Residents in last ditch legal effort to block green belt houses plan Row over 6,000 homes could be decided by judicial review if opponents get their way
CAMPAIGNERS are considering a last ditch legal bid to block plans for up to 6,000 homes on green belt land near Sutton Coldfield.
The Project Fields campaign group is consulting lawyers over a potential judicial review or other legal challenge to the new Birmingham Development Plan.
But the clock is ticking as the Labour-run city council is expected to formally adopt the plan which sets guidelines for housing, industrial and commercial development in the city over the next 15 years when it meets next Tuesday, January 10.
By far the most controversial element of the plan has been the proposals to create 6,000 homes and a large industrial development on green belt land to the east of Walmley in Sutton Coldfield.
The plan also identifies sites for 45,000 homes within Birmingham’s built-up area but the campaigners fear that the highly lucrative Sutton Coldfield green belt sites will be developed first.
After years of debate, a public inquiry and deliberation, the plan was given the approval of Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid and housing minister Gavin Barwell in November.
Project Fields organiser Suzanne Webb said: “Should any development go ahead, we are steadfast in our resolve to work with all involved to guarantee it has the best outcome in terms of its social, economic and environmental credentials.
“However, the way the plan has been consulted, examined and, more recently, the Secretary of State Sajid Javid’s decision to withdraw the holding direction, we have a duty to ensure that the judgments made to approve the plan are legally sound.
“We are not stalling or trying to cause mischief, we just want to make sure that the planning inspector and Sajid Javid’s decision to push through this plan have not been knee-jerk reactions to a perceived housing crisis, a way of meeting over-ambitious housing targets or for the city council to raise revenue as they own much of the land.
“We as a community want a legal guarantee that the decision has been based on a rigorous pro- cess where all instructions to direct a modification to the plan have been considered.
“Sajid Javid gave his support for building on green belt land as long as local communities had a desire to do so, but we overwhelmingly told him that, in Sutton Coldfield, we had no desire to do so.
“But still, the plan was given the go-ahead. “That is why we fight on.” Bromsgrove MP Mr Javid was slammed by Sutton Coldfield MP Andrew Mitchell over the decision.
Mr Mitchell said the decision showed his former government colleague could “not be trusted” to deliver on manifesto pledges to protect Britain’s green belt.
He said: “For a Secretary of State to one day say the green belt is sacrosanct and the next day to ride roughshod over the views of very large numbers of people is wrong in principle and it’s wrong in practice.”
In November, Mr Javid acknowledged the green belt was special.
But he added: “When a local community has come forward with a robust plan, has looked at all the alternatives, has considered its housing needs and has prioritised brownfield sites, and when the independent planning inspectorate has said that the plan conforms to all the rules and regulations, the Government have no valid reason to stand in the way.”
We are not stalling or trying to cause mischief Campaigner Suzanne Webb, above