Dozens of council home schemes backed for towns across Sandwell

Council chiefs have backed schemes to build homes on plots in West Bromwich, Rowley Regis and Smethwick in a bid to make a dent in the authority's huge housing register.

The schemes are subject to planning permission and costing appraisals. The majority of the homes will be put up for 'affordable rent'.

Under the plans six four-bedroom semi-detached houses will be built on Whitgreave Street, West Bromwich.

Land in Higham’s Close, in Rowley Regis, will be used to create twelve properties, and 19 homes will be built on West End Avenue in Smethwick.

Councillor Charn Singh Padda, cabinet member for housing, said: “This proposal will provide new high-quality affordable housing stock that will contribute to replacing the council housing lost the right to buy by developing vacant underutilised land.”

The council has launched a new strategic approach to house building, including the use of Homes England grants and the Right to Buy '1-4-1' replacement scheme.

Bosses have conceded there was a risk schemes may not be carried forward if they are not cost effective.

A report noted: "As many of the schemes do not have detailed design and planning permission assumptions have been made on the number of units delivered so an element of over programming has been included.

"On schemes yet to gain approval once detailed design is complete and there is more clarity on the actual costs of the developments and the number of units to be built a strategic financial appraisal will be undertaken.

"There is therefore, a risk that schemes may not be able to proceed as they are dependent on the outcome of the financial appraisals of the individual scheme designs and financial modelling."

There are currently more than 9,800 people on Sandwell Council’s housing register, of which approximately a third are existing tenants requesting property transfers.