'Who are we building houses for?' asks Wolverhampton councillor in stormy meeting
Britain's 'open borders' were blamed for the need to build more houses in Wolverhampton during a stormy meeting of the city council.
Councillors Anita Stanley and Celia Hibbert were both criticised for raising immigration policy during a heated debate on the council's budget this week.
Councillor Stanley, Reform UK's councillor for Bilston North, was accused of using inflammatory language and misrepresenting council policy after she questioned he need to build more houses in the city.
But she was backed by Councillor Celia Hibbert, independent councillor for Penn, who said it was a legitimate point to make.
Councillor Stanley questioned why plans for new housing were included in the council's budget, including new council homes in Park Village.
"Why the sudden rush to build all these house in the areas where we should be concentrating on the facilities for those who are already there?" she asked the meeting.
"The open border policy of both the Conservative and Labour parties is meaning that these houses are being built for people who are coming into the country in an uncontrolled manner, so who is actually going to benefit?"
Councillor Stephen Simkins, leader of Wolverhampton Council and ward member for Bilston South, said the discussion was supposed to be about the council's budget, not national immigration policy.
He called on Councillor Stanley to retract her 'inflammatory' comment.
But Councillor Hibbert said Councillor Stanley had every right to ask the question, and wondered why it was necessary to build so many new homes.
She blamed housing targets imposed by Communities, Local Government and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner for forcing local authorities to accept new homes.
Councillor Hibbert said: "We are having all these houses being built in Bilston, we are having true Bilstonians losing their livelihoods, their health and wellbeing in the city, we're rushing to build houses because of the crazy targets that Angela Rayner has been putting on every single local authority, 'build houses, build houses'.
"Who are we building the houses for? It's a legitimate question, the last time I checked the average British family is not giving birth to seven, eight, nine or 10 kids. Every single green space is being turned into a house."
Councillor Steve Evans, deputy leader of the council, said it was factually untrue that Wolverhampton Council was building houses for migrants.
Councillor Bhupinder Gakhal, cabinet member for resident services, said he was proud to be the son of an immigrant, and made no apologies for building houses in an effort to regenerate the city.
Councillor Chris Burden cabinet member for city development, added: "When they ask the question 'who are we building for?', at Canalside we are building for that couple who want their first home, at St George's we are building for that young commuter who wants to live and spend money in Wolverhampton.
"When we build in Bilston, who are we building for, we are building a new health centre right in the centre of that town, I'm building that for our residents.
"When I'm in the city centre, I'm building the city learning quarter for 4,500 students a week. We're not building it for now, we're building it for the future, and none of that is on green belt land, every single inch of what I have just outlined is being built on brownfield sites.
"It's for our residents that we're building, whether it's for first-time buyers or NHS and key workers. Councillor Evans is building the next generation of council houses at Park Village, and I welcome that. We are building the next generation of private homes, and I welcome that. I know that we're building the next generation of mixed communities.
"This city is not about dividing people, it's not about casting aspersions, this is about our residents and how we put them first. What we are doing is taking a pragmatic view with the powers we have and the budget we have."
