Stop Miller Homes’ Green Belt Development in Cofton Hackett!

Miller Homes is proposing to build up to 115 houses on protected Green Belt in Cofton Hackett (land west of Skylark Street). This site is currently valuable agricultural land that has been farmed for generations and contributes to the area’s rural character, biodiversity, has huge amenity value and prevents urban sprawl.

Under national planning policy, Green Belt land is given the strongest protection in the planning system. Its fundamental purpose is to prevent urban sprawl by keeping land permanently open, with openness and permanence being its essential characteristics. The Green Belt also serves key purposes, including safeguarding the countryside, preventing towns merging, and encouraging development on previously used land instead.

Crucially, the National Planning Policy Framework states that inappropriate development in the Green Belt is, by definition, harmful and should not be approved except in “very special circumstances”. This means the starting point for any proposal like this is refusal unless the developer can prove that the benefits clearly outweigh the harm to the Green Belt. 

This proposal would result in the permanent loss of agricultural land and destruction of the Green Belt forever.  Such development conflicts directly with the fundamental purposes of the Green Belt and represents inappropriate development.

While housing need is recognised, the existence of housing pressure does not automatically justify building on Green Belt land. Even where there is a shortage of housing supply, national policy requires that protected areas such as the Green Belt remain subject to strict safeguards, and decisions must weigh whether harm clearly outweighs any benefits rather than assuming approval.

We are not opposed to new homes, but development should take place on brownfield or previously developed land, which national policy prioritises before considering Green Belt release. There are suitable alternatives in Bromsgrove, Longbridge, and Birmingham that can meet housing needs without destroying protected countryside.  Utilising these sites will not only provide housing but also breathe new life into neglected areas without senselessly destroying the countryside

If this development is approved, it risks setting a precedent for further loss of Green Belt land and gradual urban sprawl, undermining long standing protections designed to preserve communities like Cofton Hackett. Once this land is lost, it cannot be replaced.

We call on Bromsgrove District Council to refuse this application, on Cofton Hackett Parish Council to defend the interests of residents, and on Miller Homes to drop this proposal and to prioritise development on appropriate brownfield and already developed land.

Please sign this petition and lend your voice to protect our community's precious Green Belt land.  By signing, you're taking a stand for responsible development for the benefit of future generations.