Background
Birmingham has a significant demand for 78,000 homes in the next two decades.
To help meet this need, Birmingham City Council is supporting and enabling new housing and enhanced community facilities across the city. In Perry Barr in particular, we’ve identified more than 60 hectares – a footprint equivalent to three Wembley Stadiums - of land that is suitable for residential development, all within a short distance of Perry Barr local centre.
These sites could accommodate more than 5,000 new homes over the next 20 years. We will work with partners and landowners to unlock development opportunities and address the barriers in delivering the housing growth that’s needed. We will deliver these homes in several phases:
Phase one Perry Barr residential scheme
The first phase of housing growth in Perry Barr is being delivered on the former Birmingham City University (BCU) Teaching Campus at Aldridge Road. Planning consent for this scheme of 1,414 homes was secured in December 2018.
Phase two Perry Barr residential scheme
The second phase of this development will take place on land adjacent to phase one. This site, to the east of Wellhead Lane, will be redeveloped for residential uses along with the provision of a new modern secondary school, Prince Albert High School, which opened in September 2021 and will be able to accommodate 1,260 pupils. The vision for this site includes up to 500 new homes, largely family houses, to complement the adjoining development. The details are outlined in the initial planning application, which received Planning Committee approval in August 2019. Full details of phase two are due in a future application, the submission date is to be confirmed.
Wider opportunities
Residential development in the local centre will create new activity and vibrancy to the area. In particular, sites around the Birchfield Island will present opportunities for higher density development, with commercial ground floor spaces and residential homes on upper floors. A variety of building heights will create a distinctive gateway to the area. While there is some potential for development in the short term, the full scale of the opportunity to deliver around 400 new homes will be realised after 2022.
More widely, within walking distance of the station and local centre, there are further opportunities for more than 3,000 homes to be built in Perry Barr.
Page last updated: 7 February 2023
