Sandwell Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority have selected the house builder to lead delivery of the Friar Park Urban Village scheme.

The 32-football pitch site has sat empty for over 40 years after its past life as a waste plant, foundry and hospital. Around a quarter of the new homes will be affordable.

Before house building starts, the partners will submit a planning application for a major land clean-up to deal with decades of contamination.

The remediation of the site is expected to last 2-3 years and the site will be fully developed in 8-10 years.

Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker said Keepmoat’s appointment marked a big step forward and confirmed the Environment Agency is prioritising the site’s remediation plans.

Keepmoat has a 2023 strategic partnership with the WMCA to deliver 4,000 homes across the region.