A new forum has been launched for developers and property professionals to work with the Mayor of the West Midlands to unlock investment and deliver growth in the region through development.
The West Midlands Development Forum met for the first time in Birmingham to discuss strategies, opportunities and challenges in the regional development landscape.
The forum is being organised by Midlands-based construction and property development company Deeley Group in partnership with the Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Hosted at Pinsent Masons on Colmore Row in Birmingham city centre, the inaugural roundtable event brought together 20 leading figures from the region’s property and development sector.
Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker outlined his key objectives for growth at the breakfast meeting, before hearing from businesses about what they think will be the key factors to increase delivery and drive growth.
The West Midlands Development Forum attracted representatives from businesses including Deeley Group, Pinsent Masons, Barberry Group Ltd, Persimmon Homes, Visionary Farms, Catesby Estates, Avison Young, Woodbourne Group, Preferred Homes Limited, Stoford Developments, HSBC, Cordia UK, IM Properties, HBD, Sama Investments, Hillwood, Vistry Group and West Midlands Combined Authority.
Eleanor Deeley, joint managing director at Deeley Group, provided the introduction at the inaugural meeting of the forum.
She said: “The West Midlands Development Forum is a platform for collaboration, sharing ideas and, as a collective, discussing how we can deliver growth in the region through development.
“This is a forum which has been set up in partnership with the Mayor of the West Midlands as a means for direct engagement with the region’s property and development sector.
“The forum brings together developers with an immense track record in delivering projects across all sectors, with reputations for problem solving and innovation.
“We all understand the urgency of delivering growth and economic prosperity whether it is through 1.5 million new homes or through delivery of new commercial space to enable companies to grow and increase productivity.
“This inaugural event was an excellent opportunity for the forum learn more about Richard Parker’s plans to unlock investment and address the challenges that the sector is facing, while also presenting the opportunity for the forum to share their own views and discuss what else the WMCA could do to encourage more development across the West Midlands.”
Key topics discussed at the meeting included brownfield and its cost viability and the prospect of launching a fund to encourage the development of brownfield sites into sustainable locations.
Affordable housing was also highlighted with conversations focused on whether grant-funding could be made available on greenbelt or ‘greybelt’ land to make affordable housing more viable on these sites.
The forum also raised challenges around planning approvals, particularly long delays being caused by approvals to permanent changes to public highways.
Developers also called on local authorities to speed up the process of declaring land surplus and to dispose of it, which would unlock development opportunities.
The forum also discussed top-up funding for extra care schemes to create new homes, the benefits of co-living and its potential in the West Midlands, and the skills challenges being faced in the property and construction sectors.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Every home we build, every young person we skill up, and every transport route we improve transforms lives and drives growth. And by thinking bigger, planning smarter and working together through collaborations like the West Midlands Development Forum, we can make real progress.
“I want to make sure every community feels the benefit of the growth we generate which is why I’m developing a Local Growth Plan that can tackle the issues that matter most to people. That means good jobs, affordable homes, better transport and a skilled workforce ready for the economy of the future.”