Campaigners say fight to prevent housing being built on open spaces in Lichfield will go on after final decision is pushed back

Campaigners say the fight to prevent housing being built on two areas of open space in Lichfield will go on after a final decision was deferred.

A meeting of Lichfield District Council’s planning committee last night saw councillors decide to push back on whether to allow development to go ahead at Netherstowe and Leyfields.

The chairman, Cllr Thomas Marshall, said:

“Due to circumstances this afternoon where further information has come to light and the debate of these is going to be perhaps prolonged, I think it’s perhaps the correct thing to do that we defer the two applications until a later date.”

Cllr Thomas Marshall, Lichfield District Council

Daniel Floyd, who was due to speak at the meeting on behalf of petitioners from Curborough Action Group who are fighting the proposal at Netherstowe, said the campaign would continue until a final decision was made.

“It’s disheartening that we can’t put this to bed, but the fight against both developments will go on.”

Daniel Floyd, Curborough Action Group

Campaigners have been seeking to halt the development on the land at the planning stage after it emerged a deal to sell the Lichfield District Council-owned land to Bromford had been agreed without the knowledge of the local authority’s leader and cabinet.

That decision has since led to confirmation that an investigation has begun at the council.