CAMPAIGNERS fighting proposals to turn green belt land into housing estates are stepping up their fight to protect Dudley’s countryside.

Cradley and Wollescote councillors are to hold their third public meeting to protest against proposals to develop 1,500 homes on Foxcote Farm. 

The event comes after more than a hundred people turned out in July to show their opposition to the proposed development and just two weeks after more than 400 residents attended a similar gathering in Halesowen.  

The meeting is to be held at the Provident Church On Windmill Hill in Cradley on October 9 and been organised by Tim Crumpton and his fellow ward councillors to allow residents to quiz council officials over the proposals which are part of the Black Country Core Strategy.

Cllr Crumpton says it is part of series to publicise the threat to the countryside: “Our objective is let people hear the council’s side of things and to ask questions and then to start putting together a plan to start the fight against the development in the green belt with the ultimate aim of bringing together all the groups fighting these proposals.”

He added: “A lot of people don’t know and don’t understand what is going on.  A lot of people are very angry about something that shouldn’t be happening and this is their opportunity for find out in more detail.”

He added that the meeting would also highlight a protest march by the Save Halesowen’s Countryside group on October 12 in opposition to plans for up to 1,130 homes on Tack Farm off Manor Way. 

The Black Country Core Strategy – a plan jointly developed between Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall councils –  was published earlier this year after landowners and developers were asked to submit potential locations for development.