Campaigners in protest at more homes

BUILDING on green spaces in north Solihull will leave residents living “like sardines in a can”, a meeting had heard.

Scores of people packed into the Fordbridge Centre to demand that plans to dispose of public open space at Clopton Crescent, in Chelmsley Wood, be abandoned. They fear the proposals could pave the way for houses being built on a part of the site.

In October, Solihull Council’s cabinet deferred a decision on disposing of the land, and two other wedges of green space in nearby Smith’s Wood, with suggestions of 80-100 homes being built.

Objectors put questions to John Halton, from the North Solihull Partnership, which oversees the area’s regeneration project.

Mr Halton argued that there was “a dire need” for affordable housing and had insisted that, under the plans, 80 per cent of the land at Clopton Crescent would be retained and improvements made to the facilities.

Fordbridge town councillor Alan Nash said there had been a number of previous attempts to develop the site and the community “felt under threat”.