St Modwen signs new deal to develop 5,000 new houses

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A new agreement to build 5,000 houses across the region has been signed.

West Midlands Combined Authority has created a partnership with Birmingham-based regeneration group St Modwen which it is already working with on a new mixed-use scheme in Longbridge.

The projects will focus on redeveloping disused industrial land over the next decade and will be ‘low energy’ in operation, reflecting the requirements of the UK’s Future Homes Standard.

The partnership will go towards supporting the authority’s target of delivering 215,000 new homes across the West Midlands by 2031.

A minimum of 20 per cent of the new units will be classed as ‘affordable’ under the authority’s own definition linked to local wages rather than property prices.

The signing of the memorandum of understanding came as a formal planning application was submitted by St Modwen for the regeneration of the West Works site at the former MG Rover car plant in Longbridge.

The authority’s £6 million investment into the project will help clean up the land to make it ready for redevelopment and unlock a total of £300 million worth of investment at West Works.

St Modwen’s planning application for 350 new homes on the site has now been submitted to Birmingham City Council and is in addition to a new Longbridge Business Park with up to 900,000 sq ft of commercial space which is expected to create up to 5,000 new jobs.

The scheme will also open around a mile of the River Rea to the public for the first time, including a new walking and cycling route linking west Longbridge to the town centre.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: “By working with St Modwen, we’ve managed to unlock one of the region’s most iconic brownfield sites, Longbridge’s West Works.

“I am therefore delighted we’ve signed this memorandum to continue to work together on more schemes in the future as we look to build more homes and create more jobs right across the West Midlands.

“At the heart of any work we do together will be brownfield regeneration as we focus on breathing new life into former derelict industrial sites and their surrounding areas, protecting our precious greenbelt land in the process.

“The West Works site is the first example of this and I am really pleased we’re pressing on with the future vision for the site with the planning application submitted.”

St Modwen has been leading the £1 billion regeneration of the former MG Rover factory sites in Longbridge for many years which has seen new retail and office space, housing, a technology park and Bournville College built.

Senior director Robert Flavell added: “St Modwen is very proud to be able to sign up to this landmark agreement with the combined authority which will help bring much-needed new homes and jobs to areas throughout the West Midlands.

“The regeneration of Longbridge is a fine example of how partnership working can bring huge economic, social and environmental benefits.

“Our plans for west Longbridge will deliver high-quality, energy efficient and environmentally friendly new homes, new commercial space which will bring investment and jobs to the town and a range of green spaces for people to enjoy.

“We’re looking forward to working alongside the WMCA as part of this agreement and believe it will act as a catalyst to creating new communities which will be of benefit to those who live in, work in and visit the region.”