£44.5m cash injection for Birmingham and Sandwell regeneration

Published	18 December 2006

Renewal in Birmingham and Sandwell is set to move forward thanks to nearly £44.5 million in funding to regenerate some of the region's most deprived areas through the Housing Market Renewal programme.

Housing and Planning Minister Yvette Cooper announced the award today which will take the work of the pathfinder through to 2008.

The funding is expected to generate up to £280 million of additional money from the private and public sectors, leading to over 7,500 homes being either built or improved in areas including Greets Green, West Bromwich and Soho, as well as creating more affordable homes.

A major programme of renovation and enhancement in the Lozells area will also be taken forward over the longer term.

Yvette Cooper said:

"These local communities in Birmingham and Sandwell need our support to tackle deep rooted problems caused by economic decline so that they can reach their full potential and create clean, safe, healthy and attractive environments in which people can take pride."

Commenting on the funding announcement, David Seviour, Urban Living Chairman, said:

"This is excellent news. With Government funding in place, we're now well positioned to deliver a programme of interventions that will see major change take place in some of the areas that need it the most. Our aim is to improve the choice and range of housing so that people choose to live in the pathfinder area."

Notes to Editors:

1. The Urban Living pathfinder area stretches across Sandwell and Birmingham, from Greets Green and West Bromwich in the west to Aston, Lozells and Birchfield in the east.

2. The Government will make £3.2 million available for the remainder of 2006/7 in addition to the £12 million interim grant provided earlier this year and, subject to the availability of resources, £29.2 million will be awarded for 2007/8.

3. Over the next two years, this funding will help to achieve the pathfinder's objectives of retaining the more economically active of its residents at the same time as continuing to provide for and stabilise its growing population

4. Further information on the pathfinder can be found here: www.urbanliving.org.uk