Work has restarted on a stalled social housing development in Walsall following a £1 million investment from the West Midlands Combined Authority’s regional regeneration funds. The scheme, located on a former scrap yard on Hollyhedge Lane, had been dormant for more than 18 months after the original contractor entered administration.
The funding has enabled site owner and social landlord whg to appoint Lovell Partnerships to complete the development, with additional support from Homes England.
Once complete, the project will deliver 71 social rent homes, providing much‑needed affordable housing for local residents at a time when demand for social homes across the region is extremely high.
Construction originally halted in March 2024 when the previous contractor collapsed. Two of the three partially built apartment blocks now need to be demolished and rebuilt.
With the new funding in place and Lovell Partnerships appointed, the site is expected to be completed by spring 2027.
The scheme is part of a broader push to increase the supply of social rent homes across the West Midlands.
Latest figures show:
- 65,335+ households are on social housing waiting lists across the region
- 7,450 households are currently living in temporary accommodation
- This includes 14,976 children
The restarted development forms part of a wider regional effort to address the housing crisis by increasing the number of high‑quality, genuinely affordable homes.
The West Midlands has set an ambition to build 2,000 social rent homes a year by 2028. To support this, the region recently secured up to £1.7 billion from the government for the 10-year Social and Affordable Homes Programme, beginning next April.
West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker said:
“Being unable to afford a safe, secure home blights lives and prevents people from achieving their full potential.
“So, schemes like this one, that provide more social rent housing, are critical to getting people out of temporary accommodation and off waiting lists.
“I’ve made the construction of more social rent housing a top priority because I’ve seen first-hand how it can change lives for the better by providing the springboard families need to get on in life.”
At least 10,000 affordable homes are expected to be delivered over the coming decade through this long‑term programme.
In addition:
- A new £40 million Social Housing Accelerator Fund was launched in October to speed up delivery.
- The fund will help convert 1,000 properties — ready, under construction or soon to be built — into social rent homes.
- More than 750 social rent homes have already been unlocked since May last year.
The Hollyhedge Lane scheme demonstrates how combined support from WMCA, Homes England, WHG, and private developers can revive stalled sites and convert them into high-quality housing for local people.
The regeneration replaces what had been described locally as an “eyesore” and turns the land into a long‑term community asset, helping meet both housing needs and neighbourhood regeneration goals.
Image credit: iStock
