WMCA x St Modwen

The redevelopment of Longbridge continues to transform a historic part of the West Midlands as hundreds of homes and businesses regenerate brownfield land.

The West Works project – bigger in size of the renowned Kings Cross development at 75 acres versus 67 acres – will see new public realm, houses, new cycle paths, and new multimillion pound businesses move into the area.

It comes as the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has today made available a £200 million funding pot to spearhead the delivery of another 12,000 new homes on the region’s former industrial sites, often referred to as brownfield land.

At least 2,400 of these new dwellings will be affordable homes. The West Midlands was the first region in the UK to adopt a localised definition of affordable housing. Residential schemes receiving investment from the WMCA must make a minimum 20% of the new homes affordable.

To date, of the 6,285 homes unlocked by WMCA investments since 2018, a total of 2,045 are affordable – nearly 33%.

The WMCA is a national leader in brownfield regeneration and is on track to meet its housing target of 215,000 new homes by 2031.

The Mayor visited the site of the former West Works, as part of a £1 billion regeneration scheme to transform the town and its former factories. The West Works site was unlocked for redevelopment by a £6m investment by the WMCA. A total of 350 new homes are being built and 900,000 sq ft of commercial floorspace, creating 5,000 jobs.

The West Works was a key part of the old Rover plant, once the largest car factory in Europe. Only five years before did a consortium of businesses buy the site and the Rover and MG badges from BMW for a symbolic tenner.

The site fell into disrepair. St Modwen, the developer, acquired the 468-acre site in 2005. The Longbridge site itself is seven times bigger than Kings Cross.

West Works will be transformed into a vibrant, mixed-use of new homes, new business spaces and open spaces all linked by new cycling and walking routes.

Critically, the River Rea, hidden for decades, has been re-naturalised for the first time in almost a century. The mile-long route will reconnect Rubery and Longbridge town centres.

A riverside park is also being created to provide high-quality outdoor space and develop a sense of community and enhance biodiversity.

The land is one of the most significant regeneration schemes in the UK, with the latest phase of development taking the total number of jobs delivered across Longbridge to over 3,500 jobs to date.

New offices, a new town centre and park, Bournville College, and facilities such as the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, have already been delivered.

Such is the fervour behind the Longbridge redevelopment, supermodel Twiggy helped cut the ribbon at the town’s new Marks and Spencer in 2015, spanning over 150,000 feet.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, and Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), said:

“The derelict Longbridge site was always a stark and painful reminder of how far the West Midlands had fallen during the so-called ‘boom years’ as the rest of the country surged forward.

But standing on the iconic site now, when so much life has been breathed back into it, shows just how far we have come in recent years. It is a wonderful example of this region’s undefeatable spirit and its ability to roll up its sleeves and bounce back.

“And it hasn’t happened by accident. We have used the hundreds of millions of pounds secured from government over the last six years to relentlessly deliver on our brownfield first commitment. This has helped transform dozens of former industrial sites – including Longbridge’s West Works – into quality, affordable homes and decent jobs for local people. This approach has also helped protect our precious green belt from the bulldozer.

“But this is just the start. With another £200 million now available to regenerate even more brownfield sites, we are ready to double down and deliver even more affordable homes and quality jobs.”

Nigel Barfoot, aged 75, spent five years at the Austin factories. He said the apprenticeship he undertook, resulting in a mechanical engineering degree from Aston university, was responsible for his career as Sales Director at Unipart Cowley.

Nigel Barfoot said:

“Around five or six apprentices were sponsored to university by Austin’s each year plus in total at anyone time there could’ve been up to 500 Apprentices at various stages in their training.

“Since those apprenticeships were started around 7,000 people went through the process. The Longbridge apprenticeship was probably one of the very best in the world and it is still highly regarded in the industry.

Mr Barfoot spent six weeks in the pattern shop in West Works, primarily the press and body assembly for cars.

“Here were probably the most skilled workers in the whole factory,” he said. Sadly there was no way I could match their abilities – you’d need to spend many years to become that good.

“The West Works was primarily the press shops and body assembly – a noisy place which I remember well along with the British Legion café which provided world class bacon butties and mugs of tea.”

Mr Barfoot is now Vice Chair and Honorary Secretary of the Austin Ex-Apprentices Association. With over 1,000 members it is open to all those who undertook a Longbridge Apprenticeship whether under the Austin banner or later brands, Rover and MG.

“We are strong supporters of the Herbert Austin Legacy Awards programme which encourages youngsters to take up Engineering, have gained approval for a Blue Plaque on the Longbridge site to commemorate our benefactor and are campaigning for a statue in his memory at Longbridge,” he added.

New businesses have moved into the West Works site including a multi-million-pound pet hospital.

Julie Davis, Hospital Director at Blaise Veterinary Referral Hospital, said:

“Helping to shape Blaise into what is now – for both people and animals – on the site of the old Longbridge plant is really special for me as someone from the local area.

“I grew up nearby and recently lived on the East Works site so being part of the regeneration and building a great veterinary hospital for people and their pets means a lot.

We feel strongly about ensuring we give back to the local community that has been so welcoming to us, employing local people as well as using local businesses. Longbridge truly is a wonderful place to be part of.

Sarwjit Sambhi, chief executive officer, St. Modwen said:

“The £1bn restoration of Longbridge is a fantastic example of what can be achieved through the regeneration of brownfield land.

“The closure of the car plant back in 2005 had a severe impact on the local economy and we are incredibly proud to play our part in bringing the site back to life as a manufacturing hub and thriving business community which has so far delivered more than 3,000 jobs, alongside more than 1,500 new homes.

“This has all been achieved through public-private partnership. Our multi-million pound investment deal with WMCA agreed in 2021 allowed us to accelerate the delivery of vital infrastructure at West Works which gave businesses such as Waters Corporation, IVC Evidensia and Allsee Technologies the confidence to invest in the area.

“The scheme provides a template for the regeneration of large-scale brownfield sites across the West Midlands and beyond.”

Ian Courts, leader of Solihull Council, and portfolio holder for housing and land at the WMCA, said:

“The Longbridge scheme is another great example of what can be achieved by working in partnership with private sector partners and pump priming regeneration.

“It also demonstrates how successful a ‘brownfield first’ approach can be, with our funds for site remediation making a real difference and helping us meet our ambitions of creating 215,000 new homes across the region by 2031.”

Allsee Technologies, a Birmingham-based digital advertising manufacturer, has created 150 jobs after moving its headquarters to the site. The business also has offices in Belgium, China, India and Uganda.

Baoli Zhao, managing director of Allsee Technologies, said:

“We’re incredibly proud and excited to contribute to Longbridge Business Park’s growth story.

“With a deep appreciation for the area’s rich history in technology and manufacturing, we are thrilled to be part of Longbridge’s growing reputation as a hub for science, technology, precision engineering and research and development.

“As we embark on this exciting journey, we look forward to fostering growth, collaboration and creating more job opportunities within Birmingham and the wider West Midlands area.”

To apply for funding email: invest@wmca.org.uk