A range of corporate regeneration policies for 2022 to 2027 have been approved by Sandwell Council’s cabinet that could ultimately deliver up to £1.8 billion of investment in the borough.
The Labour-led council, which spans the six amalgamated towns of Oldbury, Rowley Regis, Smethwick, Tipton, Wednesbury, and West Bromwich in the heart of the traditional Black Country, says it will work with a wide range of partner organisations and businesses to build a 'healthier, wealthier and more sustainable' Sandwell through the Regeneration Strategy for Sandwell, the Regeneration Pipeline and the Inclusive Recovery Action Plan for Business.
The council says the adoption of the strategy, pipeline and recovery plan will provide it and its partners with the clarity to deliver the vision for Sandwell over the next five years and bring the following benefits for the borough:
Estimated total investment of up to £1.8 billion pounds by 2027.
The delivery of over 4,300 new homes on major regeneration sites.
More than £57 million investment in ten education and skills facilities in the borough.
Over 4,000 new learners/apprentices assisted.
£63 million investment in new employment/commercial floorspace, creating or safeguarding jobs in the borough.
A pipeline of 23 transport projects and investments.
Delivery of Towns Fund projects in West Bromwich, Smethwick and Rowley Regis, including approximately £14 million town centre investment in West Bromwich for retail diversification and urban greening projects.
A move towards a balance of investments across Sandwell’s six towns, including: the delivery of new homes and commercial floorspace in Tipton; new transport connectivity schemes, new homes and education infrastructure in Oldbury; and new homes, a health centre and education infrastructure in Wednesbury.
The council says its Regeneration Strategy will allow it to shape regeneration plans to meet the needs of local people and business, setting a path towards 'a higher quality of life for residents, more well-paid, fulfilling jobs and a wealthier borough'.
The Regeneration Pipeline, meanwhile, is a list of strategically important regeneration projects that the council, its partners and the private sector intend to deliver in Sandwell, setting out the infrastructure priorities for Sandwell Council and also establishing where resources will be focused.
Elsewhere, the Inclusive Recovery Action Plan for Business sets out interventions that the council’s Business Growth Team will focus on to support Sandwell businesses and the local economy to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic
“Sandwell Council’s regeneration policies – which we are working on closely with a range of partners, businesses and the local community – will set priorities that are right for the borough, scope opportunities, recognise local constraints and help to create the environment for inclusive growth," Councillor Iqbal Padda, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for regeneration and growth, said.
“They will ensure that our workforce and young people are skilled and talented, geared up to respond to changing business needs and to win rewarding jobs in a growing economy, delivering on our vision of a healthier, wealthier and more sustainable Sandwell across all six towns."
Earlier this year, we looked at how the masterplan to transform West Bromwich, Sandwell's biggest and most famous town, had been given the green light.
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