Record residential completions in Birmingham while new builds stall
Birmingham’s skyline continues to evolve, with the latest Birmingham Crane Survey revealing record completions in residential and student accommodation, even as new construction slows.
The number of developments breaking ground dropped from 20 in 2023 to just 11 in 2024, but residential construction remained strong, with a record 3,180 homes completed across 17 schemes.
Student accommodation also saw unprecedented growth, with 2,242 bed spaces currently under construction.
Office development continued, with 310,000 sq ft of floorspace completed and another 814,574 sq ft in progress across eight schemes.
Infrastructure was also featured in the survey for the first time as work commenced on HS2’s Curzon Street station.
In total, 24 developments wrapped up in 2024, while 36 projects remain underway – down from 44 last year.
Zoe Davidson, a partner in infrastructure and real estate at Deloitte Midlands said: “Across all the crane surveys this year it is evident there has been a slowdown in developer activity, but Birmingham continues to set new records despite a challenging economy.
“Rising inflation, labour and construction costs, and global economic conditions have all impacted developer activity, with many schemes with planning permission yet to break ground. The retail, healthcare, education and hotel sectors reflect a slowing of activity, with no new schemes starting on site, but the planning pipeline is strong across all sectors.”
The Birmingham Crane Survey is part of Deloitte’s Regional Crane Survey series, which tracks construction trends across key UK cities, including Belfast, Leeds and Manchester.
