New houses in Birmingham could protect the Green Belt around it

New houses in Birmingham could protect the Green Belt around it

Press Release

Immediate Release: 22 Nov 2025

Contact: Peter King, WM CPRE, 01562 720368; Gerald Kells, 01922 636601; Mark Sullivan, 01926 494597 or 07742 809930

West Midlands Countryside Campaigners say Birmingham Council could intervene immediately to protect its neighbour’s Green Belt from intrusive housing development.

A surplus of new housing could help Black Country Councils, such as Walsall, Solihull, and more rural neighbouring Councils, such as Bromsgrove and Lichfield, to withdraw controversial countryside and Green Belt sites in favour of sustainable urban housing development in Birmingham.

Birmingham is currently consulting on its Local Plan¹, which allocates development sites up to 2044, and has identified a surplus supply of housing of at least 13,000 dwellings without taking any land out of its Green Belt.

A study undertaken for the West Midlands Region of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) by its Technical Advisor Gerald Kells shows that the surplus of housing land available within the city of Birmingham could be at least twice as much as the City has stated.² This is because:

1. At present the City Council is undercounting the number of houses likely to come forward on currently unallocated sites based on its past record; these are called ‘windfalls’

2. It has city and district centre housing sites in the Plan which could deliver more housing by building at higher density than currently proposed, based on past experience

3. The City has an Empty Property Strategy which has a target of bringing 350 empty homes back into use every year, and delivered 300 per year between 2019 and 2024.

Birmingham Council could also increase its housing surplus simply by planning only to 2042, the earliest date required by the Government, not to 2044. Plans only need to plan for 15 years; the City’s Plan covers 17.

As a result CPRE believes Birmingham could allocate at least 25,000 of its brownfield supply of sites for homes, and perhaps more, to other authorities to reduce pressure on their countryside.

CPRE’s Regional Planning Committee chair, Dr Peter King, has written to leading councillors and senior planners in Birmingham, Solihull, the Black Country, North Worcestershire and Lichfield urging them to jointly review how much housing Birmingham can provide for its neighbours before green field controversial sites are locked in for development in local plans.

Peter King said:

Changes to planning policy made by the Labour government in 2024 have added huge pressure on many councils to provide housing beyond their genuine needs.

In contrast, Birmingham’s housing target was greatly reduced³. The City is now in an enviable position to meet some of the high housing targets imposed on other planning authorities.

Building more homes in the urban area on brownfield sites will support sustainable development in the West Midlands and prevent the loss of Green Belt.

CPRE urges the planners in the Conurbation and the surrounding Councils to work now to protect the Green Belt and ensure sustainable development across the region.

End

Contacts:

Peter King, Chair of Planning, CPRE West Midlands Region 01562 720368

Mark Sullivan, Chair CPRE West Midlands Regional Committee, 01926 494597

or 07742 809930

Gerald Kells, Technical Advisor, 01922 636601