Ladywood regeneration planning application due next month

A planning application for the regeneration of Ladywood, described by the council as the city's most significant housing development in a generation, is due to be submitted by the end of October.

The council and its partner, Berkeley St Joseph, part of the Berkeley Group, have set a target of submitting a hybrid planning application for the scheme by the end of October 2026. A hybrid application seeks full permission for the first phase and outline permission for the rest.

The scale of the plans

The 2.5 billion pound project is expected to take more than two decades. The partnership is committed to building up to 12,000 new homes, of which at least 20 per cent will be affordable.

All 1,266 council-owned homes on the estate will be either refurbished or replaced, and at least 70 per cent of existing homes are expected to be kept and refurbished or re-provided. The council has said it will seek to minimise demolition.

The scheme is also expected to create jobs, 1,000 apprenticeships and a skills centre to help local people into work.

When will building start?

Work is not due to begin on site until at least 2028. The partnership agreement between the council and St Joseph was signed in April 2025.

Residents' concerns

Some residents have raised concerns about the plans, including what will happen to their homes and whether they will be able to stay in the area. Local groups have campaigned for residents to have a strong say. Councillors have acknowledged the need to "change the perception" of the scheme and to keep people informed.

About Ladywood

Ladywood lies just west of the city centre, between Broad Street and the Jewellery Quarter. Much of the estate was built in the 1960s after slum clearance. Although it is close to some of the city's most expensive new developments, it remains one of the most deprived areas in the country.

What happens next

Once the application is submitted, residents will be able to view the plans and comment on them on the council's planning website before a decision is made.