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New data shows housebuilders can’t keep up with Birmingham’s rapidly expanding population.

The population of the city has risen four and a half times faster than the rate of new housing over the last decade, leading for calls for drastic action from the Government.

Exclusive analysis of official data by the Mail shows that the number of people living in the city rose by 98,984 between 2004 and 2014. At the same time, the net number of new dwellings rose by just 22,000 in the decade to March 2015.

City MP Steve McCabe called for renewed focus from the Government – including clamping down on people sitting on land that could be used for housing.

He said: “There may be issues about the availability of land but there are just as many issues around the land people are sitting on.

“We have housing on the Selly Oak Hospital site but there are lots of examples around Birmingham where people are sitting on land that could be utilised.

“The ideal you have to use it or lose it remains a strong view.”

Analysis of official data shows there are 4.5 extra people in Birmingham for every one extra home being built.

The situation is far worse than in other parts of the West Midlands. In Sandwell, the radio is three-to-one while in Walsall it is 2.5.

In other parts of the region, however, the pressure is far less or non-existent.

Wolverhampton has two new homes for every extra person, Solihull has 1.8 and Dudley has 1.3.

The figures on net housing stock were published by the Government last week and the Mail has cross-referenced them with population figures for each year since 2004.

Nationally, the greatest pressure on housing appears to be in London and the south.

In Barking and Dagenham, there are 7.6 extra people for every one extra property.

In Birmingham, the situation is in danger of getting worse with the city expected to grow by the equivalent population of Oxford over the next 16 years.

A target of building 80,000 homes over that period has been set with the population set to grow by 150,000 by 2031.

Mr McCabe (Lab Selly Oak) said the Housing and Planning Bill 2015/16, currently going through Parliament, would not solve the housing crisis.

He said: “This shows we need a concerted plan to build housing, that is the long and short of it.

“We need to build far more than we have been in recent years.

“The tragedy is that the Housing and Planning Bill is unlikely to make any significant impact on that.

“It continues the selling of existing properties in the rental sector which only serves to make things worse.

“I think it requires about three different things. I think the Government should slow down the sale of council and housing association properties as it is outstripping supply.

“Secondly, they should encourage housing associations and local authorities to combine borrowing power to maximise the potential for new builds being created.

“Thirdly, they should look at thinks like self building opportunities.”

Data: David Ottewell