Thousands of homes & business park to be built in Longbridge, Birmingham in next stage of development

Thousands of new homes and a major business park are set to be built in Longbridge as the next stage of the area's development scheme takes shape.

The long-awaited regeneration of the once iconic West Works in Longbridge is well on the way to completion as hundreds of new homes and a business park are set to be built on the site of the former car factory. The 75-acre West Works project is the latest phase in a £1 billion regeneration of the Rover car plant which at its peak employed more than 25,000 people. 

The project includes 350 homes and a 900,000 sq ft of business premises creating 5,000 new jobs.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is set to make available a £200 million funding pot to spearhead the delivery of 12,000 new homes on the region’s brownfield and former industrial land. The authority says at least 2,400 of these new dwellings will be affordable homes.

On a visit today (Monday, March 4) to see how work is progressing, Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, confirmed a £200 million funding pot to spearhead the delivery of another 12,000 new homes on brownfield land across the region.

What has Andy Street said about the development?

The Mayor said: “The derelict Longbridge site was always a stark and painful reminder of how far the West Midlands had fallen during the so-called ‘boom years’ as the rest of the country surged forward.

“But standing on the iconic site now, when so much life has been breathed back into it, shows just how far we have come in recent years. It is a wonderful example of this region’s undefeatable spirit and its ability to roll up its sleeves and bounce back.

“And it hasn’t happened by accident. We have used the hundreds of millions of pounds secured from government over the last six years to relentlessly deliver on our brownfield first commitment. This has helped transform dozens of former industrial sites – including Longbridge’s West Works – into quality, affordable homes and decent jobs for local people. This approach has also helped protect our precious green belt from the bulldozer.

"But this is just the start. With another £200 million now available to regenerate even more brownfield sites, we are ready to double down and deliver even more affordable homes and quality jobs.”