NEARLY 20,000 people have had their say on plans to build on green belt across the Black Country and Dudley Council’s leader has warned “they cannot be ignored”.

More than 19,500 people responded to the Black Country Plan consultation across the region – with the vast majority objecting to plans to build on green belt land.

The consultation, which ran for eight weeks last year, asked for views on future housing and employment developments across the Black Country.

The majority of feedback called for a number of proposed green belt developments in the borough to be taken out of the plan.

Councils across the Black Country are sifting through the data but a report into Dudley’s findings will be discussed at the Future Council Scrutiny committee on Wednesday March 2, from 6pm.

Dudley Council’s leader Councillor Patrick Harley said: “The people of this borough have sent a very clear message that proposals to build on green belt land will be met with strong objection.

“The huge level of response is really helpful.

“The views of thousands of people cannot be ignored that plans to build on the greenbelt in Dudley borough should be thrown out.

“The majority of the objections cited potential transportation issues and impact on our road network as reasons for the sites to be discounted and we are currently awaiting detailed transport modelling evidence over the coming weeks when we may be presented with even more evidence allowing us to reconsider these sites.

“We have already made it clear that we are a brownfield-first authority and this feedback from the consultation means we have to accelerate that.”

The four Black Country authorities hope to publish the consultation responses online within the next month and the updated Black Country Plan will be published this summer.