Birmingham city planner challenges independent housing report

Dec 2 2008 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Post

National Housing and Planning Advisory Unit which “lacked evidence”.

Mr Bull added: “The Nathaniel Lichfield study is driven by housing supply factors rather than housing needs and it fails to consider the full range of socio-economic and environmental factors that should be taken into account in order to produce a sound plan and the complexity and understanding of sustainable communities.”

He said the report’s findings lacked any understanding of the relationship between greenfield development and urban regeneration. It also suggested a misunderstanding of the house-building industry and over-simplification of the complex relationships between factors such as land prices, planning, housing densities and sales prices, Mr Bull added.

The public inquiry into revision of the Regional Spatial Strategy is likely to see all West Midlands councils join together in opposing the housing figures proposed in the Nathaniel Lichfield study.

If the Government finally accepts the highest ranges of the study, Birmingham would have to find land for 60,600 homes, Solihull 17,600, the Black Country 61,200, Coventry 33,500, Warwickshire 60,500, Worcestershire 50,000 and Staffordshire 57,200.