Newly elected Labour MP opposes plans for new homes in her own constituency despite party's pledge to build tens of thousands of new properties
A newly elected Labour MP spent her first day opposing a housing development despite the Government's vow to build more homes.
Sarah Coombes announced she was taking a break from Parliament to speak at a planning appeal on behalf of residents who are trying to stop fewer than 200 houses and a country park being built on farmland in the Black Country.
She posted on social media a photo of locals holding up signs reading 'say no to housing in the green belt' and 'we need to keep our prime quality farmland'.
Ms Coombes, a former adviser to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, wrote on Tuesday: 'I took a brief break from the proceedings in Parliament today to speak on behalf of residents in Great Barr at the Planning Inquiry in relation to the proposed development at Peak House Farm.'
But the new MP for West Bromwich deleted the message yesterday after being deluged by Twitter/X users calling her a 'NIMBY' and telling her she was contradicting her government's flagship policy.
Sarah Coombes announced she was taking a break from Parliament to speak at a planning appeal on behalf of residents who are trying to stop fewer than 200 houses and a country park being built on farmland in the Black Country
Her comments came just a day after Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged to 'get Britain building again', with 1.5million new homes in England promised over the next five years including on some low-quality green belt land
Her comments came just a day after Chancellor Rachel Reeves pledged to 'get Britain building again', with 1.5million new homes in England promised over the next five years including on some low-quality green belt land.
Before the election Ms Coombes had claimed that a Labour government would help get young people on the property ladder by giving them 'first dibs on new developments', and last year she said her party would 'fix our broken housing market'.
Chris Worrall, Labour Lead of housing reform group PricedOut, told the Mail: 'I trust other new MPs will not succumb to the short-termist status quo by always saying no to new housing development.
'We must prioritise the national interest above all else if we are to get Britain building again.' The development Ms Coombes was objecting to, known as Wilderness Park, would see up to 175 new homes, 40 per cent of which would be affordable, built on land in Great Barr, close to the M6 north of Birmingham.
However the houses would only take up 15 per cent of the 67-acre site with the rest turned into a countryside park.
The planning application was turned down by Sandwell Council in January but developer Wain Estates has appealed against the decision with a planning inquiry beginning this week.
