Residents in a leafy Worcestershire village are fighting bombshell proposals to build almost 3,000 houses on green belt.
The Bromsgrove District Plan, which maps out the future development of the town until 2030, includes provision for meeting the identifed housing needs of neighbouring Redditch. These include a minimum of 2,800 homes, a first school and local centre close to Bentley and Foxlydiate.
But residents say they are outraged by the proposals to build what they say will be a new town on the green belt land.
Tim Hill, a member of Bentley Area Action Group, said: “There are only around 120 homes in our parish and we are shocked by the size and scale of this development.
“We don’t see why we should have to bail out Redditch and the whole village finds it abhorrent. We feel planners chose our parish as the path of least resistance.”
The group has spent thousands of pounds on planning advice and have now submitted their representations on the scheme, which has caused local uproar.
Ruth Bamford, Bromsgrove District Council head of planning and regeneration, said: “The Bromsgrove District Plan is the strategic plan that will guide development in the district until 2030.
“The council has published its ‘proposed submission’ version of the plan for formal representations before its submission to the Government for independent examination.
“Representations in relation to the plan’s compliance with planning law, or ‘soundness’, can still be made until the end of the six-week consultation period which ends today at 5pm.”
