South Gloucestershire could be forced to take 9,000 more homes over the next two decades than the Government thinks it should, its council leader fears. Conservative Cllr Toby Savage revealed at a council meeting that an initial version of the region’s housing blueprint indicated 37,000 homes would be earmarked in the district – almost a third more than the 28,000 that Whitehall calculations suggest are necesasry, he said.
Cllr Savage told the council’s cabinet: “I cannot in all good conscience agree to land our communities with unsustainable levels of new growth over the next 20 years.” He criticised Labour metro mayor Dan Norris, who as head of the West of England Combined Authority (Weca) is required to publish the spatial development strategy (SDS), a strategic vision setting out overall numbers and broad distribution of housing, jobs, infrastructure and growth.
Cllr Savage said Mr Norris was “resistant” to meetings over the SDS and, as a result, the document and 12-week public consultation had been delayed, while cabinet members suggested this may have also been caused by a “toxic working environment” at Weca that had led to an “exodus” of top officers. Asked to respond, the metro mayor said afterwards it was the Government who had set the housing numbers and was demanding at least 105,000 new homes in the West of England over the next two decades.
Read more: Bristol housing: 'Secrecy' over plan for tens of thousands of new homes in region
He said South Gloucestershire Tories wanted to “walk away” from their own Government’s targets while blaming everyone but them and that the public would not be fooled. Cllr Savage has previously criticised Mr Norris for a “mushroom farming approach” to preparing the SDS in “darkness and secrecy”, while the Weca mayor has accused the council leader of “living in a parallel universe” and having “delusions of grandeur”.
In the latest war of words, Cllr Savage told his cabinet on Monday (April 4): “It’s disappointing we are in a position where the decision on pushing on with an SDS has needed to be deferred because of a lack of preparedness and engagement that is a true reflection of the words ‘engagement’ and ‘collaboration’ across the region, but this is where we find ourselves. Delivering a comprehensive and robust plan for the future of the region is a fundamental function of the combined authority and we as a council have shown nothing but willingness to work alongside Weca to ensure its success.
“The Weca mayor has been resistant to meetings of mayors and leaders to discuss the SDS. He had other priorities – something we have continued to push back on as leaders in Bath & North East Somerset Council and the mayor of Bristol, working together on that cross-party basis because we want to ensure that maximum engagement.
“While I’m happy we have now had a grand total of two meetings on this topic – two more than we've had in the last six months – it has ended up being too little, too late to meet the original timescale for the SDS. Having seen the plans that have been put forward by Weca – the 37,000 housing requirement for South Gloucestershire which would see almost 10,000 more homes in South Gloucestershire than the Government’s ‘standard methodology’ indicates – I can say without a doubt that I am not supportive.
“As the representative for South Gloucestershire on the combined authority, I cannot in all good conscience agree to land our communities with unsustainable levels of new growth over the next 20 years.” Cabinet member for regeneration, environment and strategic infrastructure Cllr Steve Reade said: “The administration has grave concerns about the proposals coming forward and the likelihood that it would not progress past examination.
“This includes an unacceptable target for South Gloucestershire and unsustainable housing numbers being allocated to communities already besieged by speculative housing developments. The longer the mayor continues to press on without meaningful engagement, the higher the chance that this strategy will fail.”
Cabinet member for corporate resources Cllr Ben Burton said: “If they are indeed delaying due to the need for gathering more evidence, I can hardly say I’m surprised due to the exodus of senior officers from Weca, including the directors of finance, legal and infrastructure, as well as the interim for the latter. I’m not sure if this has been down to a toxic working environment or not but I do have serious concerns that they are not equipped to handle the task before them.”
Mr Norris said afterwards he would not be drawn into an internal fight between local and national Tories over housing numbers. He said: “It is the Conservative Government that has demanded the West of England must build a minimum of 105,000 new homes over the next 20 years. It is the Government that has set exacting rules for this complex and highly expensive process.
"Conservative councillors angry at their own Conservative Government's imposition of high housing numbers and facing difficult local elections in just over a year’s time are bound to wobble. But South Gloucestershire Tory councillors should be wary of taking the public for fools.
"If they want to walk away from their own Government's high housing numbers, they should simply say so. This week’s Tory fun and games and in-fighting suggests they are going to walk away but try to blame it on anybody other than their own poorly performing Government."
A Weca committee meeting, comprising Mr Norris, Cllr Savage, Bristol mayor Marvin Rees and B&NES Council leader Cllr Kevin Guy, meets on Friday (April 8). The SDS was originally pencilled in on the agenda but does not appear on the final version.
