Lichfield could be used to accommodate new housing to help ease the pressure on Birmingham.
Councillors from Lichfield District Council’s ruling Conservative group have already issued a ‘hands-off’ warning to other local authorities amid fears that the District could be used as an overflow.
And the initial version of Birmingham City Council’s Development Plan (BDP) has admitted that it is likely to need to look beyond its borders to meet housing targets.
The Birmingham Plan 2031 says: “The strategy is to accommodate as much of the city’s housing requirement as possible within the boundary.
“However, the land that is available to accommodate future development is limited.
“Alongside the BDP, a wider growth strategy for the Local Enterprise Partnership area and other adjoining authorities will set out how and where the remaining housing could be delivered.
“This will take account of historic trends where adjoining authorities have accommodated a proportion of the city’s growth.”
Initial documentation surrounding the plan are that Birmingham City Council wants to see the following housing built outside of its boundaries:
- 2,700 a year until 2016
- 1,500 a year from 2017 to 2021
- 910 a year from 2022 to 2031
But Lichfield District Councillor Ian Pritchard has said they will face a fight should they try to palm off new housing to the area.
“If other neighbours like Birmingham and the Local Enterprise Partnership start to eye our open land for further development, they should be clear that they will have a fight on their hands,” he said.
“Birmingham has many previously developed sites – they should use those first before they come knocking on our door.”
Lichfield’s fight may have to be a strong one, with Birmingham City Council saying that existing transport corridors – including the A38 and cross-city line – will be used to identify potential sites for development.
Birmingham is seeking additional locations for new properties after coming under fire for releasing some areas of Green Belt for development.
“Our expanding population means that we need to provide around 80,000 new homes by 2031 and our urban area does not have enough space,: said Birmingham City Council’s deputy leader Ian Ward. “If we don’t explore other options we will have a shortfall of 30,000 homes.
“We have consulted extensively and I understand the reservations expressed by many people regarding the removal of land from the Green Belt for development.
“However, doing nothing is simply not an option. This is a clear problem that has to be addressed and there are limits to what we can do in the heart of the city.”
Lichfield District Council has already seen the Planning Inspector say extra properties will be needed by 2028.
This means around 9,600 new homes will be built across Lichfield District before any spillover from Birmingham is added.
