WYRE Forest campaigners have voiced their disappointment after councillors voted to approve a new local plan. 

The council had been working on a revised local plan since 2015 to identify future development sites for homes and businesses. 

During a meeting on Tuesday (April 26), 14 councillors voted in favour of the local plan, 13 were against, and four abstained.

More than 3000 members of the public signed various petitions in an attempt to stop the local plan, which allocates green belt land for development. 

Kidderminster resident Oliver Swain, who started an action group opposing the 'Woven Oaks' development, said during the meeting: “The green buffer zones that were initially placed to protect encroachment into surrounding areas will be gone and it will be gone forever. 

“We can’t reverse this decision in another five to ten years can we?”

Reacting to the decision, his wife Sophie Swain, who set up a petition calling for the plan to be reformed, said: "I'd do it all over again because somebody's got to stand up. 

"We won't give up, it just feels like it's going to be harder now". 

She explained that different action groups that were set up against various housing plans came together to help fight against the local plan. 

"It was really encouraging that people had the nerve to stand up and argue," she added. 

"The pressure that action groups had there has paid off. 

"Because it was so close it was really disappointing. It was very emotional, people were upset."

Resident Merlyn Wilcox, who is part of the Stop the Habberley Road Development group, which staged a protest earlier this month, says he feels "let down" by the decision. 

Bewdley resident Nicholas Mayman, who is campaigning against a housing development off Stourport Road, said the result was "very disappointing," but also said he was encouraged by the number of councillors who opposed the local plan.

The inspector’s final report of the local plan concluded that subject to modifications, the local plan submitted was "sound".