Regional leaders back bold action to connect young people with jobs and opportunity
The Centre for the New Midlands has today published a new report, Skills to Success, setting out urgent recommendations to strengthen employability, improve workforce productivity, and better connect education with the needs of employers across the West Midlands. The report captures the outcomes of a high-level roundtable hosted by the Centre in April 2026, bringing […]
Ten Years On, St Basils’ Innovative Housing Model Is Changing Young Lives Across the West Midlands
A major new evaluation published today by the Centre for the New Midlands (CNM) reveals that St Basils’ pioneering Live and Work model—designed to provide genuinely affordable, employment linked housing for young people—has delivered £7.97 of social and economic value for every £1 invested over the past decade. The independent study, funded by the Oak […]
The Renters’ Rights Act: welcome reform but unintended consequences?
As the Renters’ Rights Act comes into force this Friday, England’s private rented sector enters a new era: one that promises greater security for tenants, but also raises urgent questions about supply, viability and unintended consequences. The Renters’ Rights Act represents the most decisive shift yet from a lightly regulated, short‑term model of renting towards […]
Growth Doesn’t Fail—It Gets Misdefined
There is a persistent and comfortable belief in both business and regional development that when growth slows, the problem must be execution. The assumption is that organisations are not moving fast enough, not collaborating effectively enough, or not investing in the right capabilities. This explanation is reassuring because it suggests the solution is familiar: improve […]
Mandating the Future: What Happens When Choice Disappears in Housing?
Last month the government finally announced the introduction of the new Future Homes Standard (FHS). In the midst of the unfolding war in the Middle East, the announcement was not met with much interest by most media outlets and my conversations over the past few weeks suggest that few people outside of the housing industry […]
A CNM response to the Future Homes Standard
Following the publication of the Government’s Future Home Standard (FHS), our Housing and Communities Leadership Board has offered its reflections on the announcements, broadly welcoming the FHS as a necessary and positive step. However, its success will depend less on policy intent and more on how homes are designed, constructed, commissioned, and lived in. A […]
No such thing as a problem
A Dutch man I used to work with many years ago had a saying, “Er bestaat niet zoiets als een probleem, alleen een kans die wacht op een oplossing”. Or “there is no such thing as a problem, just an opportunity waiting for a solution”. There are two ways of looking at the situation in […]
New report released – The Data Dilemma in Housing
At the start of March, we took a group of 20 senior leaders from across the housing sector and digital environment to Fazenda for the latest of our roundtables. We are delighted to share the full summary of the discussions, which were held under Chatham House rules. With special thanks to Entec Si and Pearl […]
The West Midlands – home to the sustainable data centres of the future?
America offers a compelling case study in data centre development but not the one we might expect. Loudoun County, Virginia, hosts the world’s largest concentration of data centres, handling of the majority of global internet traffic. This infrastructure achievement has earned it the nickname ‘Data Centre Alley’. Yet this rapid expansion comes at a significant cost: […]
Creative Adventures with AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Research from the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce has found that 67% of the region’s businesses are already using AI, 79% say it has increased their productivity, and 69% say it has improved their profitability. This provides a positive picture for the region, highlighting that West Midlands businesses are actively embracing AI, which will be […]