£50 million to revamp former industrial sites for housing
More than £50 million has been handed to leaders in the West Midlands to regenerate brownfield land to make it suitable for housing.
Chiefs at West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) are spearheading the drive after it was handed £51m from the Government.
The cash will be used to “breathe fresh life” into former industrial sites across the region – and help the area bounce back from Covid-19.
A total of £24m comes from the Government’s £40m National Brownfield Housing Fund with a further £27m handed out from the Land Fund.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street, chairman of the WMCA, said: “This shows how supportive the Government is of our work as we look to continue to regenerate old derelict industrial land – such as the former MG Rover site in Longbridge.
"With a further £60m of already-announced housing money also confirmed to be on its way to the West Midlands in the coming weeks, the New Year has the potential to be a very good one for our future housing plans.”
Work is already under way to transform brownfield sites like Icknield Port Loop in Edgbaston.
Councillor Mike Bird, leader of Walsall Council and WMCA portfolio holder for housing and land, said: “This is tremendous news.
“But it remains just the latest tranche of investment that the West Midlands needs if it is to fully unlock the region’s huge brownfield regeneration ambitions.
“It shows how the West Midlands is leading the way nationally in brownfield land regeneration and housing delivery.”
