[WECA Mayor Helen Godwin in the driving seat – Photo credit: West of England Mayoral Combined Authority.]
New government funding for the West of England – worth tens of millions of pounds – is going to help tackle the regional housing crisis.
£45 million in investment secured by WECA Mayor Helen Godwin is the first-ever allocation for the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority from the national Brownfield Housing Fund.
This is part of a wider investment that aims to unlock some 8,000 new homes across seven regions in the country, with the West of England securing an above-average allocation compared to other areas and continuing to work towards Established Mayoral Strategic Authority status to unlock greater future investment across the board.
The eight-figure sum of new devolved funding will help get more new homes built, including more new affordable homes, by easing the viability pressures which many brownfield sites face due to the increased costs often encountered when redeveloping previously used land.
Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England, said:
“The last week has been huge for devolution and for our region. The West of England now has a proper voice at the table, so we are securing unprecedented investment in housing and transport. In this new chapter, we are banging the drum for our region and can now look forward to building more homes and creating more jobs for local people.
“We are building strong relationships with government ministers, working closely with Steve Reed and his team to get more of the investment that the West needs to help deliver the priorities in our Growth Strategy and Child Poverty Action Plan. This new funding – worth £45 million for our region – will prove enormously important as we work together to step up efforts to tackle the housing crisis by building the right homes in the right places, with the right services and infrastructure for people to live well and get around.”
Nick Allan, International Partner at Cushman & Wakefield and President of the Bristol Property Agents Association, said:
“We welcome the significant achievement of the West of England’s Mayor, Helen Godwin, and her team to securing this level of investment from central government. Despite the economic strength of the region, the delivery of residential development in all its forms has been notably impacted by the softening in pricing whilst also having to absorb the additional cost burden driven by increasing build costs, financing rates and in certain projects, Building Safety Act compliance. We are hoping this funding will assist in unlocking some of the region’s viability challenged and game changing projects.”
James Blundell, Senior Director at CBRE (Development Advisory & Residential Land), said:
“Unlocking challenging brownfield land is fundamental to delivering the homes and neighbourhoods the West of England urgently needs. This £45 million allocation is a landmark moment for the region, and CBRE is delighted to see this funding unlocked.
“By helping to overcome viability barriers and accelerating the delivery of high‑quality, well‑connected places, it will ensure that brownfield opportunity translates into real homes for local people. We are grateful to the Combined Authority for their determined efforts in securing this commitment, excited by what it means for the future of the region, and look forward to playing our part in supporting sustainable growth and thriving communities across the West of England.”
Julian Harbottle, Director and Head of Western Region at Savills, said:
“We are delighted to welcome this funding, which marks a major step forward in unlocking the potential of brownfield sites across the West of England. This funding will help us deliver the new homes our region urgently needs while regenerating underused land, supporting sustainable communities, and driving inclusive economic growth. It’s a strong vote of confidence in the future, and we congratulate the Mayor for securing the investment.”
Work continues between the combined authority and local councils towards a new Spatial Development Strategy,with £4 million of wider investment in housing plans set to be approved at the Mayor and council leaders’ next meeting on Friday, 27 March.
Two previous attempts at a regional strategic plan were withdrawn/halted in 2019 and 2022. A worsening national housing crisis has since left 2,000 children in our region living in temporary accommodation, with Bristol experiencing the third-highest rate of any core city; house prices in Bath hit twenty times average earnings; and 35,000 local families are waiting for social housing.
The Growth Strategy outlines a shared ambition for a new £500 million Future Places Fund for the West of England to help tackle the housing crisis and ensure high-quality development with the infrastructure that local people and businesses need.
