Under-fire councillor gets police protection over Pattingham housing battle

Residents living in Pattingham, South Staffordshire, are currently up in arms over the controversial proposals to build 19 new homes on green belt land in the village, saying it is an 'overdevelpment', as the argument rages on.

Plans have been lodged by South Staffordshire Housing Association with the district council and are due to be decided on next week. But speaking at a meeting of Pattingham and Patsull Parish Council, Councillor Joan Burton said she has been repeatedly targeted by people wanting to have their say on the scheme.

The councillor, who also represents the area on South Staffordshire District Council, said: "This has frightened me to death. Somebody came on to the driveway of our home and put 'vote no' stickers on my husband's car. Now I am locked in my home all the time and have police protection after what has gone on in this village."

Councillor Burton made the shock revelation during a meeting of the Parish Council at the Dartmouth Arms in Burnhill Green in answer to a questioner from the public gallery who asked how she would vote on the issue next week. Mrs Burton added: "I have been on the parish council for 37 years and the district council for 35 years and have never experienced anything like this."

She explained that a 2011 survey had shown 29 new housing association houses needed to be built in Pattingham and added: "The Parish Council has objected to this site twice but has no final say in the matter since the district council are the planning authority. There are all sorts of rumours of how I will vote on this at the district council meeting next week. Nobody knows the answer to that because I do not know myself yet."

More than 500 villagers took part in a parish poll which overwhelmingly voted against homes being built.

Mr Andy Hazelwood, a member of the Pattingham Save Our Green Belt group that is spearheading the fight against the planned development, said: "My house is right next to the proposed site and I would never condone any personal attack on a member of the parish council. People have got pretty het up over this but I was very surprised to hear what she has had to put up with."