A developer has begun the initial stage of a proposal to build homes on green-belt land in Handsworth, despite local controversy. The scheme matters because it highlights the tension between housing development and protecting land designated to limit urban sprawl.

The supplied article text does not contain the reporting itself, only a Google consent page, so the proposal’s scale, planning status and specific objections cannot be verified. Based on the headline, the development has taken an early procedural step rather than receiving final approval.