A deal agreed between Keon Homes and Birmingham City Council will see 95 new affordable homes built on the former Tower Ballroom site in Edgbaston.
Keon Homes will work with housing association, Midland Heart, to build the 95 homes, which includes homes for social rent and shared ownership, providing a mix of one and two-bed apartments and two, three and four-bed houses.
Under the plans, the site of the former Tower Ballroom will be transformed into a fully accessible public walkway and square. Additionally, the development will feature an enhanced landscaping area of at least 25m on the water’s edge that could improve the local nature reserve provision.
Construction work is expected to start in early 2027, with the development forming part of a wider project set to create 3,000 new homes across key Birmingham sites.
Cllr Sharon Thompson, deputy leader and cabinet member for economy and skills, said: “The Tower Ballroom redevelopment aims to create a vibrant new community, offering high-quality, energy-efficient affordable homes and attractive outdoor spaces. It will give residents the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of waterside living while remaining just a short distance from the city centre.”
“Delivering more decent affordable homes for Birmingham families is a key priority for this council. Every project like this helps us move closer to our goal of building 2,000 homes a year that create thriving communities and transform people’s lives.”
“We have consulted extensively with the public over many years to regenerate the area – and we have listened to the feedback and made changes to the development to deliver a site.”
Oliver Thompson, senior land manager at Keon Homes, commented: “We are delighted to have finally exchanged contracts on this historic and distinctive development site within Birmingham, adding to our growing portfolio of schemes across the Midlands.”
“This milestone reflects the huge amount of work that has been undertaken by all parties, including months of collaboration between Birmingham City Council, Midland Heart and ourselves.”
“The focus now is on submitting our planning application for the scheme, with the genuine hope of starting the development in early 2027, eventually delivering 95 high-quality homes alongside attractive landscaped areas and public open space to benefit the local community.”
In addition to creating much-needed affordable housing, Keon Homes is committed to creating a landmark scheme for one of Birmingham’s most iconic developments. This will include two areas of landscaping, which will enhance the biodiversity of the local area whilst creating green spaces that can be utilised by the local community.
Plans have also been lodged to refurbish the Grade II listed Reservoir Lodge into a new hub that will house communal areas and meeting spaces for local charities and community groups.
The development forms part of Midland Heart’s wider £295million investment programme in Birmingham, which will deliver 1,200 new affordable homes by 2028.
The Tower Ballroom site is a particularly important milestone, as the organisation plans to build on the learnings from its low-carbon Project 80 developments and create a net-zero neighbourhood of scale.
Joe Reeves, deputy chief executive at Midland Heart, commented: “We’re pleased to be working with Birmingham City Council and Keon Homes to bring forward plans for this landmark site. The former Tower Ballroom is an iconic location in the city’s landscape and transforming it into much-needed affordable homes marks an important step for Birmingham.”
“This is also where we plan to deliver our next generation of sustainable homes. The scheme is being designed to meet a new national net zero standard coming into force in 2026 and, to our knowledge, will be among the first in the country to adopt this standard.”
