A FACEBOOK page set up by campaigners who fought a successful battle to save Halesowen’s greenbelt from the threat of development is being kept open.

The Save Halesowen’s Countryside page will be used to spread information and gather support against other bids to encroach on the town’s rural borders.

Hales Owen Abbey Trust Secretary Mick Freer said the next campaign will be to stop St Modwen building houses on part of the Coombeswood Green Wedge.

It is understood the developer will submit a planning application to build homes on fields at Firtree Farm later this year.

The Facebook page has attracted more than 1,800 members and many of those who took part in the celebration walk across the Heritage Landscape Area off Manor Way, have posted their photographs on it.

An estimated 240 acres of greenbelt, bordered by the dual carriageway and the M5 at junction 3, was under threat of being used for an enterprise zone which could have generated 6,000 jobs and £300 million worth of investment.

Mr Freer said: “The page will carry on being used because we realise it’s not only the issue of saving the land around the abbey, but there is so much interest in Halesowen’s countryside that it can be used as a force for good.”

Created and managed by campaigner Lucy Marshall, Mr Freer said the page will provide a “ready-made platform” when the battle lines are drawn to campaign against house building on the green wedge.

In the meantime, it will promote and inform people about the historic countryside and footpaths around Halesowen.

Recent posts include details of the clearing of the ancient green lane public footpath which leads down to the wedge from Mucklow Hill so people can use it.

Mrs Freer said the lane is at least 800 years old and would have been used by Halesowen’s famous poet and landscape gardener William Shenstone.

He and Alan Love, John Reynolds, Derek Massey and Alan and Linda Webb cleared the lane last Thursday and Mr Freer hopes its promotion on the Facebook page will encourage people to walk it.