The West Midlands will benefit from a series of major devolved funding packages aimed at accelerating housing delivery, boosting local growth, and backing the region’s expanding creative economy.
For the first time, the government will devolve housing funding to Mayoral Strategic Authorities – including the West Midlands – through a new integrated settlement.
The region will receive a share of £1.3bn from the new National Housing Delivery Fund, designed to unlock strategic residential sites and speed up regeneration. Ministers say the fund will support both established and emerging development zones, enabling local leaders to push forward major growth projects.
The move builds on existing government investment in large national regeneration sites, such as Liverpool Central Docks and Newcastle’s Forth Yards, with West Midlands sites expected to benefit from similar long-term backing.
From 2026-27 to 2029-30, the West Midlands and six other city regions will receive a share of at least £13bn in devolved “integrated settlements”. The funding will give Mayor Richard Parker greater control over a single, flexible pot for growth, skills, public services and infrastructure, aligned directly with the region’s economic strategy.
The Budget outlined further steps to embed “place-based” decision-making across Whitehall, including updates to the Green Book and new place-based business case pilots. Birmingham has been named as one of the early adopters, signalling deeper alignment between government departments and West Midlands priorities.
The National Wealth Fund has launched a Regional Project Accelerator, which will work closely with high-growth city regions such as the West Midlands to support complex flagship projects and long-term investment partnerships.
Additionally, the region has been selected for a new initiative to accelerate delivery of its top-priority schemes, backed by cross-government investment bodies.
The West Midlands will receive £25m from the newly confirmed £150m Creative Places Growth Fund, which is being allocated equally across six Mayoral Strategic Authorities. The money is expected to support creative clusters, cultural infrastructure, and businesses across film, TV, gaming, and the wider digital sector, building on the region’s growing reputation as a national hub for creative industries.
The Budget also confirmed several additional funding streams for the region:
- Mayoral Revolving Growth Fund: The West Midlands will receive a share of £500m, enabling mayors and central government to jointly take investment risks to unlock commercial development and tackle access-to-finance barriers for major projects.
- Local Growth Fund: The region will be one of 12 Strategic Authorities to share £902m over four years. The fund will focus on local infrastructure upgrades, business support, employment initiatives, and skills programmes.
- New Neighbourhood Health Centres for Birmingham: As part of national NHS reforms, the government will create 250 Neighbourhood Health Centres across England, with 120 operational by 2030, and early sites confirmed in Birmingham.
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