The West Midlands Combined Authority has launched a charter to help drive the redevelopment of some 14,000 acres of public land across the region.
The West Midlands Public Land Charter sets out a guide for public sector organisations including councils, NHS trusts, emergency services and central government departments whose land might offer redevelopment opportunities.
Drawn up by the WMCA’s housing and land board, the charter is focused on public land in town and city centres and around transport hubs, and encourages investment from the private sector to help create new homes and jobs.
Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, described the charter as “a major step in our regional journey to become much more creative and co-ordinated in how we manage, develop and make better use of land – in this case public land.”
Street added: “We have thousands of acres of public land here in the West Midlands but much of it sits vacant or is not being used to its full potential to provide much-needed space for new affordable housing and growing companies keen to employ local residents.
“In order to unlock many of these sites, we need to apply our expertise, funding and support to take on challenges such as land decontamination, commercially uncompetitive property values and a lack of adequate infrastructure in place to enable redevelopment.”
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