750-homes plan for major Birmingham hospital site ready by next year
Homes England collaborates with Vistry to transform Birmingham's City Hospital site
Homes England announced today (21 January) that it has successfully entered into a building lease with Vistry for the delivery of 750 homes and a retail convenience store at the former City Hospital site in Birmingham.
The historic site is set for a new chapter after extensive cross-sector collaboration.
Last year, Birmingham’s 130-year-old City Hospital has closed with emergency and acute services transferred to the Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
The development will comprise the demolition of most of the existing hospital buildings to provide 698 new homes and the conversion of the former infirmary building to provide a further 52 one and two-bedroom apartments.
Vistry already has planning permission to build the 698 high-quality new-build homes at the site and recently secured further planning permission for the conversion of the infirmary. Across the scheme, 35% of the homes will be affordable housing, made up of a mix of tenures to satisfy local need.
Fully vacating the City Hospital took extensive collaboration across three public sector bodies – Homes England, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and Birmingham City Council – and with the site now fully decommissioned, patients and staff have transferred to the Midland Metropolitan Hospital, opened in October 2024.
Preparation of the City Hospital site has already begun, with asbestos removal works starting in December 2025 to ensure a safe demolition. Following completion of the demolition, construction is expected to commence in the second half of 2026, with the first homes due to complete in early 2027.
Mike Goulding, Director of Development at Homes England said: “This development marks a new chapter for a historic site, bringing much-needed, high-quality homes – with over a third as affordable housing – to this part of Birmingham. We've worked closely with the NHS Trust, Birmingham City Council, and the local community to enable a smooth and safe transition from a working hospital to a site ready for demolition and construction.
“We're grateful to all our partners for their collaboration and we look forward to working with Vistry to deliver the first homes in this well-connected new community next year.”
Cllr Nicky Brennan, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness at Birmingham City Council, said: “This project is a fantastic example of what can be achieved when partners work together with a shared vision. By collaborating with Homes England, Vistry, and the NHS Trust, we are transforming the former City Hospital site into a vibrant community with high-quality homes, including 35% affordable housing.
“This development reflects our collective commitment to tackling housing challenges and marks a significant step forward in delivering much-needed affordable homes for Birmingham."