SPARKS flew at a long awaited Redditch Borough Council meeting at the Town Hall on Monday night (January 30) where decisions were heavily criticised by members of the public.
Moved to the top of the agenda was the item concerning the vote for Public Plan 4, which proposes building 3,400 houses on land near surrounding Webheath, and the hotly debated topic was followed closely by a large number of people in the public gallery.
After years of delay, the borough’s local plan which will see thousands of homes being built from Webheath to Bentley village in Bromsgrove district, was voted in by members of the council.
The decision came just hours after it was announced that housing minster Gavin Barwell had refused to ‘call in’ the Local Plan for housing in the constituency, meaning the item – which includes the Webheath homes – would not be questioned further by central Government.
Carried by a majority of one in a named vote – where all of the Labour Group members voted in support of, while all of the Conservative Group and the sole UKIP member, Coun Paul Swansborough, voted against – the plan to build the massive housing scheme is now set to be fully adopted.
However furious residents who flocked to the meeting in a bid to ‘save Webheath’ ensured their feelings were heard by the council.
Seconds after the vote was carried, the residents of Webheath in stood up in a silent protest and turned their backs on the council.
“This is a disgraceful decision and I turn my back upon this council,” said one resident before walking out.
“I find this vote an uncaring and irresponsible action. I hope you, the council, will hang your heads in shame,” added another, calling out before Chairman of the meeting, Mayor Joe Baker, asked for order and quiet to resume.
Lead by David Rose, the Webheath Action Group have been fighting to keep the open countryside and natural beauty of the area for many years.
Following the meeting, he said: “Redditch Borough Council has turned it’s back on the residents of Webheath, therefore we turned our backs upon Full Council.
“We held one minute’s silence for the demise of Webheath.”
“This is another knife in the back – this time from a Government that doesn’t care where new houses are built as long as developers build them.
“These proposed new housing developments will not solve the housing crisis.
“Building affordable housing in the countryside far away from services and infrastructure is a joke and Webheath and Bentley residents are disenfranchised.”
