Author: marcodinu
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Ladywood and the Local Plan
In the 2024 document, Ladywood is designated as its own distinct Growth Zone under Policy GZ11 (Ladywood Regeneration Initiative Growth Zone). In 2025, the approach changes, with Ladywood reclassified as a Housing Regeneration Area (HRA). The HRA designation is formalised under Policy HN9 (Housing Regeneration) in the current 2026 document. The 2024 document proposed the…
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Local plan: community led-development, protecting existing housing and the new local plan
Approaches to regeneration The 2026 Plan appears to have become less prescriptive about how regeneration and housing delivery should take place, particularly in relation to mechanisms for securing community benefits and supporting alternative models of development. This is significant because some of the provisions contained in earlier versions of the Plan have either been removed…
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Local Plan: will reducing affordable housing threshold result in more social housing?
The 2026 Local Plan now under consultation is broadly in continuity with the 2024 proposal to lower the required affordable housing threshold. The policy uses a value-zone approach: the City Centre is the core zone; there is a higher-value zone covering the southern part of the City Centre and the northern part of the city;…
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What is happening in Druids Heath?
A proposal for the regeneration of Druids Heath has been re-submitted, which would entail the demolition of 1,818 existing homes and the building of approximately 3,500 new homes. The planning application was first submitted in March and approved in October last year. However, residents successfully challenged the decision, pointing out that the council had not…
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Ladywood regeneration under scrutiny – speech to committee
At the end of 2024, a survey by MP Shabana Mahmood painted a daunting picture: 86% of respondents said regeneration had negatively affected their mental health; 71% opposed the plans; and over seven in ten rated the Council’s handling of regeneration as “very bad”. Since beginning research in Ladywood in October 2023, what I have…
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Unanswered questions at the Scrutiny meeting
On September 11, the Ladywood Regeneration was discussed at the Homes Overview and Scrutiny Committee. The answers given to councillors’ questions raised further concerns about the regeneration. The context “A report without context is very difficult to understand,” the Chair of the committee noted at the beginning of the meeting. The report submitted to the…
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(Mis)Understanding Ladywood: Concerns about the feedback reports
In August, the Berkeley Homes team shared a report following their ‘Understanding Ladywood’ workshops held over the summer. These workshops were presented as providing an “opportunity for residents to meet the project team and help shape the early direction of the masterplan”. The report raises significant questions about what lies ahead for Ladywood residents. Displacement…
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The charter and other unanswered questions
The signing of the Development Agreement between Birmingham City Council (BCC) and St Joseph/Berkeley Homes, formally announced on April 30, marks a new chapter in the Ladywood regeneration. The commitments made—including delivering 20% affordable housing, minimising demolition, establishing a Steering Committee, appointing an independent advisor, and holding further consultation before finalising the Residents’ Charter—were presented…
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Questions for the council: Community charter – another survey
BCC invited further feedback on the draft of the Community Charter. While the newsletter sent on August 28 referred to the survey, council officers in contact with Ladywood Unite have failed to mention the survey in their communications. This omission is a serious shortcoming. The survey will close on December 2. You can fill the…
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Questions for the council: consultations and the community charter
BCC invited more feedback on the draft of the Community Charter. The newsletter that was sent on August 28 read: “The charter has been developed in collaboration with the community after extensive consultation. We held a series of workshops in October and November 2023. After these workshops took place, we ran an online survey in…
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Questions for the council: optimism bias and financial risks
The regeneration of Perry Barr cost the council £325 million, in addition to £171 million in government grants. At the beginning of August, the council agreed to sell 755 homes to a private developer. However, the amount received won’t be enough to cover the entire cost of the project, with the council still expected to…
