Residents’ groups have called on Lichfield District Council to take actions to prevent a housing bottleneck in the city.
The demand comes after Cllr Mike Wilcox outlined plans to develop smaller affordable homes in the region.
But now the Lichfield Alliance have called on the council to back their words up with actions.
A spokesperson for the organisation – which represents six residents’ groups from across the region – said: “Those aged 65 and over will represent over 75 per cent of the District’s population increase over the next 20 years. The council has known this since 2008.
“What the council does is much more important that what the council says.
“Over the past decade or more, the planning committee have approved developments which shifted the provision of new houses towards larger, more expensive homes and away from smaller homes and social housing. Darwin Park is an obvious example.
“The overhang of existing planning consents means it will be a number of years before any change in planning policy is felt.”
Cllr Wilcox’s comments came on the back of a report by his council into the welfare reforms and the impact of the so-called ‘bedroom tax’,
An official report revealed that more than 500 homes would be hit by the changes – but acknowledged that social housing was not available to allow those affected to downsize.
Instead, the report suggested residents could take in a lodger, a move which was described as “appalling” by a Labour councillor.
However, Cllr Wilcox insisted the council were trying to strike the right balance when it came to new residential developments in the city.
“We have identified a need for smaller homes to be built across the district,” he explained.
“When we receive an application for housing we to try to make sure that there is a suitable mix of properties, which includes one and two bedroom homes on the site, where appropriate.
“On large housing developments that will include a section 106 agreement, we negotiate with the developer to make sure there is also a suitable mix of smaller affordable homes.”
