100s of new affordable houses to be built on former West Midlands sewage site
Hundreds of new affordable homes are to be built on a former Birmingham sewage works site following agreement of a new deal.
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Work will start later this year on building nearly 300 houses, including 150 for social rent on land which once housed Yardley Sewage Works in Cole Hall Lane, Stetchford.
Birmingham City Council owns the land and has worked with Morro Partnerships, housing association Midland Heart, Homes England, the region’s elected Mayor and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to facilitate a deal.
On a visit to the site, Mayor Richard Parker announced a £4.5m WMCA package for the scheme.
Birmingham City Council has invested in the scheme, along with Homes England and the WMCA providing funding to clean up the brownfield site so it is suitable for house building.
Morro and Midland Heart will begin construction of the homes before the end of the year.
The development deal comes as latest figures show that across the West Midlands there are 7,148 households, including 14,229 children, living in temporary accommodation and 65,335 households on the region’s social housing waiting lists.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “In my first year in office, I’ve funded schemes that will provide more than 500 new social homes – that’s more than in all the schemes we have ever grant funded.
“Too many families in this region are living in cold, damp houses waiting too long for a home to call their own. This cannot be allowed to continue which is why I am helping to build more warm and safe homes for everyone.
“My target is clear: 2,000 new social homes a year by 2028 to tackle our housing crisis.
“We cannot do this alone – I am calling on housing associations and private sector developers to come together, just as we have at Yardley Brook, to build these homes and change the lives of thousands of families here in the West Midlands.”
Councillor Jayne Francis, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homeless, added: “The national housing crisis means that we have several people on lists waiting for a home, the need for affordable homes has never been more urgent.
“Tackling this crisis is a key priority for this council, and this development demonstrates how we can do this by leading and working in partnership with others.
“We will continue discussions with developers and housing associations to facilitate deals that can provide our residents with warm, safe, and energy-efficient homes.”
