Great Barr resident takes Walsall Council to court over green belt housing plan

Patrick Cluxton, 70, made the move in response to the approval of a two five-bedroom house development on Walsall’s green belt and within the Great Barr Conservation Area on Barr Lakes Lane.

The decision made by the planning committee on June 19 has been met with significant scrutiny from councillors, residents, and green belt campaigners Beacon Action Group.

Patrick, a retired chartered surveyor, decided to fund the judicial review after watching the committee proceedings leading to the decision, which he described as an ‘unprofessional pantomime’.

The 70-year-old said: “There’s so much to go at, it was a stunning decision that couldn’t be right.

“I’ve been living and working in Walsall for 30 years, it’s my green belt as well as anybody else’s. There’s just no justification to put houses in that field.”

The first step for Patrick is to apply for permission to seek the judicial review, if approved, a hearing could take place in several month’s time.

The community has shown it is fully behind Patrick after he received more than 100 letters of support to submit with the application.

Patrick says if this decision isn’t challenged, it leaves the rest of Walsall’s green belt at risk.

He said: “This could be the tip of a very large iceberg because if you can build two houses in a remote field, not only in the green belt but in a conservation area, against all policies, you can do it anywhere in the green belt.

“The planning committee is going to have to start looking after our green belt and our conservation area.

“They need to stop giving bits away to people who have got no interest in the land, all they want to do is build houses and take the money.

“We’ve got to go to Walsall Council and tell them we’re not going to stand for it.

“We’re going to do everything that we possibly can to get a high court judge to quash this decision.”

Walsall Council said it was unable to comment on the matter at this time.