The housing target set for Bath & North East Somerset Council is ‘unrealistic’, the council leader has told the deputy prime minister.
The Government’s new mandatory housing targets means the number of houses the council will be expected to plan for has risen from 717 houses per year to 1,466.
Cllr Kevin Guy has written to Angela Rayner welcoming the Government’s commitment to tackling the housing crisis.
However, he urged the deputy PM to take into account the council’s ‘unique situation’ when it comes to the authority’s local plan.
Cllr Guy said the council needs to consider the relationship between World Heritage Site status and growth. It also needs more funding for affordable housing and a more flexible approach to working with neighbouring councils.
‘We know residents understand the need for more high-quality affordable housing but on a realistic scale. Proposals with crude targets, that potentially facilitate unplanned development would be unforgivable,’ he said.
Background: Councils warn over ‘excessive’ housing targets.
