PLANS to build a new housing estate on greenbelt land in Kinver have come under fire from village MP Gavin Williamson.

Mr Williamson, who is also Britain's Defence Secretary, sent a shot across the bows of a scheme to build 46 new homes on the eastern side of Hyde Lane.

The site is identified as prime for development in south Staffordshire's Site Allocations Document (SAD), which was approved by the government's planning inspectorate on May 8.

Within days land promotion company Richborough Estates had released plans for the site and invited local people to a consultation event on Tuesday May 29, between 4pm and 8pm, at Kinver Sports and Community Association on Legion Drive.

Mr Williamson said: "The proposed development is completely inappropriate. A development of this density is highly unsuitable for the village that is already congested, particularly in the Potters Cross area."

He added the development would also encroach onto greenbelt land, which is something he is passionate about protecting.

Stourbridge News:

A leaflet from Richborough Estates showing where the new homes would be built if their planning application is successful.

A report on the SAD by the Planning Inspectorate says the site is allocated for 30 dwellings but South Staffordshire Council says that is a minimum amount of housing for the site.

Richborough Estates specialises in gaining planning permission for private landowners before sale to developers and claims to have a 100 percent success rate.

A spokesman for Richborough Estates said: "In preparing the illustrative proposals for the site, consideration has been given to on site constraints, the character of the locality and the identified housing needs within Kinver and the surrounding area.

"Evidence published by South Staffordshire District Council highlights a need for smaller properties to balance the local housing market and to ensure provision for first time buyers and households looking to downsize.

"With the illustrative scheme having a focus on the provision of smaller properties this has resulted in a scheme capable of accommodating up to 46 new homes, with the loss of two existing properties."

The Hyde Lane site is one of a number of parcels of land in Kinver identified in the SAD which are earmarked as potential development sites.

Richborough Estates is aiming to submit an outline planning application for the Hyde Lane site in early June.