COUNCILLORS fighting a proposal to turn green belt land between Alvechurch and Barnt Green into a new ‘garden town’ will take their battle to a full council meeting on Wednesday night (April 25).

A report published in February earmarked green belt land between Alvechurch and Barnt Green as a possible site for a new town consisting of 10,000 to 15,000 homes, to combat a regional housing shortfall.

The controversial report was independently prepared by GL Hearn on behalf of the Greater Birmingham and Black Country Housing Market Area, of which Bromsgrove District Council is a member of.

Independent cllrs Steve Colella, Charles Hotham and Kate van der Plank said the potential of a garden town was “the biggest issue to hit Bromsgrove in the last decade”.

And while the council has ardently rejected the findings, which they are not committed to following through, they will be urged at Wednesday’s council meeting (6pm) to quit the GBSLEP and set aside the Hearn report in favour of their own green belt review and the Worcestershire LEP.

Cllr Colella said: “For far too long we’ve seen too little infrastructure investment and the only interest that there seems to be in Bromsgrove is how many houses it can take from neighbouring authorities.

"This council needs to commit to a more forward role within the Worcestershire LEP (WLEP) in particular with the Worcestershire Growth Fund in bringing a measurable and equitable deal for Bromsgrove than has been achieved to date.

“Bromsgrove has once again fallen behind in securing funds for the district when compared to fellow districts across the county.”

Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest council’s are jointly represented at the GBSLEP by a single cllr, currently Redditch’s Greg Chance.

But cllr Hotham has questioned the role and why there isn’t direct involvement from someone in Bromsgrove.

He said: “Bromsgrove have had no directly elected member living in Bromsgrove fighting our corner. I am unaware of any feedback from these so called BDC representatives on the GBSLEP.”

Council leader Conservative cllr Geoff Denaro previously said “it cannot be stressed strongly enough the council has not accepted the findings of the study”.

And Bromsgrove MP Sajid Javid, the housing minister, who previously declined to comment, has now also dismissed the report.

He said: “The answer to solving the housing crisis does not lie in tearing up the green belt.

“The GL Hearn review is an independent review that has nothing to do with Bromsgrove District Council.

“BDC has begun its own review on long-term housing needs and is committed to listening to local people - an approach I warmly welcome.”