Members of Walsall Council's planning committee say they are determined not to let neighbouring authorities offload their housing responsibilities onto Walsall. The remarks came following the revelation that Wolverhampton City Council's Local Plan aims to deliver just 48 percent of its required 19,548-home target.
Given the Black Country councils' shared land obligation and legal 'duty to cooperate', failure by one council to allocate sufficient land means others might need to make up the difference, potentially encroaching on Green Belt areas. This challenge is intensified by Housing Secretary Angela Rayner's December announcement, which outlined the Government's strategy to drive growth by constructing 370,000 homes annually.
However, during their meeting on January 16, meeting, Walsall's committee members stood firm against what they saw as disproportionate housebuilding pressures. Chairman Cllr Mike Bird said: "It's a government directive now and the government targets are mandatory. I go back to when we first started the Black Country Plan some three years ago now. In Walsall we put forward 200 sites for consideration, and Dudley had got about six and Wolverhampton had got about five. All of a sudden, I said 'Are we on the same bloody playing field here? I don't think we are'."
"Now we're seeing similar moves in Wolverhampton. If we don't stamp our feet and show where we stand in relation to the housing requirement, then effectively we will be forced to accept some housing that we don't require."
The Black Country Plan was a collaborative initiative between Dudley, Walsall, Wolverhampton and Sandwell to allocate land to meet the housing target of 76,000 homes in the region. However, the scheme, which was supposed to run until 2039, collapsed in 2022 when Dudley Council withdrew from the plan, reports .
Councillor Bobby Bains expressed his concern: "As elected members of Walsall, we have to think what's right for Walsall. We've got so many of these plans, Cannock Chase tax, the Black Country Plan, we're getting pushed from pillar to post. What we require is leadership in Walsall, with a back bone, to say we will do things our way. Whatever is legally required of us to do, we will do, but it seems to me that we're getting other councils dictating what Walsall should do."
Echoing this sentiment, Councillor Aftab Nawaz said: "We should be on the front foot on this, rather than being the poor relative and receiving everything they want. Why should they be developing on our Green Belt when they can't be bothered to develop on their own? ".
He added: "Perhaps we should summon the chief executive of Wolverhampton City Council to come and sit in front of us and tell us why he's got officers who are trying to use our Green Belt land."
The deputy leader of Walsall Council, Mark Statham, said: "To put a plan forward that suggests they are only going to build 48 percent of the recognised demand is risible."
The council agreed to send a strong yet diplomatic letter to Wolverhampton City Council to share their thoughts.
Like this story? Why not sign up here for free to get the latest business news straight to your inbox.
