Westminster Diary - 8th February 2007

Thursday, 8th February 2007

A document entitled the West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy doesn’t sound threatening, but its conclusions could change the face of my constituency beyond recognition. It is worth noting that the document has been produced by the West Midlands Regional Assembly, a body which is not directly elected and whose role is not clearly understood even by many politicians. The Assembly has been tasked by the Government with planning for the development of the West Midlands primarily in terms of housing and land available to create employment and the Government has not been shy about suggesting what it should conclude. The Government would like Rugby to accommodate an extra 23,100 homes over the next 20 years (a 60% increase in the size of the town).

The potential problems that development on this scale will cause are immense. If new infrastructure – shops, hospitals, sewers – does not keep pace with new housing, we will all suffer and there is little sign in the strategy document that this has been properly thought through. If all these new residents don’t work in this area, the volume of commuting will increase, with all that implies for congestion, pollution and climate change. This many new homes cannot all be provided in urban areas – some greenbelt will have to go. Rugby and Kenilworth could soon be a Coventry suburb. Even in urban areas, the need for new development is likely to lead to more ‘back land development’ – the loss of large old houses and their gardens to more tightly-packed groups of new dwellings, a process which changes our neighbourhoods and damages our environment.

Finally, who is going to build all these new houses? Building companies find it hard enough now to find skilled labour to meet demand. How much harder will it be when all across the West Midlands, house-building is expected to accelerate? It is probably also worth remembering that the 2012 Olympic Games in London will require a huge amount of construction.

This proposal is flawed – it deserves vigorous opposition from us all.

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Updated on Thursday, 8th February 2007