A tiny hamlet on the edge of Stoke-on-Trent could grow by a third if Green Belt land is used for housing as part of the city's Local Plan, a councillor has warned.

Land in the Baddeley Edge and Light Oaks area has been identified for potential development in the draft Local Plan, which will provide a blueprint for future housing and employment space in Stoke-on-Trent in the years up to 2040.

The plan aims for more than 18,000 new homes to be built in the city over a 20-year-period to meet targets set by the Government. A public consultation is currently under way on the draft plan and a series of drop in events are being held across the city for residents to have their say.

The sessions include an event at Baddeley Green Community Lounge at Baddeley Green Working Men's Club on Monday (September 22).

Ahead of that event, a public meeting was held at Baddeley Edge Baptist Church on Tuesday (September 16) to consider how the Local Plan proposals would affect Light Oaks.

More than a hundred people packed into Baddeley Edge Baptist Church for Tuesday's meeting. Many residents stood outside to listen to proceedings because there was not enough room for them inside the building.

The Packed Public Meeting In Baddeley Edge Baptist Church on 16 September. (LDRS)

Cllr Dave Evans, who represents the Baddeley, Milton and Norton areas, highlighted Light Oaks' hilly location, narrow roads and old buildings. He said: "You're not even a village here, you're more of a hamlet on a hill.

"The plan is saying 60 houses for here but you have only 180 houses – you would be going up by a third and would see a massive change for the local area. This is not designed as a big area; by putting more houses in you are changing the character.

"It's important we look at other sites and we need to be building in our six towns. There are sites not in this plan, such as the former Goldenhill Golf Course and the former PMT depot.

"My issue is by putting massive swathes of Green Belt in the Local Plan it's telling developers you don't have to do the difficult sites – the brownfield and the town centres. You can have this green field and make more money.

"If this plan becomes policy, you will have a doughnut effect and Stoke-on-Trent's inner city areas degenerate. If you want the six towns to do well, you need to build in them – after 5pm Hanley is dead space, but it's not beyond saving."

Residents at the meeting said they had not been informed by the council their own land had been identified as potential housing allocation sites until they had seen notices.

Councillor Evans told residents they could request the land be removed from the allocated site list however.

"I think you have a better chance here than a lot of areas – 60 homes in Light Oaks is neither here nor there and you would get more houses on the old PMT site", he added. "I am going to fight it because I don't think it is the right thing to do.

"You are the definition of an urban rural fringe. A key reason for Green Belt is to stop urban sprawl – if you build here the urban area is sprawling."