Valerie presents Black Country Plan-Walsall Arboretum Petition

On Wednesday 1 December 2021, I presented a petition to the House of Commons on behalf of my constituents in relation to building on the Green belt near to the Walsall Arboretum.

I was contacted by the residents of Kilhendre Court Walsall residents of the United Kingdom. I told the House that :  The petitioners note that the Black Country Plan will build 5000 homes on the Walsall Green Belt; 

that 592 of these homes will be built alongside the Walsall Arboretum, the only area of the park with open field and animal grazing views;

further that the development will destroy the Green Belt, wildlife corridors and increase flooding and that protected species of badgers and bats’ habitats will be destroyed; and red deer, barn owl, tawny owl, buzzards and parakeets will be lost to the area as they try to navigate around noise and light pollution.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to take all possible steps to ensure that the concerns of the petitioners are taken into account and reject plans to build houses on the Walsall Green Belt. As at 1 December 2021 there were 2005 signatures in the online petition in similar terms. 

The online petition on Change.org is available to view here: Petition · Save our Green Belt- Alongside Walsall Arboretum · Change.org.   The Government will then provide their comments on the petition and these will be published in the Official Report.