Dudley Council has approved a £1.5m purchase of a new apartment block of eight flats in Halesowen as part of a broader plan to restart building council houses after a three-year pause. The council's cabinet member for development and regulation, Cllr Daniel Bevan, signed a draft decision to buy the property on Summer Hill, which will be the latest acquisition under a £10m budget for new homes in the 2026/27 financial year.
New Flats on Summer Hill
The block of two-bedroom flats will be purchased for £1,510,000 after an initial offer of £1,440,000 was rejected by the developer. The decision notes describe the purchase as offering "reasonable value for money and reflective of current market conditions," citing the site's "favourable location, strong connectivity to local amenities and public transport and the scarcity of available new build properties in the area."
Dudley Council currently has £5.3m committed to negotiations to buy new homes for council housing. The authority decided in 2023 to stop all in-house new building on council-owned land, but changes in how cash from the sale of Right to Buy council houses can be used mean that decision looks set to be reversed.
Policy Changes Enable New Building
Notes accompanying Cllr Bevan's draft decision said: "The council now have an appetite and capacity to build again, and a number of stalled sites are under review at present." It is anticipated several sites will be submitted for planning this financial year, and if planning is approved, the earliest likely completion of new homes ready for let shall be winter 2027.
Since 2025, the council can keep all receipts from Right to Buy sales. Previously, a proportion was returned to central government. Councils now also have longer to spend the cash and there are no restrictions on the number of homes councils can buy compared to how many they build.
Ongoing Need for New Homes
The decision notes added: "There remains an ongoing need to acquire new homes for let as the council continues to disinvest and dispose of existing dwellings which are no longer fit for purpose." The new flats on Summer Hill will be part of efforts to address this need, with the council expecting new homes to be ready for let by winter 2027.
