MP defends Solihull's housing quotas

RECENT FOCUS: Dame Caroline Spelman suggests the bulk of recent
development has been concentrated in rural wards such as Meriden

MERIDEN MP Caroline Spelman has denied that North Solihull is taking a disproportionate number of new homes.
Speaking last month, Dame Caroline said that when the most recent plans were drawn up to divide housing schemes between the borough’s 17 wards, it was taken into account that areas including Chelmsley Wood and Kingshurst were already densely populated.
She argued that instead it was the more rural areas such as Dickens Heath and Balsall Common which had borne the brunt of the recent development, with the latter seeing the construction of 1,200 dwellings.
Although she did concede that she believed Solihull Council had made a mistake in releasing part of Babbs Mill Local Nature Reserve for development.
“Personally my view is that it has been too costly to the community,” she said.