Sandwell Council seeks £80m from government Levelling Up Fund

A council will seek £80m from the government's Levelling Up fund to pay for four projects.

Members of Sandwell Council, in the West Midlands, said the plans would boost local spending, job creation and support communities.

It is looking to build homes in Tipton Town Centre, replace the leisure centre in Rowley Regis, buy land for homes and a school in Smethwick and build a youth centre in West Bromwich.

It has until 6 July to submit the bids.

The Levelling Up Fund was set up to help areas in need of economic recovery and growth and to improve transport links and regeneration.

It has a limit of £20m per project, but the council is able to make four bids, because each project would support a different parliamentary constituency.

The Labour-run authority said the homes in Tipton would include affordable housing as well as shops, to replace "existing under-used, poor quality premises".

Under the proposals for Rowley Regis, it would replace Haden Hill Leisure Centre with new swimming and leisure facilities.

It is looking to buy 3.45 hectares (8.5 acres) of "poor quality and under-used industrial land" on Grove Lane, Smethwick, to prepare it for redevelopment.

The council said it wanted 151 homes built there, along with a primary school.

It said the new Youth Hub for West Bromwich would create a space where young people could safely "socialise, share ideas and develop business opportunities with their friends".

Ministers are expected to make a decision on the bids in the autumn.

The council recently submitted 16 business cases to the government for £67.5m from the Towns Fund programme.

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