Rugby MP says building more homes strengthens the case for more public services in the town

Rugby’s MP has welcomed figures showing that the construction of new homes in the constituency has returned to pre-pandemic levels, arguing that this makes the case for additional services even stronger.

Figures produced by the National House Building Council (NHBC) show that in the past three years nearly 1,500 new homes were registered with NHBC in the Rugby constituency, more than double the national constituency average.

The figures from NHBC, whose registrations cover around 70-80 per cent of the UK’s new build market, also demonstrate that after the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, housebuilding and construction in Rugby has returned to near pre-pandemic levels.

Rugby’s housing growth is being driven by the new developments at Houlton and in the north of Rugby at Rugby Gateway and Coton.

As Rugby’s MP, Mr Pawsey has argued that as the town grows, it strengthens the case for additional services, to help meet the needs of the growing population.

He has raised the need for additional services at the Hospital of St Cross with Government ministers and has recently written directly to the chair of Coventry and Warwickshire Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Sarah Raistrick, to urge for greater investment in Rugby.

Speaking about the figures, Mr Pawsey said: “It is good news that the construction industry and housebuilding have recovered from the pandemic and we are once again delivering the homes which local families need.

"There has been a historic shortage of new homes and I am delighted that Rugby is playing its part in delivering these.

"Houlton in particular is a great example of how housing can be delivered at scale with the appropriate infrastructure and services, such as the new Houlton School which welcomed its first cohort of pupils last month.

"More people living in Rugby will also improve our local economy and provide valuable support to Rugby’s high street retailers and other businesses.

"For this reason, I was extremely supportive of the Houlton Way link road which has joined Rugby’s newest community to the town centre.

“However, I fully understand and agree with residents who have concerns about the expansion of our town and the additional pressure this places on our public services.

"That is why it is vital for new housing to be delivered alongside the right infrastructure, as it has been at Houlton.

"It also makes the case for securing new investment into our public services much greater and this is a case I will continue to make to local health providers and to my colleagues in Government.”