Families struggling to find an affordable, secure home are set to benefit from a further £2 million investment from Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, as part of his commitment to deliver more social and affordable housing across the region.
The funding will support the construction of 207 new homes on the former Phoenix School site in Telford, a long-derelict 18-acre brownfield site that is being transformed into a new residential community.
The project forms part of the Mayor's ambitious Homes for Everyone campaign, which aims to deliver the largest social housing programme the West Midlands has seen for decades.
Crucially, more than 40% of the homes being built at the Phoenix development, 86 properties in total, will be available for social rent, the most affordable housing option available to residents in need.
The latest investment comes at a time when the West Midlands continues to face significant demand for affordable housing, following decades of underinvestment in social housing. Across the region, 7,148 households, including 15,067 children, are currently living in temporary accommodation, while a further 60,000 people remain on local authority housing waiting lists.
This marks the third housing-related investment made by the Mayor in Telford since taking office in May 2024. Previous funding commitments supported the Station Quarter and Stirchley House developments.
Taken together, around £10.5 million of mayoral funding has now been invested in Telford, helping unlock the delivery of more than 600 new homes. Over 270 of these properties will be social or affordable housing, including a substantial number of extra-care apartments designed to support older residents.
The Mayor said:
“My priority since taking office has been to turbocharge the construction of more social rent housing because too many people are waiting too long for a safe, secure place to call home – and it’s blighting their lives.
“This investment in Telford will change lives for the better, especially for those stuck in temporary accommodation or poor-quality private rentals.
“And it means another derelict brownfield site is being transformed into a place where people can live, raise families, and feel proud of their neighbourhood again.”
The mayoral funding will help developer Lovell Partnerships cover site preparation costs and accelerate delivery of the scheme.
Once completed:
- 71 homes will be sold on the open market by Lovell Partnerships.
- 50 homes will be acquired by NuPlace, the lettings company owned by Telford & Wrekin Council, for private rental.
- 86 social rent homes will be managed by Housing Plus Group.
The development is expected to play an important role in addressing housing pressures in Telford while bringing a long-vacant brownfield site back into productive use.
Image credit: iStock
