Last-minute delay to Walsall plan for 20,000 new homes

A consultation on the allocation of thousands of new homes across Walsall has been delayed at the eleventh hour. 

A six-week consultation on the Walsall Borough Local Plan should have commenced from Monday, September 14. 

However Walsall Council has announced that it will now commence a week later after reconsideration by cabinet members at their next meeting. 

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The Reform-led council said the changed timetable is to ensure that all ‘required governance processes’ are completed ahead of the consultation. 

The Walsall Borough Local Plan is a document which allocates plots of land across the borough, including many green belt sites, for housing or employment development. 

It follows a government directive to build over 20,000 homes in the borough between 2027 and 2042. 

Reform cabinet members approved the latest draft plan at their last meeting on August 26. 

Over five thousand homes have been allocated for sites across green belt land, two of which are also part of the Great Barr Conservation Area. 

They include: 

1200 homes at Home Farm, Lichfield Road, Sandhills

1000 homes at Calderfields golf course

771 homes off Queslett Road, between Aldridge Road and Doe Bank Lane, part of the site falls into the Great Barr Conservation Area 

580 homes at York’s Bridge, Pelsall

430 homes on land west of Chester Road, Streetly

363 homes on land north of Stonnall Road, Aldridge

341 homes south of Little Aston Road, Aldridge 

332 homes on land to the east of Chester Road, Streetly

135 homes on land off Skip Lane which falls entirely into the Great Barr Conservation Area

Portfolio holder for regeneration, Councillor Nicky Barker, said the inclusion of green belt sites was ‘not a step the council would have taken if realistic alternatives existed’. 

This consultation period is part of the Regulation 19 stage before the plan will be sent to the planning inspectorate for review and approval. Walsall Council must submit its plan before December 31, 2026. 

Failure to do so will result in Walsall Council having little control over planning applications due to a lack of a five-year housing land supply.  

A previous consultation, part of the Regulation 18 stage, took place late last year. Following feedback from residents and businesses, four sites were removed from the plan.

They include Black Cock Farm – 1070 home, Stencils Farm – 1000 homes, Land off Odell Road – 177 homes, Harpur Close – 155 homes, and the former Reedswood Gold Course – 94 homes. 

Deputy leader of Walsall Council, Councillor Nicky Barker, said: “The local plan is about planning for the future of our borough, supporting jobs, investment, regeneration and infrastructure, while protecting our heritage and green spaces.

“Councils must have a local plan and seek to meet government housing targets. Without one, we risk losing control over where development takes place.

“We have taken a brownfield-first approach, but previously developed land can only deliver around a quarter of the housing we are required to plan for. As a result, the draft plan includes some green belt land, although this is not a step we would take if realistic alternatives existed.

“The plan also includes measures to protect communities, including controls on HMOs and children’s care homes, and proposals for a Community Infrastructure Levy so developers contribute towards local improvements.

“We know people will have different views, which is why we are encouraging everyone to take part in the Regulation 19 consultation. Feedback is vital in helping us shape a plan that balances national requirements with the needs of local residents, businesses and communities.”