Sharp rise in new homes in West Midlands hailed

Figures show councils across nine boroughs and districts approved 33 more large-scale housing estates - those with at least 10 homes - last year than they did in 2011.

Nationally the number increased by a quarter from 2,956 in 2010/11 to 4,931 in 2013/14.

It comes following the relaxation of the planning laws and amid calls for an urgent review of green belt rules to allow more homes to be built in rural areas.

Sandwell has seen the biggest increase in large-scale housing estates, with the borough council approving 34 in 2013 compared with 21 two years earlier.

In Walsall it went from 18 in 2011 to 25 last year while Dudley and Stafford each saw their numbers rise from 11 to 17.

In South Staffordshire the increase was from two to four.

Wolverhampton, Wyre Forest and Cannock Chase approved the same number of estates in 2013 as they did two years previously. In Lichfield the number dropped slightly.

Even so, Barratt Homes and Taylor Wimpey want to develop land off Milestone Way in Burntwood. The scheme includes between 370 and 380 homes.

More homes are on the way with planning applications being lodged all the time. One recent site, which will be the subject of a further application, is for the former Springfield and Brickhouse neighbourhood office in Rowley Regis, used by council tenants to pay rent and bills, which is going to be demolished and replaced with housing.

Developer Warwick Homes has been given permission to knock the building down and will be coming back with plans for new homes. It is though as many as 26 houses could go there.

Building work has also started on 31 homes, replacing two long-demolished tower blocks in the centre of Bloxwich. The £42 million project is being overseen by Walsall Housing Group, which rents out social housing.

And more than 100 homes have been provided at Dudley's Friars Gate, off Priory Road with some residents using the Government's Help to Buy scheme. Communities secretary Eric Pickles visited it last month.

The housing market is currently going through a boom and prices are soaring in some parts of the country.

Wolves chairman Steve Morgan's housing company Redrow recorded a strong set of sales thanks to continuing high demand. His new £60 million luxury housing development in Wolverhampton's Compton Park will be offering homes for up to £700,000 each.

The availability and cost of housing is likely to be a key part of the General Election campaign next year.

Labour has pledged to introduce three-year tenancy agreements with strict rules to make it more difficult to evict tenants.

Ed Miliband also wants to ban letting agents from demanding fees from tenants that can be as much as £500.

Meanwhile the Tories were today (TUES) announcing they want councils to make land available for people to build their own homes.

Housing minister Nick Boles was due to announce a 'right to build' scheme in which anyone who has lived within their borough or district for three years will be allowed to buy vacant land from the council.

The local authority would have to meet their demand, and supply water, energy and other services to the property, under the plan to boost levels of home building.

The money councils make from selling land would be put into new house building.

It is estimated that Britain needs to be building as many as 200,000 homes a year in order to keep up with the pressures of an ageing population.

Mr Boles believes it will have the same impact as Margaret Thatcher's Right to Buy, which allowed council tenants to purchase their home.

He said: "Giving council tenants the right to buy their houses and flats created a vast new army of people with a stake in their community, and a valuable asset to leave to their children."

Paul Uppal, MP for Wolverhampton South West, who worked in construction and property before being elected, said: "It has been the holy grail of politics to get private investment into residential property.

"Labour have talked about regulating rent but we've been here before and it decimated the rented sector.

"The figures on new building are hugely welcome and should encourage others to make that much needed investment in the housing sector."