Homes England and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) have announced a plan to boost housebuilding in the region through brownfield regeneration.
The two parties have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement to formalise the West Midlands Strategic Place Partnership (SPP), which sets out shared ambitions to transform derelict brownfield land into thriving communities and places.
The close working relationship between the WMCA and the government makes up part of the Deeper Devolution Deal agreed last year, with up to £400million earmarked for the SPP to invest in affordable homes throughout the region.
Through the SPP, both organisations will aim to remediate stalled and difficult to deliver brownfield sites, boosting the delivery of quality, affordable and future-proof homes.
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: Developing homes and creating new communities on brownfield land has been one of the region’s real success stories of recent years.”
“This partnership with Homes England will see us work closely together to turbo-charge house building, unlocking some of our biggest brownfield sites for new homes that are energy efficient and genuinely affordable.”
“Almost 33% of all the new homes built to date with WMCA investments have been affordable and the West Midlands is the only region that remains on track to meet its housing targets 215,000 new homes by 2031.”
“This partnership with Homes England, backed by the hundreds of millions of pounds we have secured for brownfield regeneration through our Deeper Devolution Deal, will further accelerate that success and see yet more homes constructed, more communities transformed and the quality of life improved for people right across our region.”
Homes England’s SPP model aims to advance locally-led housing growth and regeneration by supporting regions with ambitious proposals for growth through a shared business plan.
Homes England and the WMCA have previously worked together to regenerate the region, including the transformation of Digbeth into a creative area for Birmingham and the new home of the Masterchef studios. Both parties also worked to regenerate the Lockside estate in Walsall, turning the former Caparo steelworks site into a development of over 250 homes.
Cllr Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council, and portfolio holder for housing and land at the WMCA, said: “It is great news that we have managed to secure our SSP with Homes England on the back of our expanded Devolution Deal.”
“One of the benefits this closer relationship will bring is a much better understanding of the current funding mechanisms available and how we can bring them together to maximise the impact of our investments focused on building more homes in the region.”
“We are setting the pace in bringing brownfield sites back into productive use, either for commerce or in this case for much-needed new homes. This partnership will not only reinforce our ambitions to unlock over 12,000 homes but will also help us build real communities that are popular, sustainable and will thrive, which is ultimately what place-making is about.”
Peter Denton, chief executive of Homes England, said: “The Strategic Place Partnership model gives us a framework to support local leaders who have a strong vision for housing and regeneration in their area.”
“The West Midlands Combined Authority has a clear aspiration for its people and communities, and through this SPP we will bring the powers, partners, funds and capabilities of the Agency together to help make it a reality, working in partnership to unlock the region’s full potential. This is Homes England’s fifth Strategic Place Partnership (SPP), following agreements with Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and South Essex.”
