Students set to soon outnumber families in part of city, claims MP
STUDENTS have displaced so many families in a suburb of Birmingham that they will soon be in the majority, claims the area’s MP.
Selly Oak MP Steve McCabe revealed that the number of approved student flats will overtake the number of private homes during the next 12 months.
The revelation comes as he is pushing a new law through Parliament to crack down on rogue landlords who have blighted the suburb by cramming students into badly converted houses, as reported in last week’s Post.
Residents have also complained that Selly Oak has become a student town, not just for those attending the University Of Birmingham nearby, but others from the City and Aston universities in the city centre.
Mr McCabe said: “For the past few years I have warned the council that there is no need to continue approving student developments when there is no real evidence that there is a demand for this. Based on the current rate of approved student accommodation developments there will be more student flats than family homes over the next year.
“We are already in a situation where there is more supply than demand. The fact that student developments put forward by greedy developers are continually approved strikes me as totally illogical. Many of my constituents are rightly worried that Selly Oak is at risk of becoming an extension of the university’s campus if any more developments are given the green light, which is why I will continue to oppose any further student developments here in Selly Oak.”
Figures issued to Mr McCabe by the city council revealed that in Selly Oak there were:
6,439 student flats
400 more under construction
1,000 more granted permission and awaiting development
There are currently 8,569 nonstudent houses and flats in Selly Oak – meaning that the student property market is catching up fast.
Mr McCabe added: “This means that the council would only need to approve a further 462 student flats for Selly Oak to have more student accommodation than family homes which at the current rate of building isn’t far off.”