Lovell chosen to build 3,500 homes at Druids Heath

Birmingham City Council has chosen the housebuilder Lovell as its preferred developer for the regeneration of Druids Heath, which will see around 3,500 new homes built on the estate in the south of the city.

The council announced the decision on 29 September, after two years of working with the community to develop plans for the area.

More than half affordable

The council has committed to around 1,800 of the new homes being affordable, 51 per cent of the total. Of those, 400 are set to be let at social rent by the council, with the rest delivered through a partnership with the developer and housing associations.

The scheme will also include homes for sale, homes designed for people later in life, green spaces, new infrastructure and transport links, community and sports facilities, and a new high street to act as the centre of the community.

An outline planning application was submitted in March.

"A landmark moment"

Councillor Brennan, cabinet member for housing and homelessness, said: "This is a landmark moment for the residents of Druids Heath and for Birmingham. It brings us another step closer to delivering on the plan to regenerate the area that we have spent two years working with the community to develop."

"The regeneration will not only deliver thousands of high-quality, energy-efficient homes, we are also committed to ensuring that more than half of them will be affordable - helping to meet the urgent housing needs of our residents."

Stuart Penn, regional managing director at Lovell, said the company had been part of Birmingham's story for more than 30 years. "This is about more than bricks and mortar: it's about creating opportunity, improving lives, and working in genuine partnership with Birmingham City Council and the community," he said.

What happens next

The council and Lovell have begun work on a partnership agreement, which will set out what each side must do to deliver the regeneration. It is expected to be signed in spring 2026 and will be the final step before work can begin.

About Druids Heath

Druids Heath is a large council estate on the southern edge of the city, near Maypole and the boundary with Bromsgrove. Built in the 1960s and 1970s, it includes several tower blocks, and many of its homes are now in need of major investment.

Residents have raised concerns during the consultation about what the regeneration will mean for existing tenants, including where they will live while work goes on and whether they will be able to return. The council has said it will continue to involve the community as the plans develop.

Part of a bigger push

The scheme is one of several major housing regeneration projects in the city, alongside the redevelopment of the Ladywood estate near the city centre and the new neighbourhood being created in Perry Barr after the Commonwealth Games.

The council's plans also aim to help meet the city's need for tens of thousands of new homes over the coming years, with a growing waiting list for council housing and many families living in temporary accommodation.