Council seeks development partner for £1bn regeneration proposal

Birmingham City Council is on the hunt for a development partner, to spearhead its £1bn regeneration of Druids Heath.

An ambitious masterplan proposal was revealed in May, following two years of work with the community to shape the redevelopment of the estate over the next 20 years.

Tower blocks alongside 1,800 homes could make way for 3,000 eco-friendly family homes, apartments and retirement living.

New shops and flexible workspaces would be added along the high street, a community hub would be developed and the existing GP surgery would be expanded. Plans also feature sports pitches and a pavilion, as well as a greenway loop around the estate for walking and cycling.

An extensive consultation on the plans will begin in the coming months before approval for the plans will be sought next year. The first phases are likely to be completed within the next five to ten years once plans are submitted and approved.

Since Druids Heath was built by the council in the 1960s, most of it has been left the same, and it is the only large municipal estate in Birmingham that has received no major regeneration investment.

In its presentation at the launch event at Manningford Hall, the council admitted that “many of the Council properties on the estate don’t meet legal standards and aren’t considered financially viable for investment.”