End in sight for new homes ban

Apr 18 2008 by David Norbury, Chester Chronicle

CHESTER’S moratorium on new housebuilding could be lifted.

City planners are braced for a flood of applications if the restriction, imposed in 2004, comes to an end.

Developers were left reeling when the moratorium was introduced with a forecast of “stratospheric” property values accompanied by fears that very few, if any, new affordable homes could be built.

The decision followed government pressure for new housing development to be directed to help the regeneration of the North West Metropolitan Area, which included Manchester and Liverpool – but not Chester.

The government office made it plain that measures should be taken to reduce housing provision.

Executive member for development in the Town Hall’s Tory administration, Cllr Mike Jones (Con, Tattenhall) says new regional policy, due to be agreed in July, will require Chester to provide 7,500 dwellings during the period 2003-2021, equivalent to 417 a year.

The government now requires local authorities to have a minimum five-year supply of sites for new housing and Chester is estimated to have 5.6 years available.

Civil servants have also pointed out it is proposed to remove any ceiling on housing figures to enable additional growth.

Chester is now listed as third priority after Manchester and Liverpool and Cllr Jones believes there could be a “significant growth” in the number of new dwellings built in the district, especially if a housing growth bid for West Cheshire is successful.