Housing plan crucial to success of Midlands Engine
Ambitious proposals to build more than 600,000 new homes in the Midlands have been hailed by Communities Secretary Sajid Javid as crucial to the long-term success and sustainability of the Midlands Engine.
Speaking during a visit to a housing site in Warwickshire, Mr Javid said: “The Midlands is essential to our national economic success and we have an ambitious vision for the region. That’s why we committed £392m to the region through the Local Growth Fund earlier this year.
“Working with local partners will be crucial to its success and the Midlands Engine Partnership is putting local leaders, businesses and residents in the driving seat. I look forward to working with them on delivering their bold Vision for Growth.
“I’m determined to make sure the Midlands continues to be a great place to live and offers good quality housing to the people that live and work here. It’s a key theme to the Midlands Engine.”
The site in Rugby was formerly home to a major radio transmitter complex that became a symbol of Britain’s technological achievements in the 1920s (pictured below).
The plan is to build 6,200 new homes on the brownfield site in Houlton, named after the town in Maine, in the United States, where the first transatlantic voice transmission was received and originally home to the world’s most powerful radio transmitter.
The visit, with the chair of The Midlands Engine Partnership, Sir John Peace, follows the partnership’s response to the Government’s Midlands Engine Strategy, which outlines the body’s economic development strategy.
Sir John Peace said: “The Midlands Engine Vision for Growth sets out our ambition to add at least £54bn of extra growth to the UK economy by 2030. We are now getting on with the task of implementing this vision. That means playing our part in building the homes the nation needs.
“We have committed to 600,000 new homes being built by 2030. Building these homes is not only necessary to attracting and retaining the workforce of the future, it will also contribute directly to increased productivity.
“A commitment to enhancing the quality of life of those who live, learn and work in the region is at the heart of our ambition for accessible and well-designed housing. This development is an excellent example of how we are working together to shape great places.”
The Houlton site is being delivered by property development and investment company, Urban&Civic.
Richard Coppell, Development Director for Urban&Civic, said: “It’s great to see the Midlands Engine chair and Secretary of State coming to such a key development in the region and showing their commitment to business and growth.
“Houlton is set to be one of the most well-connected places in the country and we are proud to be able to showcase the 1,200-acre site, which is set to be a landmark development.
“It is important for people across the UK to see what the Midlands has to offer in terms of industry, housing, infrastructure and community, and so the visit today will highlight that, and hopefully encourage more people to consider the region as a place to set roots as its economy grows.”
How the site looked in the 1920s
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