Agenda item

The board considered a report of the Strategic Planning Manager that provided an update on the implications of the Levelling Up White Paper published by Government in February 2022 and informed the board of potential devolution proposals for discussion between the WMCA and the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) during the Summer of 2022. These potential devolution proposals were being developed with a wide range of stakeholders, across the WMCA, to ensure that all portfolio areas feed into the discussion.  In addition to meetings of a ‘core team’ including Council Leaders and Chief Executives, the Housing & Regeneration team have engaged with the Housing & Land Delivery Steering Group and taskforces, Government and local authorities.

The Strategic Planning Manager, Rob Lamond outlined the report including the proposals (set out in section 4.1) which had been co-developed with the Housing and Land Delivery Steering Group for discussion. He emphasised that the WMCA is not looking to take powers away from local authorities but is seeking to add value by creating greater freedom and flexibilities across local authority areas establishing a regional proposition and thereby delivering a more joined-up approach to delivering additional housing and regeneration in the region.

The board asked that the focus should include securing more affordable housing with powers for the region in line with those in Greater London as well as freedoms and funding for strategic land assembly, support for net zero/future homes standards, town centre regeneration and delivery of the principles in the public land charter, powers relating to the provision of infrastructure (including that provided by utilities providers) and support for addressing the skills gaps in construction and related professions.  Dawn Ward highlighted the need to work closely with the West Midlands’ colleges group and regional universities on these matters.

The Executive Director of Housing, Property and Regeneration explained that the intention was to add value, at a regional scale, to powers that were already held by local authorities.  A regional proposition could be brought to a future meeting of the Housing & Land Delivery Board.

The Chair reported on the need for Government to make building on brownfield sites attractive and that the infrastructure needed to bring forward such sites, including utilities and connectivity, needs to be part of devolution proposals.

The Executive Director Housing, Property and Regeneration reported that this could be brought together in a regional brownfield strategy.  This could target the key challenges of regeneration of brownfield sites including land remediation, infrastructure provision, utility supplies, site assembly (potentially addressing relocation costs), relationship with skills development, educational establishments, zero carbon (or even negative carbon), retrofit (and avoiding future retrofit needs), improving the investment/development prospects of development sites by making them more attractive, etc. In response to Councillor Simkins’ points about protection of the Green Belt, Councillor Bird considered that a brownfield strategy could provide a regional context whereby the development of brownfield sites would be prioritised over development in the Green Belt and would also ensure that brownfield land was facilitated by addressing the key barriers to delivery.  Gareth Bradford offered to scope this work and provide updates to a future meeting. In response, to points raised by Councillor Simkins and Ahmed, a brownfield strategy could also include establishing stronger and clearer relationships with transportation (essential infrastructure for key development projects), set out ways in which WMCA could support and help to develop high tech manufacturing skills and suppliers in the region and support health, wellbeing and crime reduction initiatives being put in place by local authorities.

In summing up, the Executive Director of Housing, Property and Regeneration welcomed the steers from the Board and the focus of future work on matters which have a demonstrably regional approach and which support local authorities in their work.  He highlighted the following as being key elements (powers and/or funding) shaping discussions on the devolution deal with a wide range of stakeholders:

• securing more affordable housing
• facilitating land acquisition and site assembly
• maximising the regional opportunity for zero carbon and support for manufacturing suppliers
• creating town centre ‘zones’ (including lobbying around the importance of town centres to the West Midlands)
• securing additional flexibility around revenue funding, in particular, to identify and work up business cases for projects
• delivering a regional approach to public land based on the principles of the Public Land Charter
• greater engagement on the skills agenda across a wide range of educational institutions and skills providers
• delivering utilities provision at a regional scale.

All of these matters could be addressed in a regional brownfield strategy under the Housing and Land Delivery Board which brings together a number of existing initiatives and builds on the existing capacity and track record.

The Chair endorsed this approach.

Further to comments from Councillors Simkins and Ahmed regarding the need for a members group to look at the Devolution Deal, the Chair supported this proposal and asked for a members’ working group to be set up.

Resolved:

1. The positive announcements made as part of the Levelling Up White Paper regarding the additional funding for Brownfield Regeneration to be deployed by the WMCA via the Single Commissioning Framework in the West Midlands be noted;

2. The potential for further devolution to the region from national government with the West Midlands and Greater Manchester being the only two areas specifically identified for ‘Trailblazer Devolution Deals’ in the White Paper be noted;

3. The possible Housing, Regeneration and Land proposals that the board would like to be considered for inclusion in future Trailblazer Devolution as discussed, specifically reflecting the key areas of focus for the Housing and Land Delivery Board including regeneration, public land, affordable housing and town centres be noted and

4. The formation of a ‘task and finish’ officer sub-group of Housing and Land Delivery Steering Group to inform and develop the proposals be noted.