NOW Redditch Co-operative Homes is awash with a huge amount of money secured from private funding, totalling £14.7 million, where do we stand with greenfield sites?

David Cartwright, the former Council Leader, stated in the Labour manifesto: 'We will...through working with selected partners, ensure more starter homes and joint ownership schemes are built on appropriate sites previously identified.'

Intending to purchase the ownership of 100 new homes from Accord Housing Association gives them lots of lolly too!

Are they one of the selected partners? And are we now going to find where the 'appropriate sites' are?

There is also the balance of £10 million out there - will this be used to continue to build on open amenity land and greenfield sites?

The Grangers Lane site was open amenity space until Local Plan 2 was adopted in 1996. Only two representations were received against the designation for building at that time.

This site and others with few representations were secured for building by one individual, a Government inspector. This must not be allowed to happen again.

The first deposit of the revised Local Plan is expected to be in September 2003. This will be when everyone has a chance to secure and protect their local amenity greenfield space.

Secure now your councillor's support in readiness to safeguard what is an essential, health-giving area.

Many brownfield sites are being developed now with some rentable properties to the tune of about 100 homes annually. They will have their protected open green spaces and landscaping well provided for.

V KENDRICK

Chairman, Redditch Group

Council for the Protection of Rural England