PLANNING chiefs are set to say no to anymore new housing developments in the district in a bid to protect the green belt and ease pressure on local facilities.

The highest numbers of new buildings ever recorded in the district have been built over the last two years. There is also a backlog of sites, which means enough housing land exists to meet requirements for several years.

Work has begun to build houses on the former Garringtons site and plans to expand the Oakalls estate has been given the green light. Most recently an application has been submitted to build 21 new homes on the site of the former Button Factory in Willow Road.

Council head of local plans Paul Crysell said: "This rapid growth has placed huge pressures on local facilities such as schools, transport and health services.

"By restricting further schemes for a time the council can ease this growing demand for these facilities and also protects its green belt for longer."

South Bromsgrove High School is just one of the towns schools struggling to keep up with the growing demand for places and headteacher Phil McTague, welcomed the plans.

"It is encouraging to see that people want to live in town but the infrastructure needs to be there to accommodate it.

The Charford Road school is so massively over-subscribed it has been allocated funding to rebuild it, with extra classrooms and other facilities

He added: "There is no point in rebuilding the school if, in five years time, we find we are saturated once again.

"Ten years ago we could never have predicted the size of the school and that is what worries us, particularly with the major developments at the Garringtons site, the Oakalls and Barnsley Hall."

Local residents and house builders are being invited to comment on these proposals before the council makes a final decision on them.

The council has launched a consultation period and interested parties have until midnight on June 13 to register their feelings.

Copies of the relevant documents can be obtained from the Council House in Burcot Lane or downloaded from the council's website which can be found at www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/localplanning