West Midlands Mayor sets out priorities for 2026
Transport, housing, skills and growth at the centre of plans for the year ahead
The Mayor of the West Midlands has set out his priorities for 2026, saying the region is now in a position to move forward after resolving major financial and operational challenges.
Richard Parker said the coming year will focus on delivering progress across transport, housing, skills and economic growth, after what he described as putting the foundations in place during his first year in office.
“We’ve now fixed some of the issues that I inherited,” Mr Parker said. “For the first time in five or six years, we’ve addressed the overhanging operational deficit in the transport budget, which was previously around £120 million a year.”
He said resolving those issues means the West Midlands Combined Authority can now focus on delivering projects “on the front foot”.
A major priority for 2026 will be affordable and social housing. Mr Parker said around 5,000 homes were supported across the region last year, compared with only a few hundred the year before.
He added that another 1,000 families are expected to be lifted out of poverty in 2026 through affordable and social housing programmes, with work under way alongside Homes England to deploy £1.7 billion allocated by government for housing across the West Midlands.
Transport is also a central focus, following a £2.5 billion settlement. Mr Parker said an independent review led by economist Bridget Rosewell will help shape future transport investment decisions, with the findings expected to be announced early in the new year.
He confirmed progress is being made on bringing buses back into public control through franchising, saying the bus network is particularly important as around 80 per cent of public transport users in the region rely on buses.
On growth, Mr Parker said investment will continue to be driven through three investment zones in Wolverhampton, Coventry and Birmingham. He also confirmed plans to launch what he described as the country’s largest mayoral development corporation in Birmingham.
Further priorities include continued investment in the creative industries, advanced manufacturing and the green economy, with projects planned across Birmingham, the Black Country, Wolverhampton, Coventry, Solihull, Sandwell, Walsall and Dudley.
Mr Parker said his aim is to ensure growth benefits all communities across the region, not just city centres.
“For too long we haven’t invested for the long term,” he said. “Now we’re making real progress, and the focus is on delivering jobs, homes and better transport for every part of the West Midlands.”