As part of the ambitious £8m scheme houses on the Dudley Fields estate identified as needing retrofit will receive state-of-the-art energy efficiency upgrades designed to reduce annual carbon emissions and make homes warmer and more comfortable.
Delivered through a partnership between whg, Walsall Council, Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), the project is funded through the Bloxwich Town deal, ECO4 grants, the WMCA’s Net Zero Neighbourhoods programme, and a £2.1 million investment from whg.
Eighty-five whg homes will be selected on five roads in the neighbourhood, including Central Drive and Coalway Road, based on their energy efficiency and receive free upgrades including external wall insulation, solar panels, and air source heat pumps. Up to 75 private households in the area will be offered bespoke retrofit packages through contractor Surefire MS (SMS), with grants covering the majority of the costs.
Central to the scheme is a major skills and employment drive. Up to 52 local jobs will be created, including roles for retrofit assessors, plasterers, and green technology specialists, with 25 apprenticeships and 43 training placements offered in partnership with Walsall College. A new Energy Hub will also open in the community, serving as a retrofit advice centre and show home to demonstrate the benefits of retrofit works.
Rob Gilham, Corporate Director of Strategy, Assets and Transformation at whg, said: “This project is a cornerstone of our commitment to creating safe, sustainable communities where people thrive. By delivering warm, energy-efficient homes, we’re cutting bills, boosting wellbeing, and future-proofing Dudley Fields. But it’s bigger than housing - we’re empowering our customers through green jobs, apprenticeships, and partnerships that build both skills and community pride.
“Together, we’re proving that tackling climate change and inequality go hand in hand. This is how we craft a legacy: neighbourhoods where affordability, opportunity, and sustainability unite to create a fairer, brighter future for all.”
Associate Leader of Walsall Council, Councillor Adrian Andrew said: “It’s great to be working with whg on this landmark initiative for Bloxwich and the borough of Walsall. This project will deliver warmer, more efficient homes for local people and will create jobs and opportunities, fostering pride in our communities.
“We are committed to bringing forward partnerships and developments that will improve quality of life and access to opportunities for local people. The work that will be taking place on the Dudley Fields estate is yet another step in our journey to a thriving, healthy and prosperous future for our borough.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Getting to net zero takes a community effort – all of us working together to drive down energy costs and carbon emissions.
“We are funding seven Net Zero Neighbourhoods and improving more than 10,000 family homes across the West Midlands so they benefit from better insulation, greener energy generation and opening up new natural spaces in their communities.
“We are already seeing the benefits in Dudley, and soon residents in Walsall will see them too.
“The UK’s transition to net zero can only be successful if we take everyone with us – cutting emissions while cutting bills for our residents.”
Dudley Fields is one of seven Net Zero Neighbourhoods being developed across the West Midlands, as part of the Mayor’s plan to cut regional carbon emissions to net zero by 2041.
The Town Deals programme aims to regenerate towns and deliver long-term economic and productivity growth. This is through investments in urban regeneration, digital and physical connectivity, skills, heritage and enterprise infrastructure. As of July 2021, MHCLG have offered Town Deals to all 101 places that submitted proposals, committing over £2.35bn of investment across c.700 projects nationwide.