Labour group leader calls for Walsall green belt to be saved from developers
Campaigners are set to descend on Walsall Council House in support of a motion aimed at protecting the borough's green belt.
The authority's ruling cabinet is being urged to review a series of sites included the Black Country Plan (BCP), which will see more than 5,000 homes built on green belt land in Walsall by 2039.
At a full council meeting next week, a motion put forward by Councillor Aftab Nawaz will demand the protection of land including Calderfields West next to the Arboretum, Yieldsfield Farm in Bloxwich and Home Farm, Sandhills.
Labour group leader Mr Nawaz, who represents the St Matthews ward where Calderfields sits, said: "Walsall's green corridor is in danger of environmental sabotage and must be protected.
"We think development would be a regressive move and strongly urge cabinet to review any proposals for the green belt. Once it's gone, it's gone."
The Save Our Green Belt Alongside Walsall Arboretum group's petition has garnered almost 3,200 signatures and campaigners are being urged to turn up for the meeting at 6pm on April 25 to show their support.
Spokeswoman Bobbi Owen, said: "We are asking people to come along to the meeting to show councillors the strength of feeling against green belt development."
Council chiefs say sites that are not owned by the authority cannot be removed from the plan unless they are withdrawn by the landowner.
Council leader Mike Bird, said: "There are understandably a lot of concerns regarding green belt development which I have personally spoken to ministers about.
"As a council we have a brownfield first policy, but the fact remains there is a shortfall of thousands of houses across the borough.
"Having said that, I am still not convinced the algorithm used to work out the housing requirement is sound."
The BCP is currently at the draft stage following a consultation. The next version – dubbed 'the publication plan' – is set to be published in September ahead of another consultation.
Campaigners in Walsall received a boost last month after neighbouring Dudley Council announced the removal of two sites from the plan; grazing fields at Wollaston Farm, Stourbridge and land at Guys Lane, Lower Gornal.
They have demanded the plan is called in for scrutiny, and have commissioned campaign and policy advisor Gerald Kells to prepare a report for councillors arguing against green belt development.
The report is expected to claim that housing needs in the borough have been exaggerated and that they can be met by utilising brownfield sites.
Meanwhile a long-awaited brownfield study, commissioned by West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, is expected to be published after the local elections.
