A report prepared by consultants Baker Associates and TPi indicates that the growth levels being imposed on Worcestershire by the WMRSS would require infrastructure spending of £801mm. This includes spending on health, education, emergency services, transport (£523mm), energy, water, waste and so on.
The consultants conclude that the public funding available from the "New Growth Point", the major scheme funding and the local transport plan only add up to £199mm.
Funding from developer contributions might provide £452mm.
This would leave a funding shortfall of approximately £150mm.
Harriett Baldwin said, "I object strongly to the way in which this government has imposed huge targets for housing on South Worcestershire from the top down. I am not surprised to learn that there is not enough money available to provide the right level of infrastructure - especially transport infrastructure - for the excessive housing numbers being imposed on the County. I urge the County Council to tell the government that it is simply not possible to be forced to plan for this scale of housing when the appropriate infrastructure cannot be afforded."