Coombeswood Green Wedge is a greenbelt area of Halesowen in the West Midlands. This 120 acre area of protected land is a uniquely varied landscape including heathland, grassland, ancient forest and farmland bordered by Dudley No 2 canal to the West at 139m above sea level and the shoulder of the Stour Valley at 198m to the East. It is home to an abundance of wildlife including rare species such as Great Crested Newts as well as Skylarks, Badgers, several species of bat, Herons, Green Woodpeckers, Goldfinches and many more common birds, animals and other creatures. The area is criss-crossed by ancient medieval paths and skirted by the 615 mile long Monarch's Way path which eventually reaches the South Coast. The view West along the Stour Valley and out across the Shropshire hills towards Wales is breathtaking and second to none.
The situation as of June 2008 is that property developers St Modwen have proposed several projects to be built in the protected Coombes Wood green belt including a cricket ground and facilities for Olive Hill school. See the plans here . All of these projects run counter to Dudley MBC's Greenbelt policy. The scale and nature of these projects poses a grave threat to local residents' quality of life, to the unique recreational and educational qualities of Coombes Wood green wedge and to the habitat of the rich and varied wildlife and plant life to be found there.
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