At the end of last week the Black Country Core Strategy was published. The proposed plan has left me shocked at the sheer scale of development being proposed for my constituency.
At its heart the proposal should have been looking at viable opportunities to provide housing and employment across our communities on appropriate local sites.
Instead, the proposal simply seeks to drive a coach and horses through the green lungs of my Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.
The proposed development on our precious Green Belt is unacceptable to me and I know from the many emails that I have already received on this matter that it is unacceptable to you too.
I am still of the firm belief that there are an adequate number of brownfield sites across the Black Country which should be developed first instead of forging ahead with the wholesale destruction of our Green Belt and Open Spaces.
That’s why I will be questioning the housing allocation numbers and asking why it is that my Aldridge-Brownhills constituency and the wider Walsall area are being expected to do the heavy lifting and why we are being asked to take a disproportionate number of houses.
Whilst at this stage the Black Country Plan is only a ‘proposal, it remains extremely important that when the consultation starts in August we all feed in our views.
When I have further information about the consultation I will update you all.
However, please be assured that I will be opposing this plan on behalf of the residents of my Aldridge-Brownhills constituency.