor Patrick Harley on the steps of Dudley Town Hall to hand over the petitions, which object to any development of green belt land in the Kingswinford and Wall Heath areas.

It comes two weeks after Councillor Harley joined them for a demonstration in Swindon Road, Wall Heath, where they planted banners at the side of the road objecting to the proposals.

Just under 4,000 people have signed an e-petition on Dudley Council's website, and a further 2,036 have signed a paper petition which was presented to Councillor Harley on Friday (March 13). A further 500 have lodged formal objections against an outline planning application by Persimmon Homes to develop the Holbeache Lane site, which is next to the house where the Gunpowder Plotters made their last stand.

Dave Stringfellow, of the Wall Heath and Kingswinford Action Group, said the e-petition was the biggest one yet to have been hosted on the Dudley Council website.

He said the roads would be unable to cope with the increase in extra traffic and public services would also struggle with the extra people.

As well as the Persimmon plan for Wall Heath, real estate company Barberry (Summerhill) Ltd has held a consultation on proposals to build on the Triangle site, bounded by Lodge Lane, Kidderminster Road and Swindon Road.

Mr Stringfellow said Barberry was also trying to get The Triangle reclassified as 'grey belt', which would make it easier to gain planning permission.

"The environmental impact will be catastrophic with regards to the hedgerow wildlife, the birds that nest and live all year round like the skylark, meadow lark, owls, sparrowhawks and buzzards," says the petition.

"The infrastructure would have to be completely revamped as currently we’re full, GPs, dentists, hospital waiting times and the schools are full, the local schools agree and support this.

"Highways are at breaking point with the flow of traffic through Wall Heath and Kingswinford, the roads are in disrepair and putting a further 1,000-plus cars in the local area will be catastrophic."

Councillor Harley, who represents Kingswinford South, said he fully backed the campaigners, and would do all that he could to protect the green belt.

"We're with the campaigners all the way," he said.

The council's local plan, which he says has identified enough brownfield sites to meet housing requirements for the next 15 years, was accepted in principle by government inspector Louise Nurser in January.

"We have won that battle, but the war is not over yet," he said.

"They keep talking about the 'grey belt', but there is no such thing, that's just a way of getting round it. This is green belt land, and we will fight to save it."

He said the land would have already been developed by now had Dudley not pulled out of a joint planning strategy with Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton councils in 2022.

The Dudley development plan does include 650 homes on a brownfield site at Ketley Quarry, also in Kingswinford.

Mr Stringfellow said the campaign group had no problem with that development, but said if the green belt sites were developed as well, the pressure on public services would be intolerable.

"We're not Nimbys ['not in my back yard], but you can imagine the pressure on the infrastructure if that and another 880 homes were built in the area," he said. "That's 1,530 new homes, with children requiring school desks, and demand for doctors."

Earlier this month separate plans were submitted to renovate Holbeche House, which has been empty four four years, and convert it into offices for a social care company.