Mayor to fund affordable new homes for Black Country families

Mayor Richard Parker today (Friday January 2) announced funding for more than 30 affordable new homes on the site of a Black Country scaffolding works so more families can get a foot on the property ladder.

The two-acre site off Friar Park Road in Wednesbury will see 34, two and three-bedroom homes made available to local people at discounted rents or through a rent-to-buy scheme.

The £7.4m development is being built by Keon Homes for housing association Citizen.

The Mayor is making £450,000 of West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funding available to cover the cost of cleaning up the brownfield site so the redevelopment can go ahead.

The scheme, which is also being part funded by Homes England, will create or protect more than 100 local jobs with 10 construction apprentices, four of them new recruits, working on site.

The Mayor said: “This is yet another example of how we are transforming underused or derelict sites into vibrant new places where people can afford to live and raise families.

“It’s part of my commitment to build affordable homes at a time when too many people are struggling to secure the safe, warm home they need to get ahead in life.

“Schemes like this don’t just build new homes, they provide jobs and help rebuild communities that people can feel connected to and proud of.”

The location of the new homes is next to land earmarked by the WMCA and Sandwell Council for the Friar Park Urban Village development.

That scheme will see derelict land the size of 32 football fields – one of the biggest brownfield sites in the region - regenerated to create a new, 600-home community.

Work on the 34-home Friar Park Road scheme is now underway and is due to be completed by late 2026.

Nick Byrne, executive director of development at Citizen, said: “We’re pleased to be working with Keon Homes, Homes England and the WMCA to deliver 34 affordable homes at our development in Friar Park Road.

“We’re committed to working with our partners to tackle the housing crisis in the West Midlands and it’s great news that we are bringing another brownfield site back into use.

“We’re looking forward to seeing work on these homes progress over the next year.”