THE West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and Homes England have announced a new plan to turbo-charge housebuilding in the region.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) agreement has been signed to formalise the West Midlands Strategic Place Partnership (SPP), which sets out shared ambitions to transform derelict brownfield land into thriving communities and places.
Up to £400million has been earmarked through the devolution deal for Homes England and the WMCA to invest in affordable homes across the region.
The SPP will commit both organisations to work together to further remediate difficult to deliver and stalled brownfield sites, and to invest in the delivery of good 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.
Coun 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.”
