Housing Secretary confident 'brownfield first' policy can succeed
The West Midlands can meet its housing needs without developing on green belt land, a Government Minister has claimed.
Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said he was confident that the Conservatives "brownfield first" policy would succeed, as he vowed to "unlock" the potential of old industrial sites.
The region needs 215,000 new homes by 2031 – a figure developers have claimed is impossible to meet without building on the green belt.
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But Mr Jenrick insisted it could be done, saying that around 500 brownfield sites for housing had already been highlighted in the Black Country alone.
"The task is now for local government and my department to work together to unlock some of those sites," he said.
"There are good examples in Wolverhampton, with the [Springfield] brewery site, the old Royal Hospital site... these were long standing issues for the city that have been solved.
"There is a lot more work to do and it will require more government investment."
Mr Jenrick, who lived in Shifnal and grew up in Ludlow, was in Wolverhampton on the first stop of a national tour of areas the Government is looking to regenerate through extra funding.
With the city centre due to receive up to £50m through the towns fund and high streets fund, he says he wants to see better access for cars and buses and more affordable parking, as well as measures brought in to reduce rough sleeping and boost investment.
"It needs to feel like an attractive, high quality destination that can bring people in from a wide catchment area," he said.
Reflecting on the general election, which saw the city elect two Conservative MPs, Mr Jenrick added: "The Prime Minister has been very clear that people here, and across the country have only leant us their votes. Now we have got to deliver for them.
"I want to be able to walk around Wolverhampton city centre in five years time and for it be noticeably different, and for people to say that this Government has listened to them and invested in a way that past governments of all political persuasions have failed to do."
Wolverhampton South West MP Stuart Anderson, said: "We want to see positive changes in Wolverhampton, and I am going to be tenacious in lobbying ministers to make sure Wolverhampton does see that change."
