Save our Greenbelt

Ryan Priest, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Halesowen and Rowley Regis has delivered a petition with 600 signatures to Dudley Council in the party's latest attempt to Save Halesowen's Greenbelt.

Ryan, who has been leading the party's campaign to save the greenbelt since April, handed in the petition to the scrutiny committee on Wednesday.

He Said, "I think it's quite telling that locally the other two parties are saying the right things, but it's me and the Liberal Democrats who have been gathering signatures and trying to raise awareness of the threat to our countryside."

"But nationally the Tories and Labour miss the mark, it was only a few weeks ago the Conservative Leader of the House, Jacob Rees Mogg was calling on all Greenbelt land to be abolished."

"600 people have joined this campaign to demand better for our home, I'm so proud of the way our community has come together to voice our opposition to these ridiculous plans"

"When I attended the meeting, I was pleasantly surprised by what the council officers present had to say, they are taking our communities interests seriously, they recognise the importance of the Greenbelt to local people, and I do think there is some genuine solidarity."

"Where I'm concerned is that if we relieve pressure on the council, they will take that as a sign that our community's passion is dying down - that isn't the case, and so I'll be keeping up this fight"

"There is a housing crisis, and young people, particularly young families, are finding it harder and harder to get onto the housing ladder. Nobody is denying the scale of this crisis, but the Liberal Democrats believe that in Dudley we have enough space to grow without tarmacking over the countryside."