Bristol faces a housing crisis as 16,000 homes with planning permission sit idle, raising concerns among city leaders about the lack of progress.
The number of unbuilt homes has actually gone up by 2,000 since last summer. Cllr Dyer had previously pushed for action to get these homes constructed. He wanted to pressure builders to finish the properties that the council approved and to bring empty homes back into use.
During a recent council meeting, Cllr Don Alexander asked Dyer about the Green Party’s housing policy. He wanted to know how many times Dyer had successfully lobbied developers to start construction. Dyer admitted he hadn’t been able to make any progress on the 16,000 homes. Some are under construction, but many are still stuck in the planning process.
Dyer explained that there are various reasons for the delays. Some issues are local, while others are national. He mentioned that financial viability is a big problem. Sometimes, the only way to move forward would be to cut back on affordable housing, which no one wants to do.
Cllr Alexander also asked about private developers who have planning permission but haven’t started building. Dyer confirmed that he has tried to push them to get moving. In some cases, they even had to end agreements with developers who weren’t making progress on affordable housing.
It’s clear that Bristol has a long way to go in addressing its housing crisis. The council is working hard, but the challenges are significant. Let’s hope they can find a way to get these homes built soon.
