Dudley's Labour leader has stated that Britain is trapped in a 1950s mindset and requires a new approach to address the housing crisis. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service ahead of the council elections on May 7, Councillor Adam Aston outlined his proposals to tackle the shortage of housing in the borough.
The Labour government has mandated that Dudley Council must approve 1,594 new homes over the next five years, a target that the council leader describes as 'impossible'.
Councillor Aston remarked: 'We are in the midst of a housing emergency, and we need to be far more imaginative when it comes to housing. It feels like we are stuck in the 1950s regarding housing; we do not use modern methods of construction. Houses can be built in factories, yet we remain fixated on bricks and mortar. We require good quality houses manufactured in a factory that could be constructed in a quarter of the time.'
The government has introduced a new category known as 'grey belt', defined in planning guidance as land within the green belt that has previously been developed or does not significantly contribute to the green belt's purposes, such as preventing urban sprawl, preserving the character of historic towns, or stopping towns from merging.
Councillor Aston questioned this approach: 'Far be it from me to disagree with my own government, but does it matter what you classify it as? More emphasis needs to be placed on developing brownfield land. With sufficient effort and encouragement, there are enough brownfield sites available. I would oppose the development of green belt land, and members of my group are very active in campaigning to protect it.'
Developers often cite the high costs associated with building on brownfield land in Dudley borough, which can be contaminated by waste from previous industrial uses or affected by mining operations. However, Councillor Aston believes that cooperation between the private and public sectors could overcome some of these challenges.
He cited an example from his ward: 'There was a perfect example on my ward – a site in Woodsetton, a former tip, which sparked a lot of controversy. I objected to its development initially, but it has now been developed and there are almost 100 homes on it. Money for the remediation of the site was provided by the Combined Authority. That is an example of regional government working with a developer to create homes. These properties are rented because they are not mortgageable, but they are providing homes – that is the way forward.'
