West Midlands Green Belt

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Map of the West Midlands Green Belt showing extents, districts and counties.
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Green belt
District borders
County borders West Midlands Green Belt.svg
Map of the West Midlands Green Belt showing extents, districts and counties.
  Green belt
  District borders
  County borders

The West Midlands Green Belt is a statutory green belt environmental and planning policy that regulates the rural space within the West Midlands region of England. It is contained within the counties of the West Midlands, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Essentially, the function of the green belt is to more rigorously manage development around the cities, towns and villages in the large West Midlands conurbations centred around Birmingham and Coventry, discouraging convergence. [1] It is managed by local planning authorities on guidance from central government.

Contents

Geography

Land area taken up by the green belt is 231,291 hectares (571,530 acres), 1.7% of the total land area of England (2019). [2] [3] Tracts of green belt lie within the West Midlands county itself, much of it by the Meriden Gap in Solihull borough; however, the vast coverage of the green belt completely envelops the county.

The green belt stretches from Stafford and Telford through to Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwick, and Rugby. There is a small isolated portion of green belt separating Droitwich Spa and Worcester. [3] The Stoke-on-Trent and Burton upon Trent/Swadlincote green belts lie around 10 miles (16 km) to the north.

Due to the West Midlands green belt extending across several counties, responsibility and co-ordination lies with the many local district councils whose land covers the green belt, as these are the local planning government bodies.

Green belt locations
CountyDistrict councilKey inset areasOutlying places
Shropshire Shropshire [4] Albrighton, Shifnal Telford, Bridgnorth
Staffordshire Cannock Chase [5] [6] Cannock, Norton Canes Rugeley
Lichfield [7] [8] Burntwood, Shenstone Lichfield
South Staffordshire [9] [10] Codsall, Great Wyrley, Wombourne Penkridge
Stafford [11] [12] [13] Cannock Chase AONB Stafford
Tamworth [14] Tamworth
Warwickshire North Warwickshire [15] Coleshill Atherstone
Nuneaton and Bedworth [15] Bedworth, Bulkington Nuneaton
Rugby [15] Binley Woods, Long Lawford, Wolston Rugby
Stratford-on-Avon [15] Alcester, Henley-in-Arden, Studley Stratford-upon-Avon
Warwick [15] Kenilworth Warwick, Royal Leamington Spa
West Midlands Birmingham [16] [17] Sutton Coldfield
Coventry [15] Brownshill Green
Dudley [10]
Sandwell [10]
Solihull [18] Balsall Common, Bentley Heath, Cheswick Green,

Dickins Heath, Hampton-in-Arden, Meriden

Walsall [10]
Wolverhampton [10]
Worcestershire Bromsgrove [19] [20] Alvechurch, Barnt Green, Bromsgrove, Hollywood
Redditch [21] Feckenham
Worcester [22] [23] Claines Worcester
Wychavon [22] [23] Hartlebury, Martin Hussingtree, Wychbold Droitwich Spa
Wyre Forest [24] Kidderminster Bewdley

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands (county)</span> County of England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Staffordshire</span> County of England

Staffordshire is a landlocked ceremonial county in the West Midlands of England. It borders Cheshire to the north-west, Derbyshire to the east, Warwickshire to the south-east, the West Midlands county and Worcestershire to the south, and Shropshire to the west. The largest settlement is the city of Stoke-on-Trent, and the county town is Stafford.

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The Midlands is the central part of England, bordered by Wales, Northern England, Southern England and the North Sea. The Midlands were important in the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries and are split into the West Midlands and East Midlands. The biggest city, Birmingham, is the second-largest in the United Kingdom. Other important cities include Coventry, Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, Nottingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands (region)</span> Region of England

The West Midlands is one of nine official regions of England at the first level of International Territorial Level for statistical purposes. It covers the western half of the area traditionally known as the Midlands. The region consists of the counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, West Midlands and Worcestershire. The region has seven cities; Birmingham, Coventry, Hereford, Lichfield, Stoke-on-Trent, Wolverhampton and Worcester.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Midlands conurbation</span> Conurbation in England

The West Midlands conurbation is the large conurbation in the West Midlands region of England. The area consists of two cities and numerous towns: to the east, the city of Birmingham, along with adjacent towns of Solihull and Sutton Coldfield; and to the west, an area called the Black Country, which includes the city of Wolverhampton as well as the nearby towns of Dudley, Walsall, Sandwell, Stourbridge and Halesowen.

