THE Campaign to Protect Rural England has voiced concerns that residents who may be affected by new housing developments proposed in the Black Country Plan may not be aware of the threat to their countryside.

CPRE, the countryside charity, is urging planning authorities to directly inform residents living in areas where green belt could be lost under the Black Country Plan so they know they need to have their say or lodge objections.

Mark Sullivan, chairman of the West Midlands regional group of the CPRE, said: “CPRE is concerned that too little is being done to make sure local residents understand what is proposed in their immediate countryside.

"It is essential that anyone who may be next door to one of these proposals knows that they need to have their say. We want people to know about these plans now.”

CPRE also believes more needs to be done to build homes where they are needed on brownfield sites inside the Black Country.

Mr Sullivan added: “Towns and cities are changing. There are going to be opportunities to redevelop in our town centres and across the wider urban area. "That is the first place we need to look to build new houses.”

Councillor Patrick Harley, leader of Dudley Council, said: “I have made my feelings very clear on Dudley’s aspect of the Black Country Plan – we will do everything in our power to identify previously developed land to protect green belt.

“We are brownfield first.

“It’s now up to residents to have their say, which is central to getting the right plan for Dudley.

“The plan looks to identify housing and employment land across the Black Country up to 2039 and without it, the region’s green belt may be under threat from developers.”

He stressed the council was doing everything it could to "make sure every resident in the borough is aware of this consultation over the eight-week period it runs for" and he added: “That includes press releases, ebulletins, social media campaigns, extensive advertising in the local print press, radio campaigns, adverts on the back of buses, as well as making sure forms are available for people to fill in at public buildings such as council receptions and libraries.

“We want as many people to respond as possible, and are leaving no stone unturned in getting the message out there."

The public consultation started on Monday August 16 and runs until October 11.

People can visit https://blackcountryplan.dudley.gov.uk/bcp/ for more information.