Plans for up to 100 homes in green belt

This illustration reflects plans for the Boscobel Lane area in Bishops Wood

Plans for up to 100 homes in the green belt have been submitted to South Staffordshire Council.

The "plentiful benefits" of the proposal for Bishops Wood "demonstrably outweigh any harm", for example to the openness of the green belt, a planning statement claimed.

The proposed development, on land at Boscobel Lane, would deliver 40 affordable homes.

The 5.23-hectare (13-acre) site would also deliver a shop, public open space and a community orchard. Existing trees and hedgerows will be incorporated into the proposals wherever possible, the document says.

Developers said the case for building in the green belt was strengthened because the council had not identified sufficient sites for new housing, and that the houses will make a positive impact on the local housing needs of the area.

Despite the green belt restriction, the council has identified the site as a potential area for development.

By Wednesday, four residents had submitted objections to the scheme.

'Increased congestion'

John Featherstone said: "My main concern is the significant increase in traffic that this development will bring to our village.

"The existing road infrastructure is not designed to handle the additional volume of vehicles, which will likely lead to increased congestion, accidents, and safety risks for pedestrians, particularly children and the elderly."

Benefits included making "a positive contribution to South Staffordshire District and the wider Housing Market Area's local housing need," the planning statement said.

The document submitted to the council added that they also included contributions to the local economy through creating jobs and residents' spending and the provision of a shop and "public open space to promote social interaction".

It said: "A comprehensive Very Special Circumstances case exists to justify proposing the development in the Green Belt."

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.