Ensuring the private and public sector work together is key in accessing the funding streams needed to unlock developments.
Maggie Grogan of Muse commented that those relationships will help work towards the region’s collective goals:
“Let’s talk to the Council about what their challenge is. How can we help them unlock some of their difficulties? Bringing that collective community together also really helps address topics like green energy and working towards Net Zero.”
She noted progress in the region on this: “Getting those public and private partnerships in place is something we are definitely seeing more of in the West Midlands now.”
Bringing that collective community together also really helps address topics like green energy and working towards Net Zero."
She reflected on how Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands, “is trailblazing the devolution deal and if what he is asking for gets through, it will change the way developments are done across the region.”
The panel agreed with Andy Street’s belief that Levelling Up remains mission critical.
We have already made great strides - developing our public transport system, upskilling local residents, building thousands of new homes and unlocking hundreds of acres of derelict industrial land for development. We continue to rise to our #WM2041 Net Zero commitment – including via our pioneering retrofit schemes. But to build on this progress, we need the Government to give us the tools to go further and faster.”
Lisa Deering advised engaging local authorities early on to overcome problematic site issues: “One of the biggest issues developers have is that some sites are hard to work with, so they’ll be concerned about a low value return due to a contaminated site, or other issues.” She said the solution is to give local authorities the opportunity to have a good vision for the site so they can come in and say: “We know that doesn't stack up on paper, but we'll secure the Levelling Up funding and we’ll help finance some of the initial issues.
We'll do your contamination control. We'll take some of those issues off site, if you then partner with us and bring it forward.” She said this approach is helping to unlock regeneration in areas that would have not seen investment otherwise.
