Sutton Coldfield residents battle green belt housing plan

Sutton Coldfield councillors have started a petition opposing plans for up to 10,000 homes on the green belt around their town.

The proposals for green fields near Walmley and Four Oaks will also be under the spotlight at two public meetings next month.

Sutton Coldfield Conservative MP Andrew Mitchell is hosting a meeting on Saturday, December 8, followed a week later by a special meeting of the council’s Tory-dominated district committee.

It comes after the Labour-run City Council issued a draft development plan in which it outlined proposals to meet Birmingham’s demand for 80,000 new homes over the next 20 years.

As well as building up to 46,000 homes within the urban area, it also earmarked four patches of green belt land near the A38 in Sutton Coldfield for the development of up to 10,000 houses.

Residents now fear an influx of new arrivals will place an increased burden on local schools, health services and the transport network.

Land is also being sought for major industrial development, sparking fears that the council-owned Peddimore site near Walmley, where a concerted campaign by residents 15 years ago saw off plans for a micro-electronics plant, could again be targeted.

Coun David Barrie (Con, Sutton New Hall) said: “We don’t believe Sutton’s green belt should be developed to make a quick buck for the council.

“Land at Peddimore is under their control and I am sceptical about whether this is just a way of lining the pockets of the Labour administration at Sutton’s expense.”

The council’s Labour deputy leader Ian Ward said that to ensure the development plan is legitimate they have to consider all options, including green belt development, to meet housing need.

“We cannot ignore the growth in population and the related increase in housing and employment needs, because to do so would be a failure that could easily be challenged by developers,” he said.

The first meeting, hosted by MP Mitchell, is at the Trinity Centre, Mill Street, from 3pm on December 8. The District Commitee will meet at Sutton Town Hall a week later.