The Accelerated Housing Delivery programme, designed to support residential developments on under-used council land in Solihull, has been delayed, with a revised change request seeking to extend delivery timescales to April 2032. The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Investment Board will discuss the 'red rated' project at its meeting on Monday, August 17.
Programme Details and Funding
The programme supports housing delivery through redeveloping underused Solihull Council sites and addressing barriers to development, including site constraints, infrastructure requirements, and land assembly issues. According to a report to the Board, the original completion date of December 2022 was extended to March 2023, but further delays have prompted another extension request.
The approved allocation is £2.82 million, of which £2.68 million has been claimed. The current change request seeks an additional £0.424 million, bringing the programme allocation to £3.244 million, within the context of a £3.049 million overall reduction across the Accelerated Housing Delivery Programme. This reduction would release funding back into the affordable limit to support other projects.
Reasons for Delay
Among the reasons cited for the delays are the addition of two extra projects within the programme, the withdrawal of the Solihull Draft Local Plan in 2024 impacting outline business case (OBC) submission timescales, national legislation changes affecting the market, and delays with planning and landowner negotiations.
The report states: "The programme supports housing delivery through the use of SMBC land interests and by addressing barriers to development, including site constraints, infrastructure requirements and land assembly issues. The original completion date of December 2022 was extended to March 2023. The approved allocation is £2.82 million, of which £2.68 million has been claimed."
Specific Housing Projects
As part of the programme, viable housing sites have been identified, including Middlewood House and Rowood Drive. Middlewood House will see 23 affordable net zero residential units created, while the Rowood Drive project will see more than 30 homes built. Both schemes have progressed to OBC stage and will proceed as individual housing projects through to Full Business Case.
Previous change requests submitted in June 2024 and June 2025 did not progress while the delivery strategy was reviewed. The current change request was submitted in April 2026 and updated in July 2026 following WMCA stakeholder feedback. It is currently being appraised and requires Investment Board approval due to the proposed extension to programme timescales.
The revised change request also includes revised delivery arrangements, incorporating the Playing Pitch Implementation Strategy (PPIS). Both Middlewood House and Rowood Drive are also subject to separate change requests asking for more funding and extended delivery times.
