L&G’s levelling up chief confirmed as interim housing director at WMCA

Legal & General’s Director of Levelling Up, John Godfrey, has been announced as interim Director of Housing, Placemaking and Regeneration at the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

John, who worked at No10 as Head of Policy for Theresa May’s Government, will oversee the WMCA’s trailblazing work to unlock new brownfield sites for development, including the delivery of much-needed affordable housing. He has been seconded from Legal & General until the end of December while the WMCA looks to appoint a permanent director.

John, who is also Chair and Co-founder of Business for Health, commented: “This is a region which is fast-becoming a best-in-class blueprint for devolution, public-private partnerships and levelling up.

“Just as the West Midlands led the Industrial Revolution of the 18^th century, so too is it laying trailblazing foundations that will cement its status as the birthplace of a new, Green Industrial Revolution of the 21^st Century.

“Through the delivery of high-quality, affordable and sustainable new housing, the retrofitting of existing stock and the unlocking of swathes of brownfield land for a range of regeneration projects, the West Midlands is without a doubt becoming fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous for all." 

The appointment comes after Chancellor Jeremy Hunt announced an historic Deeper Devolution Deal for the West Midlands during the Spring Budget in March.

The deal, which secured up to £500million to support housing and regeneration projects throughout the region, secured a dramatic transfer of powers from Whitehall to the WMCA.

They included confirmation that the new Affordable Housing Programme will be fully devolved to the West Midlands by 2026 – London is the only city that benefits from such a region at present – as well as the first-ever Land Reform Partnership with central government, giving the WMCA a say on all disposals of public land across the region.

In May this year, SEGRO was announced as a strategic partner of the WMCA, with a commitment to invest £2bn over the coming decade to deliver next-generation, net zero warehouse facilities across the West Midlands.

SEGRO will aim to deliver 13.5m sq ft of sustainable warehouse space by the end of 2023, delivering up to 14,000 jobs across a range of employment types and sectors, contributing significantly to economic growth and levelling up for the region.

And last year, Legal & General and the WMCA signed a partnership agreement committing to invest £4bn in regeneration, housing and levelling up across the West Midlands.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA Chair, said: “Our region has been at the very forefront of the Levelling Up agenda – with our mission to unlock brownfield sites for development and provide much-needed affordable housing playing a central part in that story.

“Following the historic Deeper Devolution Deal agreed with Government back in March and a range of strategic partnerships with the private sector now in place, we’re well placed to double down on our progress to date – driving prosperity for local people right across our region.

“To have John Godfrey's expertise on board at this critical juncture is a real win. It will further solidify our position as an exemplar region in the months and years ahead. I look forward to working with John as we continue to deliver for the West Midlands.”