137 affordable homes planned for old Ladywood police station

Plans for 137 affordable homes on the site of the former Ladywood Police Station and the neighbouring Ladywood Social Club have been recommended for approval by Birmingham City Council's planning officers.

The application will go before the council's planning committee on Thursday 8 October.

The plans

MIA Property Group, which has acquired both sites, is developing the scheme in partnership with the housing association Midland Heart. All 137 homes will be affordable, and the site covers around 1.4 acres off Ladywood Middleway, on the western edge of the city centre.

The scheme makes use of brownfield land, meaning land that has been built on before, which the council's planning policies favour over building on green spaces.

What those involved said

Eamonn Colman, of MIA Property Group, said: "This is an important development for Birmingham, and the deliverance of 137 affordable units goes some way to helping the housing pressure in the city."

Joe Reeves, of Midland Heart, said: "Ladywood is an area where demand is high, and this development will play an important role in meeting that need."

Joe Williams, of the property advisers Avison Young, described the project as "a strategic and sustainable reuse of brownfield land".

Ladywood's future

The plans come as the council and its partner, Berkeley St Joseph, prepare a planning application for the wider regeneration of the Ladywood estate, which could bring up to 12,000 new homes over more than two decades. That application is expected to be submitted by the end of October, with building not due to begin until at least 2028.

Ladywood is close to some of the most expensive new developments in the city, around Brindleyplace and Broad Street, but it remains one of the most deprived areas in the country, and many residents struggle to find affordable homes.

The need for affordable homes

More than 33,000 households are on Birmingham's housing register, and the council advertises an average of around 57 homes a week while receiving around 500 new applications. More than 5,600 households are living in temporary accommodation.

Housing associations such as Midland Heart are among the biggest builders of affordable homes in the city. Midland Heart has said it will deliver 1,200 new affordable homes in Birmingham before 2028, as part of a 295 million pound investment.

What affordable means

Affordable housing includes homes for social rent, which are usually the cheapest, homes for affordable rent at up to 80 per cent of market rents, and shared ownership homes, where people buy a share of a property and pay rent on the rest. The mix of tenures in a scheme can make a big difference to who can afford to live there.

How planning decisions are made

Planning officers assess applications against the council's planning policies and make a recommendation. Major or controversial applications are then decided by a committee of councillors at a public meeting. Members of the public can view applications and comment on them through the council's planning website, and can attend committee meetings.

Police stations becoming homes

Police forces across the country have sold off many old stations in recent years as they have moved staff into fewer, larger buildings. Several former police stations in Birmingham have been converted to new uses, including homes.