Green Party politician tells Black Country planners to prioritise affordable housing

It comes after a recent council report, in the Black Country Plan, recommended building on the Black Country's green belt.

The Urban Capacity Review, published in December, concluded there is not enough urban sites to meet a housing shortage.

As a result, the report recommended that exceptional circumstances have been met to trigger a green belt review, and find room for almost 27,000 homes.

Kathryn Downs, Green Party candidate for West Midlands Mayor, levelled criticism at council planners.

She said: "Green belt in the Black Country is being carved up by private developers to build homes which the average West Midlands family can’t afford to live in.

"With two in five children living in poverty in the region, we need to prioritise building more social and affordable housing on the plentiful brownfield sites in the Black Country while taking action to bring empty homes and vacant land back into use.

“Building on the Green Belt will never solve the housing crisis and it’s time this land was given the stronger protection it needs.

"With climate emergencies being declared in councils across the region, we need to ensure the future provision of housing has easy access to public transport, walking and cycling facilities, and that we protect our Green Belt so that it can continue to play its vital part reducing our carbon emissions.”

Andy Street, the current mayor who will be standing for the Conservatives again in May's election, has also been a vocal critic of the report, saying council planners should prioritise building on brownfield sites.