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Redditch is a town and borough in Worcestershire, England. It is located south of Birmingham, east of Bromsgrove, northwest of Alcester and northeast of Worcester. The borough had a population of 87,037 in 2021. In the 19th century, it became a centre for the needle and fishing tackle industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannock</span> Market town in Staffordshire, England

Cannock is a town in the Cannock Chase district in the county of Staffordshire, England. It had a population of 29,018. Cannock is not far from the nearby towns of Walsall, Burntwood, Stafford and Telford. The cities of Lichfield and Wolverhampton are also nearby.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cannock Chase District</span> Non-metropolitan district in England

Cannock Chase is a local government district in Staffordshire, England. Its council is based in the town of Cannock; other notable towns are Rugeley, Bridgtown and Hednesford. The district covers a large part of the Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from which it takes its name.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Metropolitan Borough of Solihull</span> Metropolitan borough in England

The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull is a metropolitan borough in West Midlands county, England. It is named after its largest town, Solihull, from which Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is based. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of seven boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region. Much of the large residential population in the north of the borough centres on the communities of Castle Bromwich, Kingshurst, Marston Green and Smith's Wood as well as the towns of Chelmsley Wood and Fordbridge. In the south are the towns of Shirley and Solihull, as well as the large villages of Knowle, Dorridge, Meriden and Balsall Common.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Government of Birmingham</span>

Birmingham, a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England, is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birmingham metropolitan area</span>

The Birmingham Metropolitan Area is an urban agglomeration located in the West Midlands region of England with a population of around 4.3 million people, making it the second largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom. It comprises the three cities and four metropolitan boroughs which make up the Metropolitan county of the West Midlands, along with its commuter zones, which extend into the neighbouring district authorities of Bromsgrove and Redditch in Worcestershire; Cannock Chase, Lichfield, South Staffordshire and Tamworth in Staffordshire; and all five district authorities of Warwickshire, including the towns of Bedworth, Coleshill, Nuneaton, Royal Leamington Spa, and Warwick itself.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shenstone, Staffordshire</span> Human settlement in England

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The Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) is one of 39 Local Enterprise Partnerships set up by Government to drive economic development in England.

References

  1. Fawcett, Tony. "Green Belts: A greener future - Campaign to Protect Rural England".
  2. "Green Belts in England: Key facts - A series of factsheets on England's 14 Green Belts".
  3. 1 2 "CPRE - WEST MIDLANDS GREEN BELT" (PDF).
  4. "Shropshire Green Belt Assessment - FINAL REPORT - Prepared by LUC - September 2017" (PDF).
  5. "Cannock Chase Green Belt Study - Final Report for Cannock Chase District Council - Prepared by LUC - March 2016" (PDF).
  6. "Evidence Base". Cannock Chase District Council. 22 July 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  7. "Lichfield District Council - Green Belt Review 2019 - September 2019".
  8. Council, Lichfield District. "Green belt review". Lichfield District Council. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  9. "South Staffordshire Partial Green Belt Review - Method Statement - Prepared for South Staffordshire District Council by LUC - January 2014".
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 "Black Country Green Belt assessment". blackcountryplan.dudley.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  11. "The Plan for Stafford Borough: Part 2 - 2011-2031" (PDF). 2.19 In Stafford Borough there are two areas of Green Belt; around the North Staffordshire conurbation and in the south eastern area of the Borough which includes Cannock Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
  12. "The Plan for Stafford Borough - 2011 - 2031 - Adopted - 19 June 2014" (PDF).
  13. "The Plan for Stafford Borough - Adopted Policies Maps" (PDF).
  14. "Tamworth Borough Council - Green Belt Review 2014" (PDF).
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Coventry & Warwickshire Joint Green Belt Study" (PDF).
  16. "Green Infrastructure Network".
  17. "PG1 Green Belt Assessment 2013.pdf | Birmingham City Council". www.birmingham.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  18. "Solihull Strategic Green Belt Assessment: Assessment Report - JULY 2016" (PDF).
  19. "Green Belt Purposes - Part One - Assessment: Strategic Assessment of the Green Belt Purposes - August 2019 Version - Bromsgrove District Council" (PDF).
  20. "Green Belt Purposes Assessment". www.bromsgrove.gov.uk. 19 April 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2021.
  21. "A Study of Green Belt Land & Areas of Development Restraint within Redditch Borough -- Borough of Redditch Core Strategy - Background Document - 27 October 08" (PDF).
  22. 1 2 "South Worcestershire Green Belt Assessment (Malvern Hills, Worcester and Wychavon) - Part 1: Strategic Assessment of Green Belt Purposes - Wood Environment & Infrastructure Solutions UK Limited – October 2018" (PDF).
  23. 1 2 "South Worcestershire Development Plan - Green Belt Study".
  24. Council, Wyre Forest District. "Local Plan review evidence base - Green Belt". archive.wyreforestdc.gov.uk. Retrieved 30 May 2021.