Ambitious plans to regenerate 'forgotten' Birmingham estate sparks concerns

Earlier this year, Birmingham City Council unveiled its vision for Druids Heath which would see the area transformed into a green oasis with thousands of new homes.

The proposed masterplan intends to demolish 1,864 homes and re-provide 3,267 homes on the estate, which recently featured in the Steven Knight drama This Town.

According to a recently published report, the scheme is set to be 51 per cent affordable.

“No existing tenants will be displaced or made homeless because of the regeneration programme,” it went on to say.

However, with the regeneration project potentially lasting up to 20 years, Druids Heath councillor Julien Pritchard questioned this month whether the area would be supported in the meantime.

“If you speak to anyone in Druids Heath, one of the things residents will say is that it’s a forgotten estate,” he said at a recent Homes Scrutiny Committee meeting.

He added there was a general feeling of “not being invested in” and “not being looked after”.

“One aspect is this idea of the meanwhile – what is done to invest in the estate in the meantime?” he continued.

“That is a big concern because I’m already hearing from residents that the estate is being run down even more because it’s now being demolished.

“Part of the offer is to look after the estate better but for a resident on the ground, they’ve not seen any of that improvement yet.”

He said empty tower blocks were attracting vandalism and fly-tipping.

Paul Langford, strategic director for city housing, said one of the most important things for such projects was the “meanwhile offer”.

“Without a doubt, the most challenging thing is how do you keep the estate feeling well,” he said. “How do you keep it as livable and prosperous as possible during the same time you are essentially demolishing and remodelling the estate?

“The issues there are not just about the physicality – they’re about antisocial behaviour, about fly-tipping.”

He continued: “I want to reassure the committee that is very much on our radar.

“We are looking to have a local presence on the estate. The team will comprise housing officers, technical experts, and the partner whoever that might be.

“It will be there throughout the regeneration period.”

In May, councillor Jayne Francis, cabinet member for housing and homelessness, acknowledged that regenerating an area is “always a lengthy process”.

It’s for this reason, she continued, that the council would bolster services for tenants by:

• Installing more CCTV.

• Implementing a specific repairs service for Druids Heath.

• Increasing cleaning provision to tackle fly-tipping.

According to the masterplan, there will also be some council homes in the latter phases that will be invested in to ensure that “households can safely reside in them” until their new homes are ready.

Councillor Francis also addressed residents’ concerns about being priced out of the area earlier this year.

“For this reason, the council is looking at how we can use different financial models to give residents an opportunity to remain on the estate,” she said.

“We will let residents know more about these models as soon as we are able.

“It is really important to the council that everyone who wants to stay in Druids Heath can do so.”

So what happens next?

In the past few months, the council has been undertaking an “intensive” consultation period with the local community, which has included workshop sessions and visits to vulnerable people.

“Throughout October 2024, feedback will be collated and presented back to the community with amendments to the masterplan as considered appropriate,” the recently published report said.

“At this point, the council intend to have a final masterplan that they can take through the planning process.”