Link jobs to homes to avoid sink estates, government told

PLANNERS in the West Midlands must maintain a link between where people live and work or they risk creating a new generation of sink estates, the government has been told.

Lobby group Business Voice WM (BVWM), whose executive director is James Watkins,  has told a government select committee that economic and housing needs must “go together hand in hand”.

In its submission to the West Midlands Select Committee on Planning for the Future: Housing and Economic Development in the West Midlands it argued that there had been a “silo approach” to housing and economic development which must end.

“The lessons of the past – when land for housing seemed to take very little cognisance of the need for land for local jobs – meant these new housing areas became economically unsustainable in the medium to long term.

“This led to negative life chances for people living on these estates and – economically speaking – was a drag on the whole regional economy, holding back greater prosperity for all families in the West Midlands region. These mistakes of the past should not be allowed to be repeated in the future.”

The group called for a clear framework and strategy where local government works with the business community to address issues such as affordable housing, demand for key workers and economic development.

Also BVWM said it was pleased that the government had decided to scrap the West Midlands Regional Assembly, which it said presented a competing vision to the region’s other main economic body, Advantage West Midlands, which was not helpful.  

It stated:  “The business community warmly welcomes the decision to dispense with two regional strategies and two sets of public agencies dealing with separate economic development plans.
 
“This duplication of activity did not make economic sense and led – on occasions – to conflict.

“The long term planning for economic development was undermined by this confusion.

“However, we do consider that there is still a role for regional planning – particularly in the West Midlands region.”