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Homes England and West Yorkshire Combined Authority sign housing partnership
Homes England has signed a partnership agreement with West Yorkshire Combined Authority, which it said would speed up the development of thousands of homes.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday at the UKREiiF conference in Leeds.
The partnership has identified 16 projects in West Yorkshire to be the focus for regeneration, including Bradford City Centre, Halifax urban centre, North Halifax, Huddersfield and Dewsbury town centres, East Leeds Extension, Leeds City Centre, Wakefield City Centre and Pontefract.
The combined authority said investment of its £3.2m housing revenue fund, a product of its recent devolution deal, allowed it to build a credible project pipeline to secure the partnership.
This is Homes England’s third strategic place partnership to be signed, following pilots in Greater Manchester and South Essex.
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Tracy Brabin, mayor of West Yorkshire, said: “We have ambitious plans to create and grow vibrant communities and support an ever-growing population, addressing decades of underinvestment in the region.
“The partnership will allow us to build on the progress made so far, and bring vital resources directly to West Yorkshire, ensuring a better quality of life for people throughout the region.”
Peter Denton, chief executive of Homes England, said: “We enjoy a fantastic working relationship with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. This strategic place partnership agreement builds on this, helping the mayor to deliver her housing and regeneration priorities, and create thriving new and renewed places that the people of West Yorkshire seek.
“As the national housing and regeneration agency, we are committed to bringing all of our capital, expertise, land, powers and relationships in support of WYCA’s desire to boost place-based growth, prosperity and pride of place.”
Mr Denton told Inside Housing ahead of the UKREiiF conference on Monday that the housing association sector needs to help lead its new focus on major regeneration projects, as it unveils its new five-year strategy.
He pledged to support housing associations looking to involve themselves “in the new workspace, the new last mile logistics, the new park”.
The strategic plan, which was to be announced on Tuesday at the conference in Leeds, said that Homes England will “go beyond” housing work to fully support the government’s levelling-up agenda.
