Birmingham City Council held the June meeting of its Full Council this week (18th of June). The meeting saw two motions from individuals for debate, one being submitted by Cllr Matt Bennett (Con, Edgbaston) and seconded by Cllr Gareth Moore (Con, Erdington). The motion called for restrictions to be placed on build-to-rent developments, favouring affordable to-buy and social rent housing. The motion also called for the adoption of the Building Better, Building Beautiful commissions “gentle density” in urban areas in order to avoid the destruction of local character and heritage. Design guides, created in partnership with local communities were also called for, to ensure higher architectural standards in future developments that had the support of existing communities.
The Labour amendment to this motion rejected these proposals, including the restrictions on build-to-rent developments. As highlighted in the debate, a single-bed studio apartment in some build-to-rent developments can be rented for £1300 a month. Birmingham Local Conservatives will continue to argue that the spread of these developments does not meet the city's housing needs.
Cllr Moore commented on the motion's defeat, saying:
The simple truth is that these developments do not meet the housing needs of Birmingham residents. Our motion sought to ensure there was adequate housing at an affordable price with high architectural standards, backing working families, local communities, and young people who dream of having the security and safety of their own home.
Cllr Moore continued:
Implementing our motion would require a simple change to existing plans in the city, and Labour chose instead to pass up the opportunity to help these people. Just like their refusal to do the necessary work to save libraries as laid out in our amendment to the budget, they’d rather project their jobs and stick with the status quo than do the work to deliver for residents.
Cllr Bennett said:
The explosion of Build-to-Rent properties seems to have gone unnoticed by Birmingham Labour, who haven't even bothered to count how many such developments they have waved through over the past few years. It is already difficult enough for first-time buyers to get on the housing ladder, but with such a large proportion of new developments only ever being available for rent, the danger is that home ownership will move further and further out of reach for the next generation. The rent on these places is sky high and, although there is clearly some kind of need for them in the city, they are crowding out space where affordable homes, available to buy or rent, could actually improve the lives of Birmingham residents. It is baffling that Birmingham Labour not only refused to consider placing a limit on these developments but didn't even want to debate it. Keir Starmer recently claimed that Labour are "the party of homeownership" but it's clear that Birmingham Labour missed that memo.
