A Staffordshire MP has urged a district council to hold back on housing developments despite the Government saying 10,000 new homes are needed in the area by 2026.

Michael Fabricant said they would destroy the character of Lichfield.

His comments came after release of information relating to how many new sites for development are needed. Figures released by the MP show that 3,714 homes of the 10,000 total Government-set target will need to be on land not already identified for development.

This is in addition to 1,157 houses completed between April 2006 and October 2009, 1,916 with existing planning permission and land identified as having the potential to accommodate 1,188 homes and land needed to be found for 3,714 additional properties.

Mr Fabricant said: “These figures reveal that almost 5,000 further homes, over and above the 1,900 homes which have been given planning permission, but have not yet started being constructed, will have to be built in Lichfield District.

“This will destroy the very character and reason why people want to live in our area in the first place.

“For that reason, I do not agree with the West Midland Region’s allocation of 10,000 homes to Lichfield District. I believe that it is far too many and 3,500 additional homes in total would be sustainable and appropriate for our present population.”

The Conservative Party is advising all councils to delay the implementation of regional housing allocations as they would be scrapped by an incoming Conservative Government.

Mr Fabricant said: “It would then be up to individual district councillors to assess and allocate their own housing targets based on their judgement of local need. I hope all councils – including Lichfield’s – take this advice.

“It does mean, of course, that councillors will be far more accountable to their electorates – but that is democracy. With the authority of being a councillor goes the responsibility of making the right choices.

“With the abolition of regional housing targets, the buck will stop with local councils. There will be no higher authority. Ultimately, all councils will need to decide if their loyalties lie with the region or with their district.”