We are concerned about what will happen to council’s tenants as well as leaseholders living on council-own land and buildings.
If they wish to return to a regenerated Ladywood, will they be able to do so and without incurring additional costs?
As of the 2021 Census, Ladywood Regeneration Project Area, or rather, the red line, includes a substantial percentage of households in socially rented accommodation, with social rentals ranging from 34.2% to 90.5%, and council rents between 29.4% and 81.9%.
A commitment to provide “new, high quality social housing” was mentioned in the 2019 cabinet documents and shared with residents in councillors’ communications in 2019, but did not appear in the 2023 BCC reports as one of the “series of objectives which will be integral to meeting the ambition to transform this part of the city centre” (2023 Full Business Case. Appendix 2: A3).
Instead, the 2023 BCC’s reports to Cabinet stated that the regeneration scheme will demolish 638 council-owned houses and replace them with new affordable homes on a “like-for-like basis” across the first three phases.
The scheme also envisages the refurbishment of already existing 628 council-owned houses within the seven towers into affordable homes, 427 newly built affordable homes in phase 4, and the re-provision of already existing 146 homes currently owned by Registered Social Landlords
We demand clarity about the meaning of “affordable” and what the provision of “affordable housing” will actually consist of in a regenerated Ladywood.
Will the new affordable homes for rent or for ownership?
If these new homes will be for rent, concerns arise about their inclusivity
As a 2023 research briefing published by the House of Commons, titled “What is affordable housing?” pointed out, there is a substantial difference between social housing and affordable housing.
Historically, homes for social rent, or social housing, tended to be around 50-60% of market rents, while the affordability of “affordable housing” is calculated as being 80% of market value.
As a result, affordable rents have been founded to be double the equivalent social rents in areas across England (report above, p.9).
If these new affordable homes will be for sale, there is worry that house prices just 20% below market value may not guarantee their actual affordability for the Ladywood community.
Moreover, we acknowledge that “the obligations within the Development Agreement include the requirement that the reprovision of the Council’s housing stock is prioritised into the earlier phases with 70% returned in the first two phases”. However, we are concerned that the proposed completion dates for Phase 1 and Phase 2, in July 2040 and January 2044, are too far in time to allow for a full re-allocation of council housing to all current tenants.
We demand transparency on the adopted definition and calculations of “affordability” in the Ladywood Regeneration Scheme.
Further, we seek clarity on the steps both BCC and the developer will make to ensure that the existing community of Ladywood, including council tenants and leaseholders currently living on council-owned land, can fully enjoy the claimed benefits of regeneration and return to the area if they choose to do so.
Ladywood Unite 
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