BUILDING on the Black Country’s green belt land is one of the “tough decisions” that will be discussed as part of a review into the area’s housing shortage.

A report has revealed that nearly 80,000 new homes need to be built across the region in the next 20 years to cope with increases in population.

The consultation document for the Black Country Core Strategy says sites have already been earmarked for around 60,000, but there is a shortfall of 22,000.

People in Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton are being urged to have their say on where the homes should or could go, with a public consultation set to start on Monday, July 3.

As part of the two-month review there will be a ‘call for sites’, where people can put forward areas of land they feel may be suitable for development.

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said the idea of building on green belt land will come under discussion, but would be seen by the council as a “last resort”.

“This document will shape the Black Country for a generation and it’s absolutely critical that people have their say on it,” he said.

“Making the most of brownfield land is a high priority for us and one of Dudley Council’s main objectives in our work with the West Midlands Combined Authority.

“However, clearly at some point in the coming decades we are going to run out of these kind of sites as our population and our economy continues to grow.

“One issue that will come under discussion is building on green belt land. This is always something as a council we would see as very much a last resort.

“But something has to give, and there is no point burying our heads in the sand. We are clearly going to have to make some tough decisions on where these 22,000 new homes should go.

“That’s why we are launching a consultation, along with the other three Black Country authorities, next month to enable people to have their say.

“It’s important people tell us what they think and we would urge people to get in touch.”

The Black Country Core Strategy outlines how many homes need to be built and how to plan for the number of extra jobs needed in a growing population as well as looking at where new homes and businesses should be located.

The original document was launched six years ago and covers the period up to 2026, but the public consultation will be on a review of the document to take it up to 2036.

Information collected from the consultation will be collated and used to produce a proposed review document, which will again go out to consultation next summer.