Drone photograph shows scale of green belt under threat in Stourbridge
This aerial view shows the swathes of green space which could be lost if plans to build 1,500 homes on a Black Country farm go ahead.
Developers have put forward land at Foxcote Farm in Wollescote, Stourbridge, for development as part of the Black Country Plan, which is a joint-led council project to address a shortage of homes.
The plans have caused upset within the local community which has cherished this piece of green belt for generations.
Developers across the four Black Country boroughs - Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton - have suggested plots of land for development.
It comes after council planners said the Black Country's green belt would need to make way for 27,000 homes.
A review is currently taking place to establish a refined list of sites which would most suitable for development.
Before the coronavirus outbreak, the Black Country Plan was due to go out for public consultation in October this year.
However this date could now be put back due to the disruption caused by the pandemic.
It means campaigners fighting to save the land at Foxcote Farm could face a longer wait to find out the area's fate.
A report published in December revealed that the Black Country's greenbelt will be needed for 27,000 new homes due to a lack of urban space or brownfield sites.
Cradley and Wollescote Ward Councillor Gaye Partridge said this land is part of Wollescote's "DNA" and has been walked by "generations" of people.
"This land has been walked by people's fathers and mothers," she said.
"The plans mustn't go ahead. The land is important for people's wellbeing."
