Two housing projects in Solihull have been officially 'red rated' after suffering delays and significant cost increases, according to a report discussed by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Investment Board this week.
The schemes, part of the 'Accelerated Housing Delivery – Utilising Solihull Assets' programme, are facing completion date extensions and require hundreds of thousands of pounds in additional funding.
Middlewood House project needs £450,000 extra
The Middlewood House project, which will create 23 affordable net zero homes, originally had a completion date of June 2023 and a budget of £240,000. Around £230,000 has already been spent, but the report to the Investment Board said an additional £450,000 is now required to finish the project.
Ian Martin, WMCA Director of Commercial and Investment, told the meeting that change requests had been submitted to push the completion date back to June 2027.
Mr Martin said: "That supports the technical design of 23 affordable net zero homes as originally approved in 2022. The change request is seeking an increase in budget by £450,000 and an extension to June 2027. So far, the project has achieved Riba Stage 3 so it has advanced and submitted a planning application."
Rowood Drive completion moved to 2028
The second project, Rowood Drive, will see 33 new homes built on a former Solihull Council owned playing pitch. It had a completion date of September 2025 and a budget of £495,000.
Mr Martin explained: "The project is to make a former playing field into a housing project. The change request is expected to extend the expiry date to August 2028. It has advanced to a Riba Stage 3 design and the next stage is to procure a development partner."
Both projects are at an advanced stage, according to Mr Martin, despite the setbacks.
Overall programme extended to 2032
The entire 'Accelerated Housing Delivery – Utilising Solihull Assets' programme originally had a completion date of December 2022, which was later extended to March 2023. The approved allocation is £2.82 million, of which £2.68 million has been claimed.
However, the programme's deadline has now been pushed back to 2032, with an additional £424,000 in funding required. This brings the total extra funding needed for the two housing schemes to £874,000.
