West Midlands Combined Authority is using its real-world affordable housing to bring new developments to the area, transforming brownfield land.
Work has begun on a development in Telford that will see £4.42 million of combined authority money used to deliver new homes. 20% of these homes will be classed as affordable, however, this will be done by utilising the council’s own regional definition, rather than the national standard. This definition sees affordable housing classified based on real-world local wages, as opposed to the prices of homes in the surrounding area.
Councillor Ian Courts, Leader of Solihull Council and Portfolio Holder for Housing, Property and Land at the combined authority, commented:
“Pool Hill is just one of dozens of vacant plots or former industrial sites we are helping to transform across the region to provide energy-efficient and affordable homes for local people.
“It’s another example of why the WMCA has rightly earned a reputation as a national leader in brownfield regeneration and shows how the WMCA is using the money it has secured from government to unlock schemes and drive forward development on locally agreed priority sites.”
The region’s reputation for housing and regeneration is based on the investment that has been made to support economic regeneration following the Covid-19 pandemic. Through its partnerships with industry, the combined authority is helping with the development of new homes, jobs, and commercial spaces in communities.
Telford and Wrekin Council’s Deputy Leader, Cllr Richard Overton, added:
“It’s great to see further investment from the WMCA in housing delivery in Telford. We continue to work collaboratively with the WMCA to optimise funding opportunities for the borough, with a particular focus on brownfield land.”
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