We mustn’t let them build on the Chase - Natalie Bennett
‘Nothing would be safe’ if developers are allowed to build on Cannock Chase, the former leader of the Green Party has warned.
Natalie Bennett has joined the campaign to protect the beauty spot and met with residents yesterday.
She joined Councillor Paul Woodhead to meet neighbours in Cannock Wood who voiced their concerns about potential plans to build houses on Cannock Chase, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It is part of Cannock District Council’s Local Plan in which they aim to build 5,300 houses by 2028.
Proposals were put forward in January about where new houses could possibly be built and one of the sites is within Cannock Chase, which could see the development of 500 new houses in the area.
It is one of 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty meaning it is one of the UK’s most cherished and outstanding landscapes.
Ms Bennett, said: “Almost nothing would be safe if we developed in an area like this, it would be utterly the wrong direction to be heading in.
"What we are looking at is ancient woodlands and an amazing natural environment which would be a huge biological and ecological loss.
"Local residents talking to me have lived here for decades and if it is part of a larger development, they would lose all cohesion that is so evident here.”
Both argue that there is not the infrastructure in place to be able to cater for such a plan due to limited bus services going in and out of the town.
They pointed out that there are brown field sites in places where there is the infastructure if the homes are needed in the area. They also said that if the plans go ahead then other green belt areas will also be at risk.
Councillor Paul Woodhead said: “While there arent diggers and trucks rolling into the countryside today, if we waited for that it would be too late. It is only people standing up that stop these things happening and people need to know what is happening so they can engage with it.
“This is not an ‘it’s in my back yard concern’- it is more that this is a village that has it’s own character and it is not set up for this kind of development. I think they would be outraged if they thought of the kind of scale of development on this area.”
There is no commitment to the plans yet as the council will meet for consultations next year to identify which land they consider suitable to build on.
