We visit the Birmingham neighbourhood where locals live in the shadow of the Midlands 'best place to live'

Considering it’s situated next to Birmingham’s most talked about up-and-coming neighbourhood - which is, of course, Stirchley - Cotteridge can sometimes get overlooked. 

The south city district is less than a 15 minute walk from Stirchley, which was recently named the best place to live in the entire Midlands in a new Sunday Times 2024 list and has previously been named among the coolest places to live in the UK.

Most recently Stirchley was praised by the Sunday Times for its community spirit, as well as its great range of independent businesses and bars. Cotteridge is also just a short walk from the city’s historic model village of Bournville which also gets a lot of attention across the UK.

Being the home of Cadbury World and picturesque natural beauty, Bournville has long been one of Birmingham’s most attractive areas to visit. But Cotteridge has made a name for itself in recent years thanks to its bustling high street that has seen plenty of new businesses open - while others have closed.

I paid a visit to the south Birmingham suburb to speak to residents and business owners about what it’s like to live in the area and to find out what it’s like to live in the shadow of the best place to live in the Midlands.

While walking along the high street, although the suburb has its fair share of independent businesses, I noticed there are a lot of barber shops and charity shops, with a fair few takeaways as well. But there doesn’t appear to be too many independent bars or boutiques around.

Although, there’s a nice 70s-style American themed cafe called Manhattan on Watford Road, and Sophie’s Pizza and Pasta at the end of the high street on Pershore Road South is a popular restaurant among locals.

I popped into the Cotteridge Inn on the Pershore Road which is also the Cotteridge Social Club, to have a chat with the manager Darryl. He was surprised to hear that Stirchley had been named the best place to live in the region recently, and thinks Cotteridge has really come to life in recent years.

He said: “I’ve known Cotteridge for years and it was like one of those dying high streets, but it started booming again in the last five years and you can see places open up rather than closing.”

He said he can understand why nearby neighbourhoods have received more attention: “Obviously, Bournville is also just around the corner and is a worldwide name because of Cadbury.” Like Bournville, parking is an issue for residents in Cotteridge. There is constant traffic in the area building up on the busy Pershore Road which runs through the high street, and there have been council proposals for a low traffic neighbourhood (LTN) scheme to be introduced into the area.

“Trying to park cars around Cotteridge is an absolute nightmare,” Darryl said. He wants to see parking improvements but he says the neighbourhood is much busier than it was 10 years ago, although not everyone agrees.

Mirafsar is the owner of Cotteridge Carpets just a little further down the road. He has been in business for just over a decade, but tells me business isn’t the best at the moment: “Each year it’s been going downhill,” he said. “People are not coming to Cotteridge anymore. They used to quite a bit, but since Covid, it’s been going downhill. You won’t see anyone after 4pm.

“We need more shops and people to come, because most people go to Stirchley or Northfield high street.” He added: “Parking is a big issue as well. There’s no parking space at all. It would be a good idea to introduce a car park. Residents and business owners seem to share the opinion that parking is the main issue in the area. 

I then spoke to Shabbir, who owns Qutby's Hardware store on the high street with his father. He took over the store from his uncle who owned it for 35 years. He told me that the area does get overlooked, although primarily due to neighbouring Borunville as opposed to Stirchley. “Cotteridge is nice, with very nice and friendly people,” he said.

“Cotteridge definitely gets overlooked compared to Bournville. Stirchley maybe not as much but Bournville a lot due to its history. It’s seen as a slightly lower down area compared to Bournville. Although we get quite a lot of custom from Bournville because it’s just up the road. My shop’s just on the border which is helpful.”

What would Shabbir like to see change in Cotteridge? Unsurprisingly, he says: “Parking. Parking is a nightmare here. It’s a busy road, and also, if you walk down the road there’s a little bump in the road which is very dangerous so it’s just those types of things that we would like to see change in the area.”

Walking through Cotteridge and back up to Bournville train station, I saw some nice quaint houses and plenty of lovely green spaces, including Cotteridge Park. According to RightMove, properties in Cotteridge had an overall average price of £307,740 over the last year.

The majority of sales in the suburb during the last year were terraced properties, selling for an average price of £286,426.  It seems like a great place to reside in the city, with some of the most thriving neighbourhoods on your doorstep.

Stirchley’s title as the best place in the Midlands is brilliant for the city and a well deserved accolade for the neighbourhood. But Cotteridge also has a strong community spirit, and with a better variety of independent businesses, could certainly rival Stirchley in years to come.