Barnt Green could burst its boundary with new houses spilling on to an open field under new proposals.
A minimum of 98 homes, with almost half of them “affordable”, would be built on the field between Fiery Hill Road and Cherry Hill Road (see the map below).
The 12-acre field is earmarked as a Development Site in the Bromsgrove District Council Draft Core Strategy 2, which is under public consultation until April 15.
A meeting of Barnt Green Parish Council last night decided to organise a public meeting where a district council representative would be invited to explain the plans to villagers.
This isn’t the first time this field has come under the spotlight of potential development. It is the same site identified as a potential “Area of Development Restraint” by a Government Inspector in 2004 – a view upheld in the High Court when challenged by Bromsgrove, and with which the district council says it now agrees.
District councillor Ann Doyle told parish councillors last night: “I don’t think a lot has changed since the last time 10 years ago. What annoys me is that we [Bromsgrove District Council] fought this before and now the Core Strategy says Bromsgrove concurs.”
Coun Doyle said it was up to “think tanks” like the parish council to co-ordinate a response to the proposals “rather than having a public uprising with people thinking, ‘we just don’t want development here’”.
Coun Susan Whitehand, who keeps an eye on planning matters for the parish council, said: “It is about trying to ensure that what you get is right for the area. We don’t want any rubbish. I would hate to see the sort of boxes that Persimmon are putting into Alvechurch.”
Parish councillors believed it would be important to make sure the necessary infrastructure was included in any development plans, including perhaps a new school, medical centre and village car parking on the site.
Coun Rachel Banner said: “If the school goes on the development, then we could have retirement homes on the school site.
“We have to be optimistic about this, ” she added. “We have got to think that what we want will happen, such as a school and medical centre.”
Parish chairman Judith Jagger said she believed the site was owned by “two ladies” who lived outside the area.
The Draft Core Strategy 2 is trying to identify ways the district can plan for housing growth of around 4,000 homes up to 2021. It also foresees the need for a further 2-3,000 homes up to 2026 – which “could include a full Green Belt review if necessary”.
Two Development Sites are identified in Alvechurch, covering around four acres in total near the M42 on the north side of the village: one off Birmingham Road to the north side of Old Rectory Lane and the other on land behind the houses on the other side of Birmingham Road (see map below). A minimum of 42 homes would be built on these sites.
Anyone wanting to comment on the draft can email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or call the Strategic Planning Team on 01527 88 1328/1314/1323
