'Not happy to sacrifice green belt for others': Council leader explains Black Country Plan exit

Councillor Patrick Harley, who leads Dudley Council, said he came to the conclusion it was in the borough's interests to "go it alone" and exit the Black Country Plan.

The major housing proposal identified a need to build 76,000 homes across Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell and Wolverhampton by 2039, with over 7,700 on green belt sites.

It includes around 533 homes at The Triangle on Swindon Road and a further 330 homes to land south of Holbeache Lane, both in Kingswinford, to the anger of residents.

Councillor Harley, who called the decision "regrettable" but necessary, said: "This decision is something which has been considered for quite some time, and it was clear to me that we couldn't allow these green belt sites to be developed. The scale of public opinion was overwhelming – thousands of people responded to it and the majority was from Dudley alone.

"I'm not happy to move forward and sacrifice Dudley's green belt land to meet other local authorities' housing needs. Both Dudley and Walsall are picking up the slack for the other authorities, where there's very little on offer. Walsall has more on offer than Dudley and it's in our interest to save green belt land for future generations and look at what brownfield sites we can use.

"Dudley can almost meet its housing need so I'm not prepared to sacrifice our green belt to keep other local authorities happy. I'm elected as leader of Dudley Council and it's down to me to defend the interests of the people who elected me."

The leaders of the other authorities – Wolverhampton, Walsall and Sandwell – said they have been left "surprised" by the decision despite Councillor Harley saying it had been on the cards for a while.

Councillor Harley suggested the plan could still move forward with all four authorities on board if there's a "big change of heart" over green belt usage, saying his door was open to his fellow council leaders. However, he warned the four authorities could go their own separate ways, or two or three could band together to create their own proposals.

He told the Express & Star: "We've talked about the different options for many months and the deadline is now rapidly approaching. So the question is 'do we continue as a four, do we continue as a three or two or are we going our own separate ways?'

"Part of the issue is the Government increased the number of housing larger cities needed to provide and Wolverhampton was caught up in that, through no fault of their own, and that resulted in an increase of around 35 per cent – and Dudley, Walsall and Sandwell have to contribute to part of that.

"And although there's a duty to cooperate, we can just about make our own housing need. I came to the conclusion it's in Dudley's interests to go it alone unless there's a big change of heart from the others. I'm prepared to sit down and talk, but my priority is to protect the green belt – that's the message from the people of Dudley."

The plans for Dudley includes around 533 homes at The Triangle on Swindon Road and a further 330 homes to land south of Holbeache Lane, both in Kingswinford, to the anger of residents.

Councillor Harley said it the consultation over the plans would be "absolutely meaningless" if he refused to act on what people wanted, adding one of his predecessors signed up for it and he would "never sign up to another Black Country Plan".

He added: "They are insisting we have to include the two sites in Kingswinford and we're not going to do that. I'm confident we can just about meet our own housing need with brownfield land, which is what the Government has said we should do.

"I believe we may be slightly short, but you tell me any local authority in the country that will only be slightly short. And I agree with my fellow council leaders that the Government has got the housing numbers wrong, they are way too large and there's no justification for having them that large."

Smaller sites including land Lower Guys Lane, Worcester Road in Stourbridge, Wollaston Farm and Viewfield Crescent have also been identified to provide around a further 250 houses.

It is not known whether the Black Country Plan will progress with the other three authorities.

Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council, said the authority would take time "to consider our options in light of their decision" but remarked his was "surprised" by the exit action.

Meanwhile Councillor Ian Brookfield, leader of Wolverhampton, said he was "surprised and very disappointed" and said it could result in "wasting hundreds of thousands of pounds and huge amounts of time" – adding they would now work with people "we can trust".

And Sandwell Council leader Councillor Kerrie Carmichael said they were "carefully considering our options over the coming weeks" to consider the best way forward for Sandwell.