Ever since I was first elected, I have been fighting to protect our precious greenbelt. Our area is 89% greenbelt and the countryside underpins our identity.
I will only support development in the right locations, designed to the highest standards and on brownfield land first. I will fight against inappropriate greenbelt development to protect our rural way of life.
I have been warning about the Labour Government's decision to increase the mandatory housing target for Bromsgrove by 84.7% and what this could mean for our constituency, especially when, at the same time, the Government has reduced Birmingham’s housing target by over 30%.
Now, following the publication of Bromsgrove District Council's Draft Local Plan for future development within our area, we can see what this means in reality.
Residents have my full support in opposing proposals that will destroy our countryside, which aren’t designed to the highest standards and where there is no new supporting infrastructure.
In the fight to save our greenbelt, I launched a Parliamentary petition that was signed by more than 5,000 local residents. It demanded that the Government justifies the flawed formula used to calculate the 85% increase in Bromsgrove’s housing target to rebalance the housing target so that Birmingham takes its fair share.
It also demanded that the planned 85% increase in Bromsgrove District’s housing target is reversed, in addition to the reversal of the reduction in Birmingham’s housing target to ensure the burden is shared in a fair and proportionate way and only allow new houses to be built when the accompanying infrastructure is provided.
Following the presentation of the petition on the floor of the House of Commons in November 2025, the text of the petition is sent to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government as it is the Government department responsible for the subject matter of the petition. The department must then respond within two months.
In responding to Bradley's petition, the Government has failed to listen to the people of Bromsgrove and the Villages who don’t want to see their greenbelt disappear forever. What’s even more frustrating is that this is all happening in the name of a flawed formula.
It’s quite clear that the Government’s talk of protecting the countryside is entirely hollow. The Housing Minister has emboldened housing developers to build on the greenbelt, and it seems there’s no way to stop him whilst this Government remains in power.
Bradley has also met with the Housing and Planning Minister amid his ongoing fight to save Bromsgrove and the Villages’ greenbelt.
The meeting with the Minister was Bradley’s latest attempt to get him to see sense and reverse the increase in the constituency's housing target. The Housing and Planning Minister continued to attempt to justify the Government’s decision to increase Bromsgrove and the Villages' housing target by 85%.
Bradley has had one victory in the fight to save our greenbelt. The so-called Groveley Garden Village proposals have been scrapped. After pressure from residents and Bradley, Bournville Village Trust have confirmed that “no proposals remain under consideration” and the proposals are “no longer proceeding.”
Although this battle has been won, the fight continues to protect our precious greenbelt across Bromsgrove and the Villages following the Government’s 85% increase in our housebuilding target.
Bradley will continue to challenge the Government’s flawed housing formula used to calculate our housebuilding target, encourage development on brownfield sites and urge the Government to build in our cities where the need is most great.
To continue the fight, I've launched a further Parliamentary petition that demands the Government builds houses on brownfield land first and brings empty homes back into use. Click here to sign it.
