Regeneration of former bread factory site continues with more than 50 homes now built

The 50th new home has now been completed on the once derelict site of the former Harvestime Bakery in Walsall with construction continuing despite the pandemic.The 88-home development by Vistry Partnerships has only been made possible by a £1.5m investment by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) which has been used to clean up the site and make it suitable for housing.The scheme is one of a growing number of disused industrial sites that are being redeveloped under the West Midlands Mayor and WMCA’s ‘brownfield first’ regeneration programme, bringing long derelict sites back to life with homes and jobs for local people.Harvestime closed nine years ago and the 4.6-acre site remained derelict until the WMCA stepped in to fund the clean-up and prepare the ground for new housing.Throughout the lockdown the WMCA has continued to press ahead with its multi-million-pound investment programme to unlock and transform scores of brownfield sites like Harvestime, provide market confidence and help drive the region’s post-Covid-19 economic recovery, delivering new jobs and homes in the process.A focus on housebuilding on brownfield sites is a key part of the region’s Covid recovery plans with the WMCA continuing to seek further funding from Government to extend its brownfield-first programme.Of the homes, 66 will be made available for private rent through Gatehouse Bank. At least 20% of the homes in any scheme the WMCA invests in are required to be affordable under the Combined Authority’s own locally applied definition, which is linked to real world local wages rather than property prices. Once complete, these properties will be available through local housing association WHG.The scheme is being constructed by leading regeneration specialists, Vistry Partnerships.The site off Raleigh Street, close to Walsall town centre, has stood empty and neglected since the Harvestime Bakery closed in 2012 and its buildings demolished.John Bedford, technical director, WHG, added: “We are extremely proud to be part of this exciting development. With significant investment from the WMCA and working with Vistry Partnerships, we have been able to provide much needed quality affordable homes in the area for local people”Harvestime Bakeries was once one of Walsall’s biggest employers and there had been a bakery on the site since the 1800s.But it went into administration twice in 2005 and was rescued through an agreed takeover package by Maple Leaf Bakery UK, securing 250 jobs after more than 100 workers were made redundant.The bakery closed in 2012 after the company announced it was leaving the sliced bread market, with around 230 staff being encouraged to apply for posts at the Perfection Foods bakery, which opened elsewhere in the town.