2021 Manifesto FINAL DRAFT - Flipbook - Page 51
Housing
We must also look at construction
methods, and ensure that all
future development takes place
within our existing boundaries and
does not eat up any further green
belt. This will require a renewed
commitment from constituent
members to pursue brownfield
first for housing, along with
preference given to compact
sustainable communities in our
local plans.
Bringing vacant land back
to life
We need to increase the supply of
available land while protecting
valuable green spaces. As I
explored earlier, we should build
on brownfield land first wherever
possible. Compulsory Purchase
Orders (CPOs) should be used to
end land banking and bring
vacant land back into use.
Bringing empty homes back into
use will play a part. In the West
Midlands, there are just over
10,000 homes that have been
empty for over six months,
sometimes for years; forcing their
return to use takes time, but is
important for the general
condition of an area as well as for
the housing they provide.
We also need to ensure that the
houses we build stay in use for
many years to come. We need to
establish and agree
environmental standards for new
housing developments across the
WMCA area which will be fit for
the future.
Action for renters
As buying a home is now out of
reach for so many, more and
more people now rent privately.
We have seen private-sector rents
rise far more than the retail price
index over the last ten years, and
complaints about badly
maintained homes, rogue
landlords and insecure tenancies
abound.
Rogue landlords and poor
standards hurt both renters and
the majority of responsible
landlords. We need to work with
both renters and landlords to
drive up standards and ensure
that tenants have safe, secure
and well-maintained homes.