I am absolutely thrilled plans for 84 homes on Corbett Meadow have been refused by Dudley Council.
This was the last piece of greenspace left in Amblecote and it was important it avoided the diggers.
One of my missions since I was elected as your MP is to protect the greenbelt and I have worked with the brilliant Corbett Meadow Action Group, local councillors and residents to ensure Corbett Meadow stays just that - a meadow.
Many thanks to all those who have campaigned to oppose this development and to Dudley Council for refusing it.
The meadow recently being designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) was a game changer. This is a major victory but it remains under threat from further applications. The ambition now is to find a recreational use for this land.
We need development so young people can live and work in Stourbridge but it needs to be within a policy of brownfield first and the right development in the right place with the right infrastructure around it. Until then we must ensure as little of our greenbelt as possible is concreted over.
The situation in Ukraine remains serious with fears of a further Russian offensive. I applaud the Prime Minister’s continued steadfast support – support I know that is shared by the people of Stourbridge. Before Christmas we announced we will supply more artillery ammunition and this week, Rishi Sunak said 14 Challenger 2 tanks and around 30 AS90s large, self-propelled guns are to be delivered to Ukraine. The tanks will be the most modern available to Ukraine on the battlefield when they arrive.
The Foreign Secretary James Cleverly has been in Washington and he urged the United States to send more equipment too. The West must do all it can to defeat Putin and America is key. The UK is playing a leading international role in supporting Ukraine and we should be proud. It has caused problems at home with inflation and big rises in energy bills but these problems pale into insignificance with the suffering of the Ukrainian people. I know people here understand this and understand we must do all we can to help brave Ukraine and President Zelensky.
I will be supporting new legislation to set minimum service levels for frontline workers holding industrial action.
Whether you agree with the strikes or not, we need our vital services and infrastructure to function safely during strikes.
It in no way stops the rights of all workers to withdraw their labour. It just means that services – some of them life or death – can still function safely or to allow for less disruption so our economy can function and businesses can operate.
