Residents of Aldridge are voicing strong opposition to planned developments proposing thousands of new homes on the town’s green belt. Their concerns extend beyond the environmental impact to worries about overcrowded roads, strained schools, and the loss of cherished farmland.
In October 2025, Walsall Council published its draft Walsall Borough Local Plan, outlining multiple land allocations across Walsall for housing development. This plan responds to a government directive to build 1.85 million new homes within five years.
Within the Aldridge and Brownhills area alone, over 7,000 homes have been proposed. Notably, more than 4,000 of these are concentrated across just four sites: Queslett Road, Calderfields, Black Cock Farm, and Home Farm on Lichfield Road. This figure excludes additional developments not formally included in the draft plan, such as plans for 500 homes on Bosty Lane and the recent approval of 115 homes at Longwood Lane.
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Led by husband and wife Christine and Derek Edwards, Aldridge locals have created the action group Stop the Build on Aldridge Green Belt. Their campaign took shape following a public consultation meeting last July concerning a 355-home proposal at Druid’s Heath.
Christine, 73, explained, “Attending that meeting made us realize this can’t be right. Most residents were horrified. We started leafleting to raise awareness because this kind of development feels like sacrilege. It’s devastating, and it’s all being justified by the government’s reclassification of green belt land to grey belt.”
David Smith, 68, chair of the group, highlighted infrastructure concerns, saying, “It’s already really difficult to get doctor or dentist appointments. We’ve tried to get answers from health services about future capacity, but there’s been no response. Some sites are suitable for housing, others, like the farmer’s land on Stonnall Road, clearly are not. Keir Starmer himself said we shouldn’t be ploughing up farmland, yet that’s exactly what’s being proposed.”
Connor McCormack, a 27-year-old local resident, expressed frustration: “I don’t want to see our green belt destroyed. It erodes our community’s identity. Sure, I’d like to own a home, but developing on green belt land is not the way. This should be a wake-up call to those who supported the government that pushed these policies.”
Christine also criticized the affordability claims of these developments: “They always say ‘affordable housing,’ but a two-bedroom ex-council maisonette nearby is over £200,000. There’s no way a three-bedroom house here would be affordable.”
Jonjo McNamara, chief of staff to Aldridge Brownhills MP Wendy Morton, warned of worsening conditions: “We risk being swallowed into a Greater Birmingham with no supporting infrastructure. This will only worsen as the National Planning Policy Framework trims the green belt protections from five criteria down to three, targeting the preservation of green belt from urban sprawl.”
Walsall Council’s deputy leader, Councillor Adrian Andrew, added, “We must prepare a local plan as directed by central government, which includes reviewing the Green Belt. Without meeting government deadlines, we lose control over where developments happen. Officers are currently reviewing thousands of public comments, and no final decisions have been made on the next draft of the plan. A key goal is ensuring sufficient infrastructure, so we are collaborating with education and health providers. Unfortunately, with planning by appeal, local concerns are often overlooked.”
The ministry of housing, communities, and local government has been approached for comment.