The Election on Thursday is a Referendum on our Greenbelt.
Ryan Priest, Liberal Democrat candidate in Cradley and Wollescote has claimed that the local elections set for May 6th is a "Referendum on the Dudley Greenbelt" with his party pledging to protect green spaces across the borough by pulling out of the Black Country Plan which they claim has surrendered vital green space to property developers.
The Black Country Plan is the planning framework for the four Black Country councils, it allows people to propose sites for development, including over 1500 houses on Foxcote Field, Cradley.
Ryan Priest has campaigned against the Foxcote proposals for two years and says that he is worried that this election is the last chance to save the greenbelt.
Ryan said: "The Liberal Democrats stand with local residents, not property developers. It is a great shame that Dudley Council under the Tories cannot say the same.
"By the Mayor's own admission, our Greenbelt is under threat. But with a Tory Council, Tory MP, Tory Mayor, and Tory Government, it's clear where that threat is coming from.
"1500 houses on Foxcote Field would devastate local infrastructure, including schools, doctors, and transport.
"This election is a referendum on Dudley's Greenbelt, and a vote for the Tories is a vote for its destruction."
The Liberal Democrats are fielding 21 candidates in this year's local election, and each has pledged to fight any plans to build on the greenbelt.
The party, particularly in Cradley and Wollescote, is well known for its campaign to protect the Greenbelt, having put together a 600-signature strong petition in its defence in 2019, which the Council ultimately never replied to.