A SENIOR Dudley councillor has given a categorical assurance proposals for a massive enterprise zone on hundreds of acres of Halesowen’s greenbelt land will not be resurrected by a combined West Midlands Authority.

Cabinet member for planning and economic development Councillor Kurshid Ahmed was responding to protesters’ fears the 260-acre development bid on historic countryside bordered by the A456 Manor Way and the M5 at junction three could be revived.

The proposal was included as a strategic development as part of the bid for a combined authority to be set up adding an additional tier of local government, made up of Dudley, Birmingham, Solihull, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Coventry and Sandwell.

Although Dudley Council made a u-turn and scrapped a further study into the viability of the plan in the wake of massive opposition, members of Save Halesowen’s Countryside fear the proposal could be revisited if the combined authority gets the go-ahead.

The pressure group has so far collected 155 signatures on a petition calling for Dudley to hold a referendum on whether the borough should join the combined authority.

But Cllr Ahmed said: “Dudley Council rejected even the idea of a high-level feasibility study into developments at junction three and this will not be resurrected by a combined authority.”

He added: “The initial work on the proposals for a combined authority is about a shared vision for more jobs and funding into our borough and the wider region.

“These are exciting times and we hope people will welcome the huge opportunities this combined authority will bring.

“However, the council will be carrying out a formal consultation from November this year to January 2016, as set out by national government, where people and businesses will have the opportunity to support the proposals or raise any concerns.

“We have no plans to duplicate this work with our own costly referendum.”

The petition needs 3,000 signatures for it to be automatically eligible for discussion at full council.