A TOTAL of 115 residents turned out to a public meeting at Stoke Prior Sports Club last Wednesday to plan the next steps on how to respond to Bromsgrove District Council’s draft local strategy.
Coun David Nicholl and Bromsgrove MP Bradley Thomas both spoke against the threat to the green belt in the area which is one of the 400 sites earmarked by officers.
The government has told Bromsgrove it needs to build 9,000 homes in the district by 2043.
As part of the meeting, Keith Edwards had created a moving film which highlighted the risk to the village. Watch it here.
Local campaigners and Stoke Parish Council have collated the evidence to help support residents with their submissions.
Coun Nicholl claimed, having ran the sites through AI software, the Stoke Prior site came up as one of the least appropriate.
He said: “Whilst I do not suggest the whole decision is made by AI, the fact there are 400 sites make it near impossible for human beings to assess the sites, which is why I decided to see what the Artificial Intelligence had come up with.
“The evidence pack we have collated will help residents to back up their submissions by referencing the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) using the evidence that planners understand to help defend our beautiful village.
“There are many many reasons to oppose this development, but top of my list would be the risk to heritage assets, such is the promixity to historic buildings such as St Michael’s and All Angels Church and this was the argument which won it for us back in 2023 with the Intall Fields development.
“We can win again but only if everyone submits to that consultation.”
He issued a rallying call to people to have their say before the September 22 deadline.
People can visit: Bromsgrove.gov.uk/BromsgrovePlan for more on the plan and to have their say.
