Campaign group vows to fight housing plans on green belt land

A campaign group has committed to fighting plans in Walsall to build nearly 600 on green belt land.

The Calderfields West site which is near Walsall Arboretum has been earmarked for 592 homes.

Under the plan for the Black Country, Walsall has to find enough land for 13,344 new houses by 2039 with 5,418 on green belt land.

Campaigners came to the Save Our Green Belt Alongside Walsall Arboretum public meeting, where the group said it would lobby Walsall Council and the proposed Black Country Plan.

The group said more than 3,000 people have signed a petition opposing the idea.

A Walsall Council spokesperson said: “In Dudley both Guys Lane, Lower Gornal and Wollaston Farm grazing land have been withdrawn by Dudley Council as the landowners.

“A landowner of a site may withdraw their submission. The Calderfields West site is not owned by the council.

“We are currently reviewing the representation received at regulation 18 consultation last autumn. In August to September 2022 we expect to consult on the draft publication regulation 19 version of the plan.

“The council will approve the draft publication regulation 19 version of the plan in the summer, the dates for which are likely to be confirmed after the May elections. The outcomes from the consultation, along with further evidence gathering, will inform the next version of the Black Country Plan – called the Publication Plan.

“The Publication Plan will be published late summer/autumn 2022 when all four Black Country councils will be asked to approve for consultation.”

Walsall Labour group leader Aftab Nawaz said: “The last time there was an application on Calderfields, I wholeheartedly voted against it.

“My view is it shouldn’t have made it on to the list in the first place and now it’s on there, people need to do as much as they can to get it off the list.

“There is such a unique value to Calderfields that I don’t think everyone fully understands. Once you lose it, it doesn’t come back.”