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Housing development in Bath

Our ambition for homes in the West of England

The West of England needs to grow to meet the needs of our existing and new communities. We need to ensure that the region remains a thriving, successful and innovative place where people aspire to live. We have set out the Mayoral Combined Authority's ambition for homes in the West of England in the Housing Delivery Strategy (pdf, 3.2mb) and will be taking this further in our emerging Local Growth Plan (opens in new tab).

Mayoral Combined Authority investment in the region

Bristol temple quarter development from above

£95m for Bristol Temple Quarter

Bristol Temple Quarter (BTQ) is one of the UK’s biggest urban regeneration programmes. The Mayoral Combined Authority has been working closely with its partners for a long time to deliver on our ambitions for around 10,000 new homes, 22,000 new jobs, and the infrastructure and community spaces that support high quality lives. In June 2022, the Combined Authority secured £95m from central government to kick start the project and transform the area around Bristol Temple Meads station. BTQ is managed by the BTQ Limited Liability Partnership. The Mayoral Combined Authority is a founding member, alongside Homes England and Bristol City Council.

Discover BTQ

Person constructing walls

£19.8m for new homes at Hengrove Park

The Mayoral Combined Authority has allocated c£40 million to unlock wider developments across the region. This includes a £19.8m investment at Hengrove Park, supporting the delivery of 1,435 new homes, of which half will be for social rent or shared ownership, with the first 53 council homes currently being built.

Riverside near bath

£8.3 for new homes in Bath

The Mayoral Combined Authority has also invested £8.3m to enable Bath & North East Somerset Council to acquire land on the former gas works site in Bath. Seeking to build 351 new homes, this land holding represents approximately 30% of the Bath Western Riverside Phase 2 site. Funding to enable the acquisition of the land was sourced through the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority Land Acquisition Fund.

Housing affordability

Housing delivery and affordability is a critical issue in the region. The average house price in the West of England is £355,833, well above the national average of £302,000. According to figures from the ONS in 2023, the approximate affordability ratio for West of England is 9.67 times the average earnings. Home ownership is inaccessible for many, and other affordable options are in short supply.

The Mayoral Combined Authority will:

  • House icon Co-invest in new homes
  • Fence icon Help unblock any barriers which are slowing housing delivery
  • Moving line icon Plan and prioritise investment in infrastructure
  • Partners icon Establish a strong partnership to support key large housing sites.

These masterplans canvas the opinions of local people about what needs to change to improve their city or town centre. They set out a roadmap for future investment in infrastructure, new enterprise and mixed -use development, community partnerships, connections and civic space.

Housing is an integral part of these regeneration initiatives, providing safe warm and affordable homes so that local residents can stay in place as their families grow. Masterplans ensure that services such as libraries, health centres and schools are planned for as communities grow.

The Mayoral Combined Authority works with partners including Housing Associations, Homes England, local councils and community groups to deliver on our ambitions for thriving connected places.