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House builder to develop 4,000 homes in partnership with West Midlands Combined Authority
A house builder has pledged to build 4,000 homes in the West Midlands as the combined authority’s latest strategic partner.
Keepmoat vowed to increase its housebuilding in the region by 50% and aimed to achieve net zero carbon emissions when building on brownfield sites as part of the deal.
The house builder said it will build homes across different tenure types and generate at least 250 new apprenticeships for local people.
At least 70% of the workforce needed to deliver the homes will be employed from within a 30-mile radius, the combined authority said, while building supplies and materials will be purchased from West Midlands-based businesses wherever possible.
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The partnership is the latest in a series of deals for the combined authority, led by mayor Andy Street, including agreements with St Modwen, Lovell and L&G. The latter has pledged to invest £4bn in the region over the next six years.
The West Midlands has set itself the target of building 215,000 new homes by 2031. A total of 16,730 new additional homes were developed in the 12 months to March 2022, according to the combined authority.
Keepmoat’s current projects in the region include the £360m Spirit Quarters development in Coventry, which has so far resulted in 979 new homes, with 275 of these allocated for first-time buyers.
Charlotte Goode, divisional chair for Keepmoat West Midlands and East Midlands, said: “Working as a strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), we are actively pursuing net zero carbon developments, with schemes incorporating climate adaptation measures that respond to the short and long-term impact of climate change. These zero-carbon standards go above and beyond the 2025 Future Homes Standard and help contribute to WM2041.”
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Working together with Keepmoat, we will breathe life into derelict brownfield sites, helping to protect our precious greenbelt, while providing affordable, energy efficient, good-quality homes and jobs for local people.”
Ian Courts, portfolio lead for housing and land at WMCA and leader of Solihull Council, said: “The commitment to use derelict industrial sites for eco-friendly, energy-efficient housing is exactly the sort of future-looking approach our region needs.
“Not only does this help protect our precious greenbelt while creating high-quality and sustainable communities, it also boosts the local economy and supports the well-being of residents.”
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