FURIOUS protestors are calling on Dudley Council to call off a planned review of green belt land that could potentially be used to build new homes and industries.

Halesowen Abbey Trust project co-ordinator Mick Freer claims there is just weeks to save the borough's countryside.

He said the review – which is planned for January 2018 – is the “most serious threat” that he has experienced in 40 years of volunteering for conservation.

But Dudley Council leader, Councillor Patrick Harley, argues the review needs to be done to protect the borough’s green belt for “future generations”.

From January, contractors appointed by the four Black Country borough councils will search for sites – both brownfield and green belt – where a possible 22,000 properties and 300 hectares of industries can go to meet the region’s growing population by 2036.

But Mr Freer claims that as Dudley borough has almost 3,400 surplus housing sites, the local authority are not justified to participate in a search for building sites within the green belt.

“Under Government guidelines, Dudley Council should not be sacrificing any of the borough's green belt,” he said. “However, it is preparing to do so to assist Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton.

“Those councils should be forced to meet their obligations within their own boundaries – and they can do so.”

Areas Mr Freer fears are at risk of development are Lapal, Coombeswood, Grange Hill, Hayley Green, Lutley, Oldnall and Foxcote.

However, Cllr Harley said carrying out the review will “ironically be doing what Mick Freer wants” by identifying the green belt land which is “most valuable to the community”.

The Tory councillor told the News: “Do we want to build on green belt land? No, of course we don’t, and Mick is right, we do have surplus housing and brownfield sites until 2026, but this review is for identifying land after 2026.

“If we don’t do this review, then in 10 to 15 years’ time a big developer, with highly paid lawyers behind them, could come here wanting to build on our land. If we say no they could take us to the cleaners because the first thing they’ll ask is ‘have you done a green belt review?’

“We would be screwed.”

The review is expected to be debated by councillors next autumn.

Cllr Harley added: “In this review we can identify the land which we definitely don’t want to develop, as well as the land that we may – and that’s a big may – offer up.

“We’ve got to think of our future and look past 2036. It’s not for us, it’s for our future generations and will put us in a much stronger position to oppose developers wanting to build on our green belt.”