VIDEO: I'll build 3,000 affordable homes each year, says West Midlands metro mayor candidate Siôn Simon

Siôn Simon, who was selected this week by Labour members to contest the election in May, made the comments while on a visit with Labour deputy leader and West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson to the old Dudley Guest Hospital site which is being redeveloped into 157 home and apartments.

Of those properties, 39 will be classed as affordable.

Mr Simon said: "This is an historic site and many people in Dudley will remember the old Guest Hospital.

"The developers have taken a disused and derelict site and are bringing it back to life by building new high-quality homes. It really is fantastic news that so much of the new housing on the site will be affordable and this is exactly the sort of thing we need to see more of across the West Midlands.

"Dudley Council is setting a great example and if I am elected as West Midlands mayor in May I will double the affordable new social housing being built, that's 3,000 new affordable homes to rent built every year in the West Midlands."

Mr Watson added: "Siôn's commitment to truly affordable housing is front and centre of his offer to the people of the West Midlands.

"He has been clear that as a Labour mayor he would double the number of genuinely affordable homes across the region.

"To those who may still be unsure about what a mayor will do for them in the West Midlands, I say this: as Labour mayor Siôn will reclaim power from Westminster and bring funding back to the region. He will deliver positive change for the people of the West Midlands."

The metro mayor will over see the so-called super council known as the West Midlands Combined Authority which comprises of Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall, Birmingham, Coventry and Solihull.

He or she will have new spending powers over areas such as transport and housing.

Elections will take place on May 4.

The other parties are yet to announce their candidates.