Walsall's Renaissance: Working together to transform the Black Country

On today’s episode, we’re joined by key figures behind Walsall’s Renaissance — and exploring how major regeneration and investment across the Black Country is creating positive change.Special Guests:Councillor Adrian Andrew, Associate Leader of Walsall Council, has been instrumental in shaping the borough’s £1.5 billion regeneration programme.Neil Smith, Land and Partnerships Director at Keepmoat, leads on housing regeneration in Willenhall.Simon Raiye, Head of Midlands Region for HBD, a national multi-sector development company delivering transformative urban regeneration projects.Together, they are playing vital roles in reshaping Walsall’s future. We’ll dive into the council’s ambitious borough-wide investment strategy, including key infrastructure, housing, and economic development initiatives aimed at creating jobs, new homes, and enhanced public spaces.Neil will provide insights into Keepmoat’s plans for Willenhall, where a major regeneration scheme is set to deliver much-needed housing, improved transport links, and new community facilities—bringing fresh opportunities to residents and businesses alike.Meanwhile, Simon will introduce us to SPARK—a landmark brownfield regeneration project led by HBD in collaboration with Homes England, WMCA, and Walsall Council. This ambitious scheme aims to breathe new life into former industrial land across 44 acres. SPARK is a 21st century logistics and manufacturing hub offering global and local occupiers 620,000 sq ft of high-specification floor space from 20,000 – 315,000 sq ft located right by junctions 9 and 10 of the M6 and sits in the heart of the MidlandsJoin us as we explore how these ambitious projects are shaping a new era for Walsall—unlocking growth, investment, and opportunity across the region.The Building Brum podcast is kindly sponsored by reality capture and point cloud modelling specialists ScanTech Digital,  Solus, one of the UK’s leading suppliers of commercial floor and wall tiles, APIC UK Limited West Bromwich based Architectural Glazing specialists, EH Smith brick and façade specialists, and Sunbelt Rentals with over 1,500,000 items of equipment Sunbelt Rentals are the largest providers of equipment hire in the UK.