Marston Green scheme could open the flood gates to green belt development

RESIDENTS in Marston Green have warned that the decision to grant planning permission for an expansion of Birmingham Business Park sets “a dangerous precedent” for building on green belt land.
Last month, Solihull Council granted outline approval to erect up to three new buildings on a field adjacent to Blackfirs Lane – a little over 100 metres away from some residents’ homes.
Clive Hill, a member of Bickenhill and Marston Green Parish Council, argued the scheme rode roughshod over the terms agreed when the business park was first built in the 1980s.
Locals were also concerned about increased noise and disturbance.
Coun Alison Rolf (Con, Bickenhill) said: “This is high quality green belt land which forms a buffer between the business area and the residential area.
“[Solihull Council] has already allowed expansion which has eroded that buffer and this application seeks to erode it even more. Simple question – why does the green area have to be reduced to allow for the size of the buildings? Why can’t the building size be changed instead?”
The developers argued that the expansion would deliver significant economic benefits and could create up to 2,000 jobs locally.