War of words over South Staffordshire green belt housing plan

A blue on blue row has broken out over controversial plans to build thousands of homes on green belt sites across South Staffordshire and the Black Country.

Nearly 9,000 homes are planned for green sites in South Staffordshire over the next 17 years – including 4,000 for to be built for councils in Birmingham and the Black Country under a ‘duty to cooperate’.

South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson says the Black Country should stop trying to “dump” houses on the district.

But Walsall Council's Conservative leader, Mike Bird, said the former Cabinet minister needs to “wake up and smell the coffee”.

Earlier this year Black Country councils faced mass opposition over plans to build more than 7,700 homes across the four boroughs.

Conservative MP Mr Williamson said: “The Black Country authorities should be taking these houses themselves, not trying to dump them on South Staffordshire. They seem to want to protect their own green belt at the expense of South Staffordshire’s. That isn’t acceptable. They should be building houses on the many brownfield sites they have and not expecting South Staffordshire to pick up the slack.”

Mr Bird said: “Gavin Williamson needs to wake up and smell the coffee. Ten per cent of Walsall’s green belt is under threat and my job is to protect it.

"We are already undertaking a trawl of all brownfield sites to see if we have missed any, and I have also asked the housing minister to show me the algorithm that says we need all of these houses.

"We’re not trying to dump anything on South Staffordshire. The law is clear regarding to the duty to cooperate, and it is up to South Staffordshire to make a case as to why these sites are not suitable.

"Rather than shouting at us in the Black Country, Gavin Williamson should go and speak to the housing minister and ask him to show exactly why these housing numbers are required.”

The South Staffordshire Plan could see nearly 9,000 homes built on green sites in the district over the next 17 years.

Its publication has sparked protests from thousands of outraged residents, with many accusing South Staffordshire District Council of sacrificing precious green belt sites without putting up a fight.

Backed by parish councillors, protesters have vowed to pile the pressure on the local authority in a bid to vastly reduce the amount of development planned for the area.

District council bosses say a consultation on the plan, which ends on Monday, has seen record numbers of people take part.

They insist they have no option but to build on green belt sites to meet an "established housing need", and have urged people to use the consultation to "challenge our choices".

In Wombourne, where more than 500 homes are planned, over 1,500 residents have joined a campaign group against development.

They say schools and GP services are already at breaking point, and that extra homes would put extra strain on an area that already suffers from traffic congestion and flooding.

Founder member Laura Smith said: "It will have a big detrimental effect on the community. It's not just the problems with the infrastructure, it's the fact that will all the extra houses planned we are in danger of losing the very nature and character of what a village is.

"Once those fields are built on we will lose the natural boundary between Wolverhampton and Wombourne forever."

The group has also raised concerns over the consultation process, saying a "lack of communication" from the council had left people convinced that development was already a "done deal".

Mrs Smith added: "The council has done the bare minimum to inform people about what is going on, but residents have really come together to oppose these plans.

"As a group we have delivered thousands of leaflets and will continue to do all we can to stop this from happening."

The Save the Lower Penn Green Belt (SLPG) action group is battling to stop the development of sites including one to the north of Langley Road, which has been earmarked for 390 homes.

They have accused the council of basing housing targets on "out-of-date" figures and said sacrificing the green belt for neighbouring local authorities would lead to clogged roads and environmental damage.

The group also said registering objections through the consultation process had been made "as difficult as possible", due to the online portal being "overly complicated and impossible to navigate".

Vice chair Ken Crane warned that councillors in South Staffordshire would pay at the ballot box unless plans for green belt development were scrapped.

He said: "If Conservative district councillors in this area think they are going to get their seats back next time they come up for re-election, they can forget it.

"By backing these plans they have done residents a great disservice by not representing the area."

The group says that while they aren’t political, they are considering supporting independent candidates in the next round of district council elections.

On the Essington-Wednesfield border, residents are battling to save a huge stretch of land off Linthouse Lane, which could be sacrificed for up to 2,500 homes.

Last weekend dozens of people turned up to a protest that was attended by Jane Stevenson MP and Wolverhampton councillors, including Phil Bateman, Greg Brackenridge and Chris Burden. Essington ward councillor Chris Steel was also in attendance.

A petition started by campaigner Simon Brodie, who organised the protest, has been signed by more than 4,500 people.

He said the development would result in the "destruction" of the green belt, harming wildlife and crippling local infrastructure and services.

"This will have a massive impact on our environment and well-being," he said.

"The green belt should not be the first choice for developers – brownfield sites should be."

Michael Edwards lives near the proposed development and was part of the protest.

He said the area already struggled with sewage and drainage issues and would never cope with thousands of extra homes.

Extra traffic would also be disastrous as there had also been several accidents on Linthouse Lane, he said, adding that development would result in the destruction of a number of kettle ponds.

"We need our green belt and section of open land for health reasons," he added.

"Keeping fit, dog walking, running, family outings, as can be proven by mental health experts it is good for the soul so why take it away?

"Surely there are plenty of brownfield sites that can be utilised. They should find a site that has the capacity to be built on that does not effect the welfare and hearts of local people."

Wolverhampton North East MP Ms Stevenson, said: "This development would have a massive effect on Wednesfield, Ashmore Park and Essington.

"Many are concerned about flooding at this site, the additional pressure on local services, and the loss of valuable, productive arable land.

"It's the same story all along my northern boundary from Bushbury through Fallings Park to Ashmore Park - people feel they're being bricked in.

"We should be focusing on city centre living and projects which gently densify housing. Loss of green space should be a last resort, not a cheap and easy option."

Councillor Terry Mason, South Staffordshire District Council's cabinet member for planning and business enterprise, urged people to take part in the consultation.

He said: "We have had a record number of engagements with this consultation process so far, both virtually and in person.

“If you haven’t done so already, please get in touch and make your views known.”

The furore over the plan mirrors the mass wave of objections seen after the Black Country Plan was published in August. The four borough councils have earmarked land for more than 7,700 homes, the majority of which have been lined up for Walsall.

Last week Walsall South MP Valerie Vaz presented a petition featuring thousands of signatures to Parliament against plans to build 592 homes on land at Calderfields, next to the Arboretum.

The Labour MP said the development would "destroy the green belt, wildlife corridors and increase flooding", as well as damaging the habitat of protected species.

Ms Vaz urged ministers to intervene to ensure plans to develop the borough's green belt were rejected.

To take part in the South Staffordshire Plan consultation visit sstaffs.gov.uk/planning/local-plans-consultations.cfm. Alternatively, email localplans@sstaffs.gov.uk or call 01902 696000 for information.

The deadline is 5pm on Monday, December 13.