AN action group has been formed by residents in Stourport to fight council plans to designate green belt land for housing.

Angered residents have launched a petition in response to Wyre Forest District Council listing land off Yew Tree Walk, known locally as Patrick's Field, as a potential site for 85 new homes in the Local Plan.

The 'Friends of Patrick's Field' action group say the field is home to badgers, foxes, rare reptiles and dozens of species of birds and butterflies, which would all be at risk if development went ahead.

Group spokesman Mike Williams said: "A number of us attended consultation sessions held by the council last year and specifically asked if this field could be used for development and we were assured this was not the case. This is why it's such a shock.

"It's been thrown in at the last minute with no further consultation with residents, no examination of the feasibility of the proposal and no consideration of the impact of building another 85 houses on the traffic problems that already exist on the Lickhill estate.

"The field is frequently used by local residents as there's a route through the site to get down to the river.

"We've been compiling lists of all the wildlife on the site and have counted more than 300 species of butterflies and moths alone. What will happen to them if their home is destroyed?"

Fellow resident Claire Barnett added: "The site has developed on dumped ash from Stourport Power Station and is totally unsuitable to be built on."

Jeff Martin, whose home in Briar Way overlooks the field, said: "It is simply not worth losing a green belt site which is so important for wildlife and highly valued by the local community for such a small gain.

"To remove this site from the green belt in our view sets a dangerous precedent and will encourage other housebuilders to come forward with plans to build on green belt land."

Friends of Patrick's Field have launched their own Facebook page, and have been holding public meetings with local residents to help them fill out a Local Plan feedback form before the December 17 deadline.

Councillor Ian Hardiman, Wyre Forest District Council’s cabinet member for housing, said: “The Yew Tree Walk site was submitted to the council as part of the preferred options consultation ‘Call for Sites’ that we undertook during summer 2017.

"In the 1950s this site was subject to sand and gravel extraction before it was filled with ash waste material from the power station. It is therefore classed as a previously developed site.

"We are currently consulting on the Pre-Submission Local Plan so residents do have a chance to respond to this consultation. The only difference being is that all consultation responses received this time will be sent to Planning Inspectorate together with the draft Local Plan for the Planning Inspector to consider.”

To view or comment on the Local Plan, visit wyreforestdc.gov.uk/localplanreview.