The Investment Board of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) met on Monday 21 September 2026 to discuss the Investment Programme update, approve funding for a new cycle route, and consider changes to existing project timelines. Key decisions included the approval of £12.8 million for the A45 Coventry Road Cycle Route Phase 2 and the extension of the Outline Business Case submission deadline for the Chelmsley Wood Town Centre Phase 1 North-west Quarter project.

Investment Programme Update

The board received an update on the WMCA Investment Programme, noting that as of 31 August 2026, approved grant funding awarded and administered by the WMCA totals £835.2 million. This represents a slight decrease from the previous month, attributed to changes in Solihull MBC projects. It was also noted that no business cases or change requests had been approved under delegated authority by WMCA Officers since the previous meeting. The Investment Programme dashboard indicated that 85 projects have approved funding, with 42 having reached completion. Nine projects were flagged with a 'red' status, an increase of one since the last report. These included Solihull Town Centre Public Realm, Chelmsley Wood Town Centre, and the Metro Wensbury to Briarley Hill project, though the latter was noted as being imminent for completion.

Councillor Chris Garghan raised a question regarding the Coventry Station master plan moving from a 'green' to a 'red' status. Ian Martin, Executive Director of Commercial and Investment, explained that this change was due to discussions with Coventry City Council indicating that the bay platform element of the project might be delayed and potentially funded separately.

The board also discussed the development of relationships with Pearson regarding skills and qualifications. Ed Cox, the Chief Executive, highlighted the development of a systemic approach to construction skills, with approximately £70 million attracted to a package designed to provide access to opportunities for young people and workers. Councillor Ray Nock suggested that the issue of local authority-led skills and employment gaps should be referred to the WMCA scrutiny board for further development. It was agreed that a briefing on the construction skills package would be provided, and that the scrutiny board would be asked to examine the topic in more detail.

A45 Coventry Road Cycle Route Phase 2

The board approved £12.8 million in funding for Birmingham City Council's A45 Coventry Road Cycle Route Phase 2 project. This scheme aims to deliver 2.7km of walking and cycling improvements along the A45 corridor between Oldknow Road and Swan Island, building on Phase 1 of the route. The project is intended to improve safety for vulnerable road users, reduce road danger, and support Birmingham's Road Harm Reduction Strategy, particularly given the corridor's history of 6 fatal, 21 serious, and 113 slight injury collisions over the past five years.

The project aligns with the Birmingham Transport Plan's ambition to prioritise people over private vehicles and is expected to encourage a shift towards walking, cycling, and public transport. The Full Business Case demonstrates a Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) of 2.05, indicating high value for money. The funding will be drawn from City Regions Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) and Transport for City Regions (TCR) programmes.

During the discussion, Councillor Chris Garghan raised concerns about the usability and connectivity of the proposed cycle route, particularly in relation to Phase 1 and future Phase 3 connections. Phil Havenhand, Programme Lead for CRSTS at Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), assured members that work was underway to ensure seamless connectivity and a corridor approach to the project.

Councillor Ray Nock expressed concerns about the potential impact of cycle lanes on local commerce and delivery transport costs, requesting further information on the financial impact on local businesses. Jason Griffin, Head of Transport Projects at Birmingham City Council, clarified that the project would not reduce the number of vehicular lanes but would reduce lane widths, and that only around 12 car parking spaces would be lost. He also noted that the smart crossings could cause minor delays.

Councillor Delaney inquired about the phasing of the roadworks to minimise disruption, given the existing roadworks along the A45. It was confirmed that phasing plans were not yet complete as tenders had not been issued, but a commitment was made to complete the works as quickly as possible and to work with Solihull officers and utility companies to coordinate efforts.

The board also resolved to delegate authority to the WMCA Executive Director for Transport to agree suitable terms and conditions for the grant award. Changes to funding allocations for the East Birmingham to Solihull Corridor (Bordesley Green) and Birmingham Snow Hill Growth schemes were noted to fund this project.

Chelmsley Wood Town Centre Change Request

The board approved the extension of the Outline Business Case (OBC) submission deadline for the Chelmsley Wood Town Centre Phase 1 North-west Quarter project from December 2025 to December 2028. This extension is subject to conditions including prior written agreement by the WMCA for any proposed use of project contingency funding, and continued liaison between Solihull MBC and the WMCA Investment Programme Team to agree key milestones. Authority was delegated to the WMCA Section 73 Officer or Investment Programme Senior Responsible Officer to agree suitable terms and conditions for the grant award.

Other Business

The board noted the Commercial Investment Fund Dashboard, the Brownfield Land & Property Development Fund Dashboard, and the Residential Investment Fund Dashboard. The Forward Plan was also noted, with an agreement to include a 15-minute introductory session on the WMCA's debt funds in a future meeting. The meeting then moved into private business.