GreenSquareAccord’s Swan Lane development in West Bromwich has been recognised with the Social Impact Award at the Insider Midlands Residential Property Awards on Thursday 25 June 2025.
The award celebrates meaningful community engagement and collaborative working that delivers lasting benefit for local people.
Supporting meaningful local engagement
Our Social Value Officers, Michael Wragg and Karen Richards are working closely with GreenSquareAccord and Morro Partnerships to support a programme of local engagement activity alongside the physical development.
The activities so far include:
• Guided site tours for 60 learners from Ryders Green Primary School
• A garden transformation project at Chapter House in West Bromwich
• Work experience placements delivered in February 2025
• Litter Watch clean-up support
• Donations of mugs to Smethwick Library and the Sandwell Youth Hub
The development was one of three shortlisted for the award, standing out for the depth of its outreach and the collaboration between partners to ensure community benefits were delivered at every stage.
Mary Doria, GSA Project Manager, said: “It is such an honour to accept the Social Impact Award, alongside our delivery partners, on behalf of my colleagues. It feels great to be recognised by our peers at the Insider Midlands Residential Property Awards.”
Michael Wragg, Senior Social Value Officer at Sandwell Business Growth, said: The approach of GreenSquareAccord and Morro Partnerships to delivering meaningful social value to this project alongside the physical works has been fantastic. As you can see by the activities carried out, they have fully embraced our adopt a local school initiative as well as our community engagement ethos. On top of this there are work experience and apprenticeship opportunities we are currently working on and lots more to come as the project develops further.
A development with long-term benefit
When complete, the Swan Lane site will provide 147 affordable homes on the former gas works, offering a mix of houses and apartments to meet varied housing needs across West Bromwich. It stands as a strong example of how investment in physical infrastructure can also deliver wider social value when communities are involved early and meaningfully.
Sandwell Business Growth continues to support partners across the borough to embed social value into planning, procurement and delivery ensuring that growth creates opportunity for all.
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