Campaigners have warned against a "forever limbo" over the construction of thousands of homes on green belt land.
On January 25, local councillors and campaigners called for a controversial Ashfield District Council plan to build 3,000 homes on green belt land at Whyburn Farm in Hucknall, which had previously sparked a debate between the council and Government over who was to blame, to be amended or scrapped.
While a motion against the Draft Local Plan, which sets out where 8,226 homes will be built between now and 2038, was accepted at a council meeting and will now be considered by the Draft Local Plan working group, the indefinite pause on the plans will continue.
The pause, which was put in place for the council to clarify the Prime Minister's previous comments on building on green field last year, has resulted in local campaigners concerned about a "forever limbo".
Jemma Chambers, 39, who lives on Whyburn Lane and is the organiser of a Facebook group opposing the plan with over 4,300 members, said: "We are going to be in forever limbo because we not know if it will be un-paused.
"The motion was progress but now we are stuck really, with the pause carrying on.
"We need to move on, forget the Government targets - but our local authority wants to wait and blame the Government.
"But it is them who is suggesting to build on green belt land when there are green field sites that could be used."
Locals have previously told Nottinghamshire Live that the green space was important to their well being, and that there was not enough infrastructure in the area for the huge development.
Ms Chambers was recently invited on February 1 to Parliament to speak with Mark Spencer, MP for Sherwood, and Christopher Pincher MP, the Government minister for housing about the divisive plans.
"They are so busy down there but they still made time to speak to us about it which shows the strength of feeling is recognised by them," she said.
"They gave a clear answer that the Government is not going to be any new legislation over building on green field and green belt sites.
"This plan [the Draft Local Plan] is so important to protecting the local area, so pausing cannot be an option, but that is the option they have chosen.
She added: "There looks to be a few options. The ideal one would be for them to replace all the green belt with green field somewhere else and get on with it.
"Or they could listen to the people and take the consequences for missing the targets."
Councillor Matthew Relf (Ash Ind), portfolio holder for regeneration and planning at Ashfield District Council, said: "We accepted the motion in principle at the Cabinet meeting, though the motion was strange as it was asking us to do what we were already doing - listening to feedback as part of the Draft Local Plan consultation.
"We have written to the Government and we have yet to get a response back from them. We have now had the Chief Executive of the council write to the civil service about it.
"There are a number of councils across the country who have put their plans on hold following the Prime Minister's comments last year.
"It is not right for us to plough on when there could be changes that would potentially allow us to change the plan for the better.
"It is frustrating for us too as we would like to have some certainty for the local area but we do not want to be forced to do something unpopular.
"The Government [If housing targets are missed] have the authority to force us into a Local Plan if we do not do one.
"And they could put more houses into Ashfield, we do not want to lose control of that."
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