Give mayors powers over green belt, says report

THE new West Midlands mayor should have the right to decide whether homes are built on the green belt, according to a think tank.

All metro mayors should have greater powers over house building, it said.

A report by IPPR North warned that the Government could miss its target of providing one million homes by 2020 unless action was taken to bolster the powers of a new wave of municipal leaders.

They are due to be elected in the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Liverpool in May 2017.

In the West Midlands the candidates are James Burn (Green), Beverley Nielsen (Lib Dem), Sion Simon (Labour) and Andy Street (Conservative).

The report, called Closer To Home, suggested there was not enough brownfield land available for development to meet the Government’s house-building target.

It also argued that mayors were best placed to address the housing issues in their respective areas.

Ed Cox, director of IPPR North, said: “The Northern Powerhouse and Midlands Engine will be driven by mayors, and it’s vital they have the powers to build enough homes – recreating a London housing crisis in regional cities would be a disaster.

“Brownfield land is limited, and it is best decided locally how to meet local housing needs.

“This includes difficult decisions about the green belt.”

The think tank argues that mayors should be handed control over the green belt, the ability to place a levy on empty homes and stamp duty proceeds from new build homes in order to incentivise building.

Mayors should also set out to the Government how they intend to meet house building targets and potential ways of speeding up the planning system.