Ladywood campaigners hail end of £2.2bn masterplan

For five years, Layla Al-Abhar has been unable to think about making improvements to her home, fearing it was going to be demolished.

But after news the £2.2bn masterplan to regenerate Ladywood has collapsed, her mind is whirring with decorating plans.

Al-Abhar, from campaign group Ladywood Unite, said her family feared they could be forced to leave their home and rent if the plans went ahead, while years of uncertainty had left many residents reluctant to invest in their properties.

Hearing the scheme had been abandoned this week, her family had restarted renovation plans and have started contacting tradespeople.

"I went to Costco last night and checked out everything we can do in our home," she added.

This week, Birmingham City Council announced it had "mutually agreed" to part ways with developer Berkeley St Joseph, after rising costs and a challenging economic climate made plans for Ladywood unviable.

The regeneration plan would have seen 10,000 homes built but thousands of others razed to the ground.

The council described the Ladywood Estate Regeneration Scheme as the city's most significant housing redevelopment opportunity in a generation when it entered into an agreement with developer Berkeley St Joseph in April 2025.

Many residents are thrilled by the news.

Co-chair of Ladywood Unite, George Smith, said residents were "absolutely delighted" by the announcement and that "the community app was really busy" as people reacted to the news.

However, he stressed the area still needed regeneration.

"Regeneration is needed in Ladywood," he said. "It needs to be done in a proper way and in a way that puts people first."

Fellow campaigner, Robert Brenchley, said the decision had come as a surprise.

"It was what I've been dreaming of since day one but I didn't think it was going to happen," he said.

Brenchley said Ladywood still needed investment but argued existing homes should be improved where possible rather than demolished.

"We want the area regenerated and brought up to scratch, but we want it done in a community-friendly fashion," he said.

He added: "We want houses brought up to modern standards, we want new ones built. We know there's a housing crisis, but we want social housing at a decent standard for ordinary people."

Birmingham City Council has said regeneration remains a priority and that it intends to begin a new conversation with residents about Ladywood's future.

Birmingham City Council has said regeneration remains a priority and that it intends to begin a new conversation with residents about Ladywood's future.

Addressing the latest decisions at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, deputy leader of the council, which is run as a coalition between the Lib Dems and the Greens, Julien Pritchard (Green) said: "It's not an abandonment of Ladywood. The council's commitment to Ladywood and its community remains unchanged.

"Residents will be at the heart of future plans for the area and this administration will make sure that is the case."

Opposition councillors Robert Alden (Conservative), Jex Parkin (Reform) and Nicky Brennan (Labour) said the decision raised questions over governance at the council.

Responding to their concerns Joanne Roney, managing director at the council, explained: "This is not a decision that officers would take lightly, to use emergency powers in this way.

"In this instance, it was entirely due to the fact that this news was likely to break and residents would have heard it through the media.

"That goes completely contrary to every commitment we've given to the residents of Ladywood."

She concluded the commitment to regenerate Ladywood remained in place.

Additional reporting from the Local Democracy Service.

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