Homes England enters strategic partnership with West of England Combined Authority

A similar agreement was formalised with the Cambridgeshire & Peterborough Combined Authority (CPCA) in February. There are now eight SPPs in total.

Homes England’s statement said the agency and WECA will now work on a shared plan to accelerate growth and push forward existing partnership projects such as Bristol’s Temple Quarter regeneration scheme. 

The project, focused on 135 hectares of brownfield land around Temple Meads station and, later, at nearby suburb St Philip’s Marsh, has the potential to deliver around 10,000 new homes in the city.

Masterplanning for the second part of the regeneration, which in total has attracted £95m of government backing, is expected to be completed later in 2025.

Homes England said it had provided £700,000 support to schemes during the 2024-25 financial year to WECA and its members, Bristol City Council, South Gloucestershire Council and Bath & North East Somerset (BaNES) Council. 

The agency added that, along with WECA, it is supporting BaNES Council to unlock up to 6,000 new homes along the A4 corridor between Bristol and Bath. Homes England is also committing £36m towards delivering 1,000 homes on brownfield land in central Bath.

Ms Godwin said: “Across the West of England, we must invest to tackle the housing crisis and regenerate brownfield land. 

“This new Strategic Place Partnership will ultimately help us build more affordable homes for local people, working with Homes England and local council leaders to deliver the right homes in the right places, with the services and infrastructure people need and deserve.”

Mr Boylan added “We’ll work side-by-side with the Mayoral Combined Authority through our strengthened partnership to deliver ambitious housing and regeneration programmes that speak to regional priorities.

“The agency now has eight SPPs with various mayoral authorities across England, with each partnership clearly focused on the goal of empowering local leaders to drive growth in their own communities, supported by Homes England.”