Birmingham councillor calls for ‘transparency’ after decision to give planning permission to major regeneration scheme is quashed

The Druids Heath scheme, which would transform the estate into a green oasis, suffered a setback following a legal challenge being launched by a number of residents.

Get the latest headlines delivered straight to your inbox with the Express & Star’s free newsletter

The city council’s regeneration project would bring thousands of new homes, revitalised community facilities, transport links, green spaces and more.

But it’s also attracted concerns over the scheme’s potential impact on the community and fears that existing locals will be priced out of the area.

After the Druids Heath plans were narrowly approved last October amid such tensions, a legal challenge was launched calling on the council to overturn the decision to grant outline planning permission for the scheme.

Central England Law Centre (CELC) argued that the council failed to disclose the full Financial Viability Assessment when the plans were given the green light.

This assessment was used to justify why the planning application only detailed around 11 percent affordable housing (400 out of 3,500 homes), rather than the 51 per cent promised by the council.

Last week, Birmingham Council confirmed it had requested the court quash the original planning decision – and this has now been agreed.

This means the project will be hit by delays, with the project having to be brought back to the planning committee again for a decision.

Green Party councillor Julien Pritchard, who represents Druids Heath, has reacted to this latest news by calling on the council to be more open with residents.

“This decision shows what happens when the council doesn’t share information,” he said. “The outline planning application didn’t have anywhere near enough affordable homes.

“The council said more would be added later but residents really need the certainty of what’s in a planning application.”

He continued: “The viability assessment was given as the reason why there weren’t more affordable homes in the planning application.

“What it says is important.”

He went on to argue that the plans need to “look again at the amount of demolition” and “give any homeowners losing their homes a like-for-like replacement”.

“We need to see a plan that provides cast-iron guarantees that everyone here in a council property will get a genuinely affordable social home,” Coun Pritchard said.

“And that the 51 per cent of affordable homes that the council says it will build are guaranteed as genuinely affordable socially rented homes.”

“When the council is putting through plans, it needs to be transparent and put all the information out there,” he added.

The setback also prompted a furious response from members of the council’s planning committee, who described it as “appalling”, “concerning” and “embarrassing”.

In last week’s statement, Birmingham City Council confirmed its application to quash the outline planning application had been agreed following the legal challenge.

“Now the basis of that challenge will be addressed by making the Financial Viability Assessment for the scheme public,” a council spokesperson said.

“We know the community is keen to see regeneration plans move forward.

“We regret the delays that this challenge causes, particularly the demolition of cleared tower blocks, which cannot be achieved without planning consent.”

‘I know how strongly residents feel’

Amid fears over the Druids Heath project, the council has repeatedly insisted that it is committed to making just over half of the future homes “affordable”.

“For over two years, the council has worked with the community to create a plan for the regeneration of Druids Heath, holding discussions with more than 1,000 residents, of which 68 per cent support the scheme,” a council spokesperson said.

“The council’s commitment to delivery remains.

“The council will progress the scheme through the planning process as soon as feasibly possible, honouring its commitments to residents.”

They previously said the Financial Viability Assessment contained commercially sensitive information that could not be released while the council were in a procurement process to identify their preferred partner.

This meant that it was not available to the planning committee when they made their original decision.

The council has also previously acknowledged that homeowners are “particularly concerned” about being priced out of the area.

“In response, the council has committed to delivering a shared equity scheme to prevent this from happening,” a spokesperson for the local authority said.

October’s planning meeting heard that the levels of demolition were necessary as “most homes in Druids Heath require millions of pounds in investment to bring them up to only minimum standards”.

Last month, Coun Nicky Brennan, the cabinet member for housing, said: “As someone who grew up in Druids Heath, I know just how important it is to deliver a sustainable, greener, and more connected community for generations to come.

“I know how strongly residents feel about the regeneration, which is why we have worked with the community for over two years.”