Build 'em up, knock 'em down

Jul 26 2007

THE government announced this week that three million affordable new homes are in the pipeline – so why is Birmingham busy knocking down the ones it already has?

In Merrishaw Road, Northfield, for example, two blocks of three and four-bedroomed council maisonettes have been earmarked for demolition, even though officers admit they are structurally sound.

According to a management report leaked to The Stirrer, the main problem is vandalism and poor security.

You might think they’d introduce a concierge system, which has been successfully used in many council blocks

Instead, it’s proposed to sell off the land for hundreds of thousands of pounds and re-house the existing tenants.

Of the 16 new homes which will then be built on the site, just two would be available for rent. A further six would be sold under shared ownership, while the remaining eight would be offered to private buyers at full market rate

There’s nothing new in this.

Last year alone, Birmingham lost more than 1,000 council houses – and almost a quarter of its stock has disappeared in the last six years. The council’s cabinet minister for housing John Lines insists no final decision has been made on the Merrishaw Road flats and says the city has a five-year plan to create more affordable housing.

He explained that the number of council houses has been dropping for nearly 30 years since the right to buy was introduced.

But Frank Chance from Defend Council Housing, commented: "Birmingham is getting rid of affordable family homes that have nothing wrong with them. "It just doesn’t add up