Sandwell Council backs proposal for 1,600 homes

The Sandwell Housing Zone, which includes Friar Park, Wednesbury, and Grove Lane, Smethwick, was announced by the Government last week.

The Friar Park area is a 39-hectare site jointly owned by Sandwell Council and Severn Trent plc.

Grove Lane, Smethwick, involves a group of sites, amounting to 30 hectares in multiple ownership, which between them could accommodate around 900 new homes.

The Smethwick sites also form part of the Greater Icknield and Smethwick Housing Growth Area recently launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority in collaboration with Sandwell Council and Birmingham City Council.

This will drive a £400 million development of 5,160 new homes on five brownfield sites in the adjoining areas of Greater Icknield, in Birmingham, and Smethwick.

Councillor Paul Moore, cabinet member for regeneration and economic investment, said: "This is an important step forward in bringing these sites together to make these new homes a reality.

"It will take several years to do this but Housing Zone status gives Sandwell access to extra Government funding to help bring forward these developments for Wednesbury and Smethwick."

The Housing Zones scheme aims to fast-track the construction of 10,000 new homes on various brownfield sites across the country, which used to house factories.

The scheme will see local councils work in partnership with private developers to try and unlock the potential offered by the former industrial sites.

Housing Minister Gavin Barwell said yesterday that councils could bid for a share of an £18m fund to help overcome planning issues that can delay and prevent builders from getting on site and starting work quickly.

Leader of Sandwell Council Steve Eling welcomed the initiative but has said more support would be needed to take developments forward.

He said: "At these early stages we don't know that much about it but at present we have only got Brownfield sites left to develop in Sandwell and it is something we have been banging the drum about for years.

"There has always been increased costs around them and we will need to see the details of the full scheme but this is definitely something that is welcomed.

"To be able to unlock a number of sites in the borough would certainly be a positive.

"But we just have to have additional support to get them developed to their full potential because of the extent of what we may face with the ground."

The money is intended to help accelerate the delivery of up to 800,000 new homes and infrastructure across large sites in England.

In addition to the Housing Zones, the Government has said it also intends to fund the development of a new garden town at Otterpool Park, Shepway in Kent, which promises up to 12,000 homes.

Housing minister, Mr Barwell, said: "We want to turbo-charge house building on large sites to get the homes built in the places people want to live, so that this country works for everyone, not just the privileged few.

"These sites offer enormous potential to transform brownfield land into new homes and our £18m funding will help get them built much sooner."

Brownfield sites are often disused or derelict land and are sites that have not previously been built on.