Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions the Department has held with Walsall Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority about the brownfield-with-intervention option identified in paragraph 4.22 of the Council’s Cabinet report of 26 August 2026; what funding or other assistance has been requested to unlock that additional capacity; and whether the Government has considered the potential merits of providing support to reduce the amount of Green Belt land required for housing.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has not directly allocated funding to Walsall Council for brownfield housing development.

Grant funding has been provided to West Midlands Combined Authority as part of the housing pillar of its Integrated Settlement. Further detail in respect of funding for 2025/26 is available on gov.uk here and in respect of funding for 2026/27 to 2028/29 on gov.uk here. Walsall Council is eligible to bid for this funding.

Outcomes are agreed and published through the Integrated Settlement Outcomes Framework, which can be found on gov.uk here.