Entire Druids Heath estate in south Birmingham to be regenerated

New redevelopment plans have been met with some nervous voices within the Druids Heath community in south Birmingham
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

The entire Druids Heath estate will now be regenerated in the latest bid to level up the area. On Tuesday (Dec 13) a Birmingham Council Cabinet Committee rubber-stamped a proposal to kickstart development in the left-behind areas of the estate.

A holistic plan for the estate has been called for for some time and should be welcomed but there are also some nervous voices within the Druids Heath community. With that in mind, the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme looks at what the new plan could mean for residents of the estate and the impact it could bring.

What has happened before?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Druids Heath is a purpose-built housing estate put together in the 1960s and 1970s. In 2018, Birmingham City Council agreed on a scheme which would provide up to 250 homes for the ward.

It was planned that the scheme would demolish 370 low-rise properties and 13 large panel system (LPS) tower blocks but the scheme never really got going. LPS tower blocks were a popular method of building high-rise flats in the 1960s and 1970s in a rush to house the population following the “baby boom” after the Second World War.

Following tragedies like Grenfell, the method is now seen as unsafe and most buildings using this method of construction have either been demolished or restructured. In 2021, following requests from Druids Heath residents, Birmingham City Council agreed to initiate a more comprehensive regeneration of the estate with the east of the estate, being approved as phase 1 for master planning.

The clearance of obsolete housing began in 2020 with the demolition of 50 homes in Heath House. In total 250 homes, across five tower blocks, have been earmarked for demolition. Saxelby, Kingswood, and Barratts House are also vacant, with the demolition of these buildings expected to commence in April 2023 and residents of Hillcroft House also currently being rehoused.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In December 2021 Cabinet agreed on a more holistic plan for the estate that would be delivered in two phases. Fast forward to the latest council meeting when it was agreed that the remaining areas would now be regenerated.

What has now been agreed?

Birmingham City Council agreed to kickstart phase two of the master plan which would look to regenerate the area to the south of Bells Lane. The regeneration area would also be extended to cover the open space of the Chinn Brook Valley and Stratford Upon Avon canal.

The council says providing a walking and cycling bridge over the canal “will enable greater connectivity and reduce reliance on the car or public transport as well as providing opportunities linked to wellbeing such as walking, running and cycling along the canal towpath.”

Druids Heath was also promised a community hub which would include a new community centre, youth club, sports pavilion, library and commercial space but as of yet the funding has not been secured and a start date is yet to be announced.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Phase two of the levelling-up project would also include plans to retrofit or demolish unfit housing, build new homes and provide extra security to give residents who wish to stay in unfit housing whilst new housing is being built, with the right to do so.

What could this mean for residents of Druids Heath?

Of course, the plans would hopefully lead to an increase in the quality of housing and the amount of available housing, although, given past incidents, some residents may be concerned about their rights once their building is selected for demolition. This follows many cases of residents living in tower blocks earmarked for demolition who have been told they have “no right of return” to the area once the regeneration is complete.

This may lead to fears that further regeneration of the Druids Heath area will lead to more residents being kicked off the estate and forced to relocate. There are also many Druids Heath residents who are living in blocks set to be demolished and are now classed as temporary residents.

They have complained that the council is ignoring their requests for maintenance works and are now forced to live in sub-standard conditions. In a cost of living crisis, this can lead to a number of issues such as mould, damp, leaks and faulty appliances.

Cllr Julien Pritchard, Green party member representing Druids Heath and Monyhull. For use by all BBC partners.Cllr Julien Pritchard, Green party member representing Druids Heath and Monyhull. For use by all BBC partners.
Cllr Julien Pritchard, Green party member representing Druids Heath and Monyhull. For use by all BBC partners.

What have local councillors said?

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Cllr Julien Pritchard, Green Party Councillor for Druids Heath say progress needs to be made and that ‘we still don’t know’ when most of the new housing will be built.

He said: “The council obviously needs to listen to and work with the whole community to redevelop Druids Heath in the way residents want and need. It never made sense to do the plan for only part of Druids Heath, the plan should have been done for the whole estate when the council rebooted the regeneration last year.

“We need to see progress and momentum, and re-assurance Druids Heath hasn’t yet again been forgotten. We still don’t know when most of the new housing will be built, or when residents will see improvements to their community.

“New housing needs to be built – and all housing that’s being kept refurbished – to the highest energy efficiency and housing standards. So residents don’t have to choose between eating and heating, and they don’t have to endure shocking housing conditions.

“And further rehousing needs to be planned in a way that new housing is built first, so residents who are being rehoused and want to stay, don’t have to move away and then come back.”

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.