Homes England chief executive Peter Denton and West Yorks Mayor Tracy Brabin have now signed the deal. Credit: WYCA

UKREiiF | West Yorkshire and Homes England agree partnership

16 May 2023 11:58 Neil Tague Comments (0)

Sites in each of the Combined Authority’s five districts have been picked for the accelerated delivery of housing under Homes England’s third strategic place partnership.

The agreement between the Mayor of West Yorkshire, Tracy Brabin, and the government’s housing and regeneration agency has now been officially signed. In all, 16 projects have been identified for advancement:

Bradford: City centre, Holmewood urban extension, Canal Road Corridor – New Bolton Woods
Calderdale: Brighouse garden village, Halifax urban centre, North Halifax
Kirklees: Bradley Park, Dewsbury Riverside, Huddersfield and Dewsbury town centres
Leeds: East of Otley, Kirkstall Forge, East Leeds extension, city centre and city rim
Wakefield: Wakefield city centre, Ponefract, Castleford houssizng zone.

WYCA said it was able to secure the partnership through investment of its £3.2m housing revenue fund to build a credible project pipeline, secured through the devolution deal.

This is Homes England’s third strategic place partnership to be signed, following arrangements with Greater Manchester, agreed in June last year, and South Essex.

Brabin said: “I’m thrilled to have secured this fantastic opportunity to work in partnership with Homes England, which will take us forward in our journey towards achieving good quality and truly affordable housing growth in West Yorkshire.

“We have ambitious plans to create and grow vibrant communities and support an ever-growing population, addressing decades of underinvestment in the region.

“The partnership will allow us to build on the progress made so far, and bring vital resources directly to West Yorkshire, ensuring a better quality of life for people throughout the region.”

Chief executive of Homes England Peter Denton said: “We enjoy a fantastic working relationship with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. This Strategic Place Partnership agreement builds on this, helping the Mayor to deliver her housing and regeneration priorities and create thriving new and renewed places that the people of West Yorkshire seek.

“As the national Housing and Regeneration Agency, we are committed to bringing all of our capital, expertise, land, powers and relationships in support of WYCA’s desire to boost place-based growth, prosperity and pride of place.”