West Mids mayor Andy Street vows to protect greenfield land

West Midlands mayor Andy Street has vowed to protect greenfield land and utilise more urban land as Black Country councils claim green belt is needed to reach housing targets. The Urban Capacity Review has concluded there are not enough urban sites in the area to address a housing shortage. The planning report, published this month, suggested that the Black Country’s green belt will need to provide for thousands of new homes. The report found there will be a shortage of 26,920 homes in the Black Country until 2038. The Black Country is located west of Birmingham and covers most of the four metropolitan boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Planning officials said: “The identified shortfall – that is the amount of housing need which cannot be accommodated in the Black Country urban areas – remains significant, at around 26,920 homes. “It is reasonable to conclude that the exceptional circumstances necessary to trigger a green belt review in the Black Country, in order to meet housing and employment land needs, have been met.” However, the review has generated criticism from leading politicians, including West Midlands Combined Authority mayor Andy Street. I simply don’t accept this report and I will do everything I can to oppose its conclusions. We can and will find more brownfield sites to regenerate for homes and we can and will find more sites in town centres for housing. https://t.co/SVm5S73r6J — Andy Street (@andy4wm) December 28, 2019 Street tweeted: “I simply don’t accept this report and I will do everything I can to oppose its conclusions. We can and will find more brownfield sites to regenerate for homes and we can and will find more sites in town centres for housing.” He added: “For years the easy option has been taken in too many cases with greenfields sacrificed for building when brownfield sites have been left derelict. That approach has got to stop – we need homes to regenerate our urban areas and ease the pressure on our remaining greenfields.” The review is part of the Black Country Plan, which was launched in 2017 to identify how many homes and businesses will be needed in the Black Country by 2036. The Black Country Plan is a joint initiative by the region’s four councils of Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton. To send feedback, e-mail anna.ward@egi.co.uk or tweet @annaroxelana or @estatesgazette