A REAL estate company has submitted an application to Bromsgrove District and Redditch Borough Council to build 2,800 homes on green belt land.

The 336-acre site, near to Redditch town centre and adjacent to the suburb of Webheath, is currently in agricultural use.

The proposed development, which covers land in both the Redditch borough and the Bromsgrove district, will include 40% affordable housing.

The application also outlines plans for a local retail centre with up to 900 square metres of floorspace and a first school with formal play area.

The plans have received 112 objections since April 5 on the Bromsgrove District Council website, from concerned residents and members of the Webheath Action Group, who have been fighting the development for years.

Concerns raised include the development of such a large green belt area, the strain the increase in traffic flow could have on surrounding roads and the apparent lack of existing facilities to cater for new residents in Webheath.

Head of planning and regeneration at Bromsgrove District Council Ruth Bamford said: “We’re currently in the process of considering consultation responses to this outline application, which seeks to establish the principle of the proposed development on this large site.

“The developer will have the opportunity to address any issues raised during the consultation, before their proposals are considered by the Planning Committee in due course.

“The land in question is identified in both councils’ emerging local plans, and helps both authorities deliver the housing which has been demonstrated as being needed, as well as satisfying the legal duty to cooperate on plan-making which the Government requires all authorities to meet.”

Redditch Borough Council has identified a housing need of around 6,400 dwellings to be built by 2030 in its emerging local plan.