Housing targets for South Staffordshire 'impossible' to meet without green belt development, says council
It is "impossible" to meet Government housing targets across South Staffordshire without building on the green belt, the district council has warned.
South Staffordshire Council has launched a consultation into its draft local plan, which will see more than 8,000 homes built over the next 17 years.
The authority said that as 80 per cent of South Staffordshire was green belt land, some would have to be sacrificed in order to meet the Government-set target.
Bosses also said the authority was having to give up land for development along the border with Black Country councils, which were struggling to meet their own housing and employment targets.
Councillor Terry Mason, cabinet member for planning and business enterprise, said the council had a "very difficult decision to make" in balancing providing new homes and protecting the green belt.
He said the local plan – which must be in place by the end of 2023 – would help guard against "unplanned speculative development".
"We are aware that some of the messaging from Government is giving the impression that there should be no development on the green belt," he said.
"However, their own national planning policy framework is clear that green belt boundaries may need to be reviewed through a local plan.
"South Staffordshire is approximately 80 per cent green belt, with the majority of the remainder classed as open countryside, and only a very small amount of brownfield land.
"There are calls across the whole country to use only brownfield land, but with the small amount we have it is impossible to meet what is demanded of us without affecting our green belt.
"We have looked at all non-green belt options and sought to maximise these, but the preferred strategy does unfortunately include some green belt sites.
"Of course, if the Government's recent messaging around green belt does result in a change to legislation, and/or national planning policy, we will revisit our green belt proposals in accordance with the new policy.
"However, until such time as this happens, we need to progress our local plan on the basis of the requirements of the current arrangements."
Councillor Mason said it was clear from the recently published Black Country Plan – which outlined plans for more than 77,000 homes – that neighbouring councils were "unable to meet their own identified employment and housing needs in full".
"Therefore, as an authority that shares a substantial boundary with the Black Country, it is essential that we consider what role South Staffordshire might have in meeting some of their needs," he said.
He called on "as many residents as possible to engage in the consultation and share their views".
"We urge you to focus on the planning reasons why you feel proposals may not be appropriate, and equally encourage you to set out what alternative proposals you consider suitable, so that we are able to meet our future development needs, and any reasons why you believe this to be the case," he added.
He said the council "understood residents' concerns" about green belt development, and insisted the proposals were "not set in stone" and may change as a result of the consultation.
The plan will see 8,821 homes built by 2038. They include four major sites that have been earmarked for nearly half of the total.
Land off Linthouse Lane and Wood End Road has been lined up for 1,200 homes, while 1,200 homes will be built at Cross Green in Coven.
A total of 848 homes are set for a site in Bilbrook, while land near Lower Drayton Farm in Penkridge could see 1,129 homes built there.
The plan also outlines sites for employment development, including the West Midlands Interchange at Gailey and Four Ashes Industrial Estate.
The consultation can be accessed at sstaffs.gov.uk/planning/preferred-options.cfm. It closes on December 13.
Land has been allocated for 8,821 homes under the draft version of the South Staffordshire Plan. Here are the proposed sites:
- Essington: land off Linthouse Lane and Wood End Road (1,200 homes)
- Coven: Cross Green (1,200 homes); land between A449 Stafford Road and School Lane (48 homes)
- Bilbrook: to the east of the village (848 homes)
- Penkridge: Land near Lower Drayton Farm, north of Penkridge (1129 homes); Cherry Brook (88 homes)
- Codsall: Station Road (85 homes); land next to Keepers Lane and Wergs Hall Road (317 homes); former Adult Training Centre off Histons Hill (29 homes)
- Great Wyrley: Landywood Lane (155 homes); Walsall Road (31 homes); Pool View, Churchbridge (46 homes); land off Norton Lane (31 homes); Loades PLC (29 homes)
- Cheslyn Hay: east of Wolverhampton Road (49 homes); land off Holly Lane (84 homes); land adjoining Saredon Road (60 homes)
- Perton: land west of Wrottesley Park Road (150 homes)
- Wombourne: Pool House Road (223 homes); land off Billy Buns Lane and Gilbert Lane (223 homes); land off Orton Lane (57 homes); next to 63 Sytch Lane (16 homes)
- Brewood: south of Kiddemore Green Road (43 homes); Four Ashes Road (63 homes);
- Huntington: Pear Tree Farm (39 homes)
- Kinver: south of White Hill (38 homes); land off Hyde Lane (22 homes); east of Dunsley Drive (22 homes)
- Wheaton Aston: land off Marston Road/Fenton House Lane (22 homes); land off Ivetsey Road (22 homes); Bridge Farm (15 homes)
- Featherstone: Brinsford Lodge (81 homes); land next to Brinsford Lodge and Brookhouse Lane (39 homes)
- Swindon: land off Himley Lane (22 homes)
- Pattingham: Hall End Farm (17 homes); Moor Lane (22 homes)
- Stafford border: Weeping Cross (168 homes)
- Wolverhampton border: Castlecroft, north of Langley Road (390 homes)
