Shaun Fielding from Keepmoat’s West Midlands division discusses how the industry can deliver new homes at scale through focusing on innovation and regeneration, including by harnessing the New Homes Accelerator.
The housing sector is under growing pressure to increase the pace and scale of home delivery, while also responding to evolving regulations around environmental performance, sustainability and the quality of new communities.
Increasingly, these considerations are being addressed earlier in the development process, alongside questions of viability, deliverability and long-term value.
The transition towards ‘carbon free’ building, alongside the implementation of new regulations, is placing greater emphasis on brownfield land, sustainable technology, and the way new developments integrate with their surrounding areas.
For developers, local authorities and communities alike, this creates both challenges and opportunities as the sector adapts to changing standards.
Prioritising housing delivery in the Midlands and beyond
Across the Midlands, a significant barrier to delivering new homes can be securing land and obtaining planning permission at pace. As of early 2026, planning in the region has experienced significant bottlenecks, with 67% of local plans being delayed, resulting in around 55,000 potential homes being stalled.
However, the industry is committed to creating a turning point, with the Government recently introducing the New Homes Accelerator. This involves actively working with developers and local authorities to address specific barriers on large-scale sites, with a focus on delivering regeneration.
Prioritising regeneration
As brownfield specialists, our experience of delivering complex brownfield and urban projects means the Keepmoat team is well equipped to manage risk early, unlock challenging sites and work in partnership with stakeholders to bring forward sustainable communities.
Brownfield developments often come with greater complexity and uncertainty. Issues such as remediation, existing infrastructure constraints, ground conditions and planning sensitivities can all affect programme certainty. While some brownfield sites benefit from existing roads and utilities, addressing these risks early often requires more detailed investigation and coordination, which can extend timelines.
Differences in build timelines between greenfield and brownfield developments can be significant, largely because of the complexity and risk profile of each site. Greenfield sites are usually more straightforward to deliver, as they start from a clean slate with fewer constraints.
Our region has considerable potential, with more than 190,000 homes feasible on brownfield sites throughout the Midlands. Therefore, we see the utilisation of brownfield land to meet housing demand as one of the most significant opportunities, which is backed by government initiatives and partnerships with local authorities.
We pride ourselves on transforming disused, previously developed land into multi-tenure, sustainable communities, with around 60 to 70% of our developments built on brownfield sites.
As an example, we are a strategic partner of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), with a commitment to deliver 4,000 additional homes across the region. The partnership will also support net-zero brownfield development, increase housebuilding activity by 50%, and create local jobs and apprenticeships.
This commitment is already being delivered through the flagship Friar Park regeneration scheme, where Keepmoat is working with WMCA and Sandwell Council to transform a former waste treatment plant.
The scheme will deliver 600 new homes, including at least 25% affordable housing, alongside significant regeneration of the wider site.
Sustainability SHIFT
To proactively implement evolving regulations, we are already building net-zero ready homes that can reduce carbon emissions by up to 80% compared to older regulations.
Our latest developments come equipped with air source heat pumps, solar PV panels, superior insulation and EV charging points as standard features.
Our commitment to sustainable development not only helps residents save on energy bills, but also contributes to lowering their overall carbon emissions. As we look to the future, we anticipate continued cost increases alongside a growing demand for housing.
To become more sustainable, the housing industry must prioritise actions that effectively address both the environmental impact of construction and the long-term energy efficiency of homes.
At our Mill Place development in Upper Tean, future-proofing technologies, including solar panels, help to reduce carbon emissions by up to two-thirds compared to older housing stock. This not only helps residents save money on their bills but also ensures they live in homes built for the future.
Sustainability in housebuilding is undergoing a shift in mindset. Rather than treating it as a set of discrete technologies or planning obligations to be checked off, developers are increasingly approaching sustainability as a priority for development as a whole.
Bringing these together
As an industry, we shouldn’t have to choose between delivering homes and building better places through regeneration. These aspects should go hand in hand and be considered from
the outset.
Placemaking is at the heart of our developments, and the decisions we make today will shape communities and environmental outcomes for decades to come.
Looking to the future, housebuilders need to balance the requirement to deliver more homes with the opportunity to create sustainable, well-connected, and resilient places for the future.
Shaun Fielding is regional managing director at Keepmoat