New homes focus for urban areas

New development in Staffordshire should focus on urban areas such as Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford rather than the green belt, the regional assembly said.

A West Midlands Regional Assembly statement said developers were keen to see sites for new homes and businesses extended into the green belt.

It argued new developments should instead be built in urban areas.

The assembly is also looking at a government study which proposes 80,300 new homes across the county.

'Fragile state'

The figure is much higher than the 66,300 new homes the assembly proposed.

Policy director Mark Middleton said development should be in places such as Stoke-on-Trent as the city is in a "fragile state".

"Its housing market has failed and needs to be regenerated," he said.

Stafford has also been identified as a "growth point".

"It is crucial to limit development in southern Staffordshire, particularly in the greenbelt, so that the regeneration of Birmingham and the Black Country is not undermined," he said.