A housing developer has told a planning inquiry that part of Walsall’s green belt is effectively ‘grey belt’, accusing the local authority of a ‘catastrophic’ failure to plan for new homes.
The comments were made during evidence to an examination of Walsall Council’s planning policies, where the developer argued that the authority has not identified enough suitable land to meet housing demand. They claimed that some green belt sites around the borough are already so affected by surrounding development and infrastructure that they no longer function as true open countryside.
The inquiry is considering whether Walsall’s approach to protecting green belt land is compatible with national planning policy while still delivering required housing numbers. The developer’s team argued that reclassifying and releasing selected ‘grey’ green belt sites would be necessary to avoid worsening shortages and to provide a realistic pipeline of development land.
Council representatives defended their strategy, maintaining that green belt boundaries should remain tightly drawn and that brownfield regeneration remains the priority. The inspector’s findings will be closely watched by housebuilders and planners, as they could influence how far authorities in the West Midlands can rely on green belt protection while attempting to meet housing targets.
