Revamp of run-down estate starts

The multi-million pound transformation of a run-down estate in the Black Country is finally set to get under way after being stalled by the credit crunch.

Sandwell Council and the Lyng Community Association have signed an agreement with Barratt Homes to complete the £1.1 million facelift of the Lyng estate in West Bromwich. The company had been selected as the development partner in November 2007, before the downturn in the housing market and the credit crunch led to the project stalling.

Now a new £1.1 million funding grant from government-backed Urban Living means the project can begin to move forward. It will include 420 new homes, a square, and open green space.

The homes will include 114 for the Lyng Community Association, meaning there will be 200 homes available to rent and the remainder will be put on the market.

A planning application is expected to be submitted in August, with a number of consultation events for the community taking place in June and July.

Sandwell regeneration chief Councillor Bob Badham said: "The continued regeneration of the Lyng estate goes hand-in-hand with the improvements now happening in the town centre, showing the commitment of Sandwell Council to make regeneration happen even in the current difficult economic times."

The regeneration of the estate began in the 1990s when 980 of the 1960s-style houses were pulled down.