We wanted to share an update on the funds raised to date, how they have been used, and, most importantly, to say another heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported the Green Belt campaign so far.

This update reflects the financial position up to 20/1/2026, at which point all funds raised had been fully used to meet campaign costs, leaving a net balance of zero.

As we move into 2026, we are starting afresh and will await the Inspector's decision before determining whether any further fundraising is required, and if so, what form any future activity might take.

Funds Raised

The total fundraising amount is made up of:

• GoFundMe donations
• Private and direct donations (Sean Bean, individual community member contributions, Working Group)
• In-person fundraising activities

How your Funds Have Been Used

Thanks to your incredible generosity, funds raised to date have been used to cover:

• Barrister fees.
• Planner fees for the original objection.
• Planner fees for hearing support and attendance.
• Planner fees for the second objection.
• GoFundMe platform fees.
• Raw material and production costs for fundraising items (such as producing the calendars)

The topline breakdown of money raised and spent is below.

Money Raised

Money Spent

Every penny raised has gone directly towards these costs. We are fully committed to transparency and redacted invoices are available on request.

Exceptional Professional Support & Community Generosity

We also want to highlight just how much goodwill and generosity has gone into making this campaign as strong as possible.

Professional planning objection work of this scale is typically well beyond the reach of volunteer-run community campaigns. However, thanks to a significant and deeply appreciated discount from our planning consultants, the total invoiced for this work was approximately £15,500 (excl. VAT). This reduction made a critical difference and allowed us to proceed with robust, expert submissions that would otherwise not have been possible.

In addition, to enable us to instruct a barrister of the highest calibre, a member of the Handsworth community stepped forward to pay the remaining barrister fees not met by fundraising. These fees were themselves significantly reduced from an estimated highest cost of £50,000 - £70,000 to just under £22,000. As a result, this individual made a personal donation of nearly £20,000.

This act of generosity ensured that, as a community, we were represented at the highest possible legal level. Anyone who watched the hearings will, we believe, agree that the impact of having our barrister represent us was significant. While this individual does not wish to be named, we felt it was only right to acknowledge the outstanding contribution they have made. They have made real personal sacrifices to support all of us, and we cannot thank them enough.

For transparency: the barrister’s fees were paid in full by this individual before all fundraising income had been received. Fundraising continued and, once all other campaign invoices were settled, the remaining campaign funds (£1,812.91) were allocated to the same barrister cost already paid, reducing the net contribution. This did not arise from any loan agreement or entitlement to repayment; the individual accepted the possibility that their contribution would remain unreduced. (A small £3.12 overpayment was later identified and corrected as part of the reconciliation.) The campaign now has no remaining balance.

Looking Ahead

To be absolutely clear: as the hearing stage has concluded and all known costs have been settled, there is no immediate need to continue fundraising, and the GoFundMe for the Green Belt campaign has been closed.

All funds raised to date have been used to meet the costs incurred during the hearings, with no remaining balance.

We are currently awaiting the Inspector's report and decision regarding SES29 (Finchwell) and SES30 (Bramley). This is expected around the end of January 2026. We will share updates as soon as they are available via the Facebook group, website and mailing list.

What happens next will depend on the Inspector's decision and what options are realistically available. It will also depend on who is able and willing to be involved at that stage, what fundraising we might need to undertake, and through what channels.

For now, we are keeping a watching brief and staying aware of any local or national routes that may become relevant, rather than setting out a fixed plan.

Thank You

We are incredibly grateful for the trust, time, and generosity shown by so many people. Whether you have donated, shared information, helped fundraise, or supported the campaign in any way, it truly means so much, and we could not have done this without you.

Please note: contributions made via GoFundMe are donations towards overall campaign costs and are not a binding agreement to deliver any specific product or outcome.

News Articles

You can explore all the latest Local Plan coverage on our website’s Press Articles page, where we’re adding new pieces as they come in.

Contact

If you want to get in touch please email us at either:

info@saves13greenbelt.org.uk - email the working group.

website@saves13greenbelt.org.uk - suggestions/additions to the website.

In honour of Sapphire McCarthy