Bromsgrove could get thousands of homes from Brum

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BROMSGROVE is being asked to take thousands of new houses that both Redditch and Birmingham plan to build.

It is estimated the Second City needs 70,000 homes by 2026 to meet its housing need, but only 43,000 can be contained within Birmingham’s boundaries.

Birmingham City Council plans to use the duty to co-operate - a new legal obligation introduced through the Localism Act - as well as the Greater Birmingham Local Enterprise Partnership as the basis for discussions about Redditch and Bromsgrove and other areas taking some of its housing allocation.

Coun Roger Hollingworth, leader of Bromsgrove District Council, said the new duty to co-operate left them no choice but to consider the proposal.

“We don’t have to accept what they come at us with, but we will look at everything that comes forward.

“As far as I’m concerned, providing Bromsgrove benefits from increased Business Rates in Birmingham as a result of their economic development, rather than build factories in Bromsgrove, we would have to build houses and then share the growth of businesses in Birmingham.

“That’s the basis we would consider it on.”

Redditch Borough Council is also asking Bromsgrove to take some of its houses.

The figure is currently being revised as the council develops its Local Plan, but is believed it will see about 3,200 built within Redditch’s boundaries and about 2,300 within Bromsgrove District.

It raises the prospect of development again at Bordesley and Alvechurch, although Coun Hollingworth said they had sought assurances from the planning inspectorate they could put them elsewhere.

“They don’t have to be coterminous to Redditch. Obviously they can’t be in Hagley if it is housing for Redditch, but there are other options available to us and we will have to look at those,” he said.

“My initial reaction is we did a fair assessment of what we needed and I don’t see how we can take anybody else’s when we are struggling to take our own and being told we are expected to protect the greenbelt.”

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