News / Housing
Greens challenge ‘unachievable’ government housing targets
The Green Party in Bristol is bringing about a motion to challenge “unreachable” government housing targets in our city.
The government has set a target of 67,000 homes over 20 years, a number the party said is “simply unachievable in a city with a very limited supply of land to build on.”
The most homes built in a single year in Bristol in the last two decades was 2,672 in 2008/9.
It said developers could appeal for their proposals to be judged by looser national planning policies, rather than rules set locally.
This could lead to lower development standards in areas like sustainability, quality, green space and affordable housing, the party added.
Bristol Greens are bringing a motion to a Full Council meeting on Tuesday – photo: Rachel Sutherland
Green councillor for Southville Tony Dyer is proposing the motion, which calls for an evidence-led approach to the city’s housing target.
“Bristol’s Local Plan needs be based on evidence not the whims of Conservative politicians,” Dyer said.
“An unreachable housing target that does not accurately reflect Bristol’s need will put at risk many of the positive and forward thinking policies that Bristol wishes to adopt.
“This includes setting goals that will enable us to tackle the climate and ecological emergencies and the needs of those on our housing waiting list.”
Plans were approved for new basketball arena at Ashton Gate and 510 homes on green belt at Ashton Vale in October – image: Bristol Sport
The 20 largest cities in the UK were asked in 2020 to up their housing targets by 35 per cent in a u-turn on its formula to calculate housing need.
The motion calls for a study to examine how much housing is required in a city of Bristol’s size and to approach government with a different target.
A number of developments being built in Bristol are set to increase Bristol’s housing stock, from Western Harbour and Hengrove Park to the recently approved Longmoor Village in Ashton Vale.
Dyer added: “This motion is ultimately about the future of the city, and who gets to decide what that future will look like – Bristol’s residents and their locally elected representatives, or Westminster politicians and private developers.”
Main photo: Green Party Bristol
Read next:
- Plans set to be approved for hundreds of flats
- New homes and commercial units to be built on Church Road
- Urgent calls to ban pavement parking across city
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