Welsh council responds to rumours housing is being given to people from Birmingham
Bruce Sinclair – Local democracy reporter
A Welsh council has again stressed that housing developments in the county are not being used to accommodate people from Birmingham or other English cities.
In recent years, concerns have been raised that new housing developments in Pembrokeshire would be used to accommodate people from Birmingham, Liverpool and other English areas — claims the council has repeatedly rejected.
The council’s housing team says it has involved local communities in all new housing developments in the county, including Old School Lane, Johnston; Tudor Place, Tiers Cross; Sandy Hill, Broad Haven; Harcourt Close, Hook; Rose Haven Gardens, Rosemarket; Glan y Mor, Saundersfoot; and Golwg y Cleddau, Pembroke Dock.
Following recent social media comments on who will be allocated new homes, the council has said: “For new housing developments, properties are often allocated using a Local Lettings Policy. A Local Lettings Policy sets out specific local connection criteria that applicants must meet before they can be considered for a property within a particular development.
“The local community has an important role in shaping the Local Lettings Policy. Residents help decide what local connections are most important for their area: This may include: a minimum period of time someone has lived in the areas, employment within the area, children’s schooling arrangements, caring responsibilities for family members.
“The community also helps determine the length of time that constitutes a meaningful local connection and the geographical area that applicants should be connected to.”
Quoting a regular comment “you are allocating to people from Birmingham,” the council stated: “Pembrokeshire County Council does not have any agreement that reserves social housing for people from Birmingham, or any other area of the country.
“Properties are allocated through the Choice Homes Pembroke shire Housing Register, and applicants must meet the requirements set out within the relevant allocation policies.
“We recognise the frustration experienced by many local families who are struggling to access affordable housing. The limited availability of suitable homes remains a significant challenge across the county.
“Local Lettings Policies are designed to support people with a genuine connection to a particular area, helping them access suitable housing or return to a community where they have established roots.”
Back in 2022, following approval for a 50-home social housing development on land off Maesgwynne Lane in Fishguard, rumours emerged that the scheme had been sold to Birmingham City Council to provide overflow housing.
Wales & West Housing rubbished the claims saying that they are completely untrue.
Birmingham City Council added at the time: “This is not something we are aware of here, so it appears to be an inaccurate rumour.”
More recently, claims Tenby’s Brynhir housing development will house “illegal immigrants” through purchases by an English council have been refuted by Pembrokeshire County Council.
Back in 2024, the scheme, with nearly 100 “local houses for local people” was approved by national park planners.
However, fears were raised that some of the site would be used to house “illegal immigrants” via an English council, in that case Liverpool.
Responding, a Pembrokeshire County Council spokesperson said: “These rumours are untrue. This site is owned and managed by the local authority. Allocations will be made to those from our Choice Homes register in accordance with a local connection lettings policy that will be developed in conjunction with the local town and community councils, and local community, in due course.”
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It’s not “concerns have been raised”, it’s about far right online scaremongering.
It’s absolute lies intended to stoke division, quite possibly because some people might think that the kind of people being moved out of Birmingham might not be white. Birmingham certainly has in the past had schemes to build homes outside the city, as did London and Manchester, but they were always pretty close to the city and certainly not in Wales. They also involved a lot of planning and job creation. Tamworth is a good example (or a bad example, I had the misfortune to live there for a while).
A simple look at Welsh housing policy would have put these rumors to bed.
But knowing the type that spread this nonsense, facts probably aren’t their strong point.
Except policy and practice aren’t always the same and too many government bodies have broken policy and law for trust to be given.
Grooming scandal had numerous policies broken.
Blood scandal.
Bbc and nonces.
PPE scandal.
This is the problem with corruption, trust is broken for all.
The corruption problem in central government isn’t money changing hands it’s recruitment processes that have allowed the privately educated to dominate government and institutions. Their instincts are inevitably that the 93% of the population who aren’t privately educated are second class humans which is why they make decisions and accept realities they simply wouldn’t if it was affecting the 7%.