The radical proposal has emerged as Conservatives prepare their attempt to overturn 20 years of Labour domination of the city council on June 10.
John Lines, shadow member for housing, said a Conservative-controlled council would make developing homes for elderly and vulnerable tenants one of its priorities.
He admitted that the commitment to build more council homes was not shared by the national Conservative Party, but said that Birmingham's "special need" for "the right kind of housing" must be met.
"Birmingham tenants have shown that they like council housing and a Conservative council must provide for this until they change their minds," Lines said.
Under the Conservatives' plan, land freed up by demolishing run-down council properties would be sold to developers under the condition that the homes they built included some to be owned by the council.
Lines insisted that the council should take greater control in deciding what type of housing is built, given that housing associations have been "found wanting in meeting the needs of the community".
Labour councillor Phil Murphy, cabinet member for housing, dismissed the Tory plans as "farcical". He said developers would be reluctant to build significant numbers of homes for the council. Working in partnership with housing associations to build social housing, as the council was already doing, was inescapable, he said.
Birmingham's election should be extremely close with the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats both expected to make gains at Labour's expense. At the moment, Labour has 57 councillors, the Conservatives 35 and the Liberal Democrats 23.
Labour lost overall control of the council following last year's elections in 10 of the city's 120 wards, and expects further losses this year when all wards go to the polls.
This forecast is in part because of the unpopularity of the government's handling of the war in Iraq among the city's large Muslim community.
Source
Housing Today
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