Work well underway at our Warwick Road development in Birmingham

The site, which used to be derelict industrial land, will see 32 social rent homes and 14 rent to buy homes built. The £11.5m site is part funded thanks to a grant from the WMCA.

Our Executive Director of Development Nick Byrne said: “We’re proud to be working with TR Partnerships, Homes England and the WMCA to deliver to deliver social rent and rent to buy homes in Acocks Green.

“We’re committed to tackling the housing crisis by providing high-quality, genuinely affordable homes where they’re needed most. This scheme will not only offer people long-term security, but also support a local, growing construction business, helping to build stronger communities in the region.

Mayor Richard Parker has set a target for the region to be building 2,000 social rent homes, the most affordable type of housing, each year by 2028 to help reduce the number of people living in poor quality private rents or temporary accommodation.

The investment in Acocks Green means that since taking office in May last year the Mayor has used West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funding to unlock sites that will provide more than 1,200 affordable homes, including more than 550 homes for social rent, which is more than in all the schemes the WMCA has ever grant funded.

The Mayor said: “We need to be building more homes that are truly affordable for local people – like these in Warwick Road - if we are to begin fixing this housing crisis.

“Everyone deserves a warm, safe and affordable home but too many families are having to wait too long, living in expensive and often poor quality rented or temporary accommodation. 

“I’m committed to changing lives for the better which is why I’ve unlocked more social housing at a quicker pace than ever before. 

“But we need to go faster. My Growth Plan sets out a road map to fire up our economy, build more affordable housing and support our SMEs so people can find good jobs close to home, housing that is affordable, and transport that just works.”

TR Partnerships was set up 18 months ago and securing the Acocks Green scheme has enabled the organisation to get a commercial foothold in what is a challenging market for smaller house building developer contractors – 15 jobs have been safeguarded at TR Partnerships Homes and its sister company TR Civil Engineering (Central & Southern) and the company has also taken on a new trainee.

Founder Steve Taylor said: “Without the support of the WMCA, this affordable housing scheme simply wouldn’t have been viable. Access to the WMCA funding has been vital in helping us bring this project to life and to deliver high-quality homes for people who need them most.

“As a newly established SME operating in a competitive and challenging market, having the opportunity to work in partnership with the WMCA has allowed TR Partnership Homes to gain a firm commercial footing.

“SMEs like ours play a crucial role in the delivery of affordable housing, and support from regional bodies is essential to help emerging contractors establish themselves and grow sustainably in this sector.”