Object

Representation ID: 23232

Received: 11/10/2021

Respondent: Member of Parliament

The Plan states, "the density of housing development in the existing urban areas will be increased to ensure that the land is used efficiently". There is widespread support to ensure the better utilisation of existing development land especially were it allows an increase in density and infilling for new homes, however there are no details or examples contained within the Plan as to how this can be fully achieved.
Whilst such an approach is to be welcomed, to fully understand whether this approach has been adopted by the Plan more information is required, particularly to understand if these are reflected in the proposed numbers.
Strategic Priorities 3 and 4 contained within the Plan carry widespread public support: ­
"to provide a range and choice of accommodation, house types and tenures to meet the needs of current and future residents".
"to improve and diversify the Black Country housing offer".
However, the proposed Plan identifies a large number of sites within the Aldridge-Brownhills constituency that will certainly not meet the identified strategic priorities as set out. The average spend by a first time buyer across England stands at £205,246. Average house prices in Aldridge, Pelsall and Streetly all stand above the average first time buyer rate and the West Midlands average.
Indeed, in the case of two of the proposed sites (Aldridge Road/Queslett Road East and Stonnall Road) average prices based on the West Midlands average are between 51% and 110% higher.
Several of the current proposed sites will not manage to meet the stated objectives in these strategic priorities, they could in fact further fuel levels of unaffordability as this proposed plan will not provide the necessary housing mix.