There’s nothing middling about the Midlands
When the different voices of the United Kingdom are heard, it is often remarked that London shouts the loudest, then “the North”, with the Midlands and the other regions (and nations) too often forgotten. We are delighted to introduce Debbie Newbould (pictured) Mark Hadfield and Andrew Jerina who, through the Meet the 85% project, […]
How killing off council tax would deliver for voters in the West Midlands and beyond
This week, Lee Rowley MP (Minister for Local Government) confirmed to the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities committee that the Government would not be proposing a ‘wholesale reform’ of the council tax system “irrespective of a more philosophical discussion whether it’s the right or wring thing for now”. This time last year, we shared an […]
A Spotlight on Project 80
In this article, Dr Steve McCabe (Associate Professor, Birmingham City University) and Mike Leonard (CEO, Building Alliance and Visiting Professor at Birmingham City University) provide an insight into Project 80; a new initiative led by Midland Heart which will provide an initial development of 12 homes and 12 maisonettes in Birmingham that meets the Future Homes Standard, three years ahead […]
Will we ever tackle housing inequality in the UK when people think that’s ‘just the natural way of things for us’?
Following several high-profile tragedies that have occurred across the country as a consequence of extremely poor-quality housing, surely the time has come for the expansion of non-traditional housing models? In this article, Vanessa Pritchard-Wilkes (Head of Strategic Influence at Housing 21) introduces what is being done at a regional level to develop ‘Co-Housing’ in […]
Your Vote; Your Choice; Your Power
“At present you, the people of the West Midlands, have the right to vote in order to democratically elect your Police and Crime Commissioner. The Conservative Party and its West Midlands Metro Mayor intend to abolish your democratic right to vote; end direct accountability to you; remove your choice as to who represents you; and […]
Levelling up Birmingham – an initiative that will allow future generations to thrive
Following our recent Reimagining the Region event in England’s ‘second city’, The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP (Member of Parliament for Sutton Coldfield and Co-Chair, ‘Levelling Up Birmingham APPG’) shares his thoughts on why ‘Levelling Up Birmingham’ is so important in driving the region forward. 2022 has been a triumph for Birmingham. The magnificent […]
East Birmingham is the key to our region
In recent days East Birmingham, alongside neighbouring North Solihull, has been earmarked for one of the Midlands’ key Investment Zones where the Government will seek to drive economic growth, new homes, and jobs, and to accelerate the delivery of strategic transport infrastructure. In this article, Mark Gamble (Head of East Birmingham Development, Birmingham City […]
It’s time to evolve how we tackle crime, by merging the Police Commissioner role into the West Midlands Mayoralty
In this article, Jay Singh-Sohal (former Conservative Party candidate for Police and Crime Commissioner, or PCC, for the West Midlands) argues that the PCC model in the West Midlands has simply not worked and that the time has come to merge the role and office of PCC into that of the West Midlands Mayoralty. […]
Slowly, and then all at once: reflections on six years of campaigning for exempt accommodation reform
A recent government inquiry into exempt accommodation, and a subsequent ministerial announcement promising reform, have been welcomed by many in the sector. In this article, Thea Raisbeck reflects on the long road to change and how, whilst this feels like the biggest chance to implement quality, consistency, and accountability in the supported housing […]
Homelessness needs a pluralistic approach to addressing its numerous causes
As part of our ambition to provide early career researchers and recent graduates with an opportunity to share their thoughts and expertise on how we build a better region, we are delighted to welcome an article from Craig Mitchell. Craig graduated in May 2022 from the Open University and shares his thoughts on […]