ANGRY campaigners battling controversial housing development proposals in Wyre Forest have slammed agents using “underhand methods” to drive their plans through.

Concerns have been raised by councillors and residents in Bewdley and Stourport about a flood of applications across the country for the change of use of land from agricultural to the construction of stables and keeping of horses.

Protestors have dismissed these plans and said they are only being done to establish a change of use principle on the land and make it easier for large scale developments later.

An application by Belbroughton-based Planning Prospects for the erection of stables and the keeping of horses on land off Lakes Road in Bewdley was turned down by Wyre Forest District Council planning officers earlier this month.

A subsequent 195-house application has been submitted by property speculators Gladman Developments, which has resulted in high-profile protests and the establishment of the ‘Say No To Gladman’ campaign group.

Planning Prospects also currently has a stables application for land off Areley Common, which the company describes as providing accommodation in the form of an “aesthetically appeasing” rural building for three horses that would be unobtrusive and in keeping with the area.

But a spokesman for the Say No to Gladman group said Planning Prospects had a huge number of similar applications across the country, such as in Essex. He added the company was working on behalf of Gladman on many of the applications.

No-one from Planning Prospects was available for comment while Gladman Developments have continually declined to respond to the Shuttle over their proposal.

Bewdley town councillor Philip Edmundson said: "It looks like Planning Prospects is launching a local building bonanza. I am appalled that such underhand methods appear to be applied to Bewdley.

“The wholehearted rural vandalism that organisations like these, bankrolled, aided and abetted by Gladman, goes to show exactly what sort of lengths that these organisations are prepared to go to; masquerading as changing land use from rural and agricultural to equine goes to show what sort of cowboys they are.

“I am sure that the people of Bewdley and the planning committee of Wyre Forest District Council will not support such methods on such an important and significant area of our town.”

Stourport councillor Jamie Shaw said: “It comes as no surprise that Planning Prospects are speculating in such a way across the country. We firmly believe they are trying to get houses built on land not designated for them.

“But they are not paying close attention to the detail of the areas they target. In Areley Common, protected skylarks breed there.

“Also, we have spoken to people from the British Horse Welfare Society who say the 16 hectare land is too big for three horses and the proposed fences are too small for fully grown stallions.”