Plans for housing on green belt thrown out

Acres of South Staffordshire green belt was today saved from the developer after three controversial housing plans were thrown out by the Government.

Villagers were today celebrating victory in their two year battle after the Secretary of State Hazel Blears announced plans to build more than 1,300 homes in Featherstone were not acceptable.

Residents in Cheslyn Hay were also relieved after hard-fought proposals to create 560 homes at the Campions Wood quarry site were also thrown out.

The Featherstone proposals would have doubled the size of the village, protesters claimed. The biggest part of the plan was earmarked for Cat and Kittens Lane, where Taylor Woodrow and BAE Systems wanted to build up to 1,000 homes and a park and ride.

Meanwhile, Persimmon Homes wanted to build 360 homes on green belt land between Junction 1 of the M54 and Brookhouse Lane.

All three applications were thrown out by South Staffordshire Council but developers appealed.

Council leader Brian Edwards said today: "These developments would have meant land equating to over 140 football pitches would have been lost."