Homes and jobs must go hand in hand if our cities are to thrive,
MPs will hear when they meet in Worcester on Monday (March1).
Debbie Walsh, a Business Voice WM board member and Royal
Institution of Chartered Surveyors regional head of public policy
and communications, will tell the House of Commons West Midlands
Select Committee that the region needs to learn from past
mistakes.
"Where unemployment and a lack of hope take hold you end up with
fractured communities - the grim inner city estates and soulless
tower blocks we know so well. If you can give people work,
restoring their self respect and putting money in their pockets
then they will take pride in the environment around them," said Ms
Walsh.
The Committee are questioning a small number of witnesses as
they continue their inquiry into housing policy.
BVWM has been campaigning hard on the issue, believing that
synergy between housing and employment areas is crucial if the West
Midlands is to improve its prospects.
Ms Walsh cautioned: "The lessons of the past - when land for
housing seemed to take very little cognisance of the need for land
for local jobs - meant these new housing areas became economically
unsustainable in the medium to long term.
"This led to negative life chances for people living on these
estates and - economically speaking - was a drag on the whole
regional economy, holding back greater prosperity for all residents
of the West Midlands region.
"We must ensure that these mistakes are not repeated in the
future."