Michael Fabricant MP
Figures outlining housing needs for Lichfield and Burntwood will no longer be imposed as part of a regional strategy.
Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, confirmed in a letter that he had handed power over to local councils.
His decision to revoke the Regional Strategy for the West Midlands has been welcomed by Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant.
“This now empowers local district councils, such as Lichfield, to determine our own local housing needs taking into account natural population growth and our local economic plan,” he said. “Previously, this housing plan was imposed on us from Birmingham with instructions to build tens of thousands of homes in the most inappropriate and damaging areas.
“The decision makers were unaccountable whereas now it will be local councillors, elected every four years, who will make these decisions with local knowledge of the area that will be affected. This, in turn, gives real power to local residents to decide where these houses should be built.
“These top-down plans were neither democratic nor effective – fewer houses were built at any time in peace since the 1920s.
“This puts real trust in local councils to make the decisions they need instead of unknown bureaucrats dictating policy down to places like Lichfield.”