Residents living adjacent to a proposed 850-home development in Great Barr, Walsall, have voiced significant concerns over the plans to build on 42 hectares of green belt land. Developer IM Land and Walton Homes recently submitted outline proposals to transform the site—located within the Great Barr Conservation Area and bounded by Aldridge Road, Queslett Road, and Doe Bank Lane—into a new housing estate complete with a primary school, two community hubs, allotments, and a community orchard.
During the pre-application consultation period, hundreds of comments were received, highlighting worries about the loss of green belt land, increased traffic congestion, and strain on local infrastructure. The Local Democracy Reporting Service spoke with several residents who live next to the site, all expressing opposition to the development.
Ninety-one-year-old Pauline Tonks remarked, “It’s just huge, and another school—we already have four. How are they going to manage traffic? I think it’s terrible and ridiculous. I don’t think it’ll happen in my time.”
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Gary Walter, owner of the Grade II Listed Doe Bank Farmhouse located adjacent to the proposed site, shared his dismay: “I bought the land in 1996 expecting it to remain protected green belt. Green belt areas were not meant for building. It’s a disgrace that the government can overrule local council decisions so easily. Green belt is green belt for a reason, and we need to preserve our green spaces.”
Despite its location within the green belt and conservation area, the site has been designated for housing development in Walsall Council’s draft Borough Local Plan. Labour’s housing minister Steve Reed, who in 2025 encouraged developers to ‘build, baby, build’ and promised to ease planning process barriers, has not responded to inquiries about his shifting stance on protecting such land.
Neighbor Nisha Balu expressed her disappointment: “We live here for the green belt and the natural environment. There are animals like deer that come out at night—it’s all going to be lost. I hope the plans are rejected.”
Pauline Williams, 75, added, “We already have enough traffic here. It’s countryside, a lovely area, and it’s sad to think we’ll see houses fill this space.”
Councillor Nicky Barker, deputy leader of Walsall Council, emphasized that the application is still in the early stages and all community feedback and planning considerations will be reviewed before a decision is made.
A spokesperson for IM Land and Walton Homes stated, “This site was identified as suitable for development in the now-withdrawn Black Country Strategy and the more recent draft Walsall Local Plan. The council will thoroughly assess the application, taking into account representations from consultees and local residents.”