'I’ve had nightmares' - Birmingham residents issue election message amid regeneration fears

It’s around two months until the all-out city council election in May and one major talking point in the Ladywood ward will be the major plans to transform the area.

Previously referred to as the most significant housing development in a generation, Labour-run Birmingham Council has insisted the project would provide thousands of new homes, improved council housing, jobs and community benefits.

But the massive scheme has also sparked anxiety over the prospect of homes being demolished and the consequences for the existing community, as well as frustration over delays and engagement with residents.

The impact on mental health was raised at a recent council meeting, with Ladywood local Laura Kudrna saying: “My phone is flooded with messages about how upset people are.

“I know neighbours who regularly have nightmares – I’ve had nightmares myself about my home being demolished.

“Living with that uncertainty is really difficult and it’s the lack of respect and care as well that makes you feel like you’re not a worthwhile person.”

Retired headteacher George Smith said he had been left in a state of “turmoil and ongoing uncertainty” since learning that his home faced being bulldozed.

“I cannot move forward or make plans as decisions about my home remain unresolved, leaving me effectively in limbo,” he said. “My experience of engaging with the regeneration programme can only be described as deeply disappointing and at times shocking.”

“I’m very, very upset – the whole process is really jumbled, nobody knows what’s going on,” local Dawn said. “As a council resident, I don’t feel any of us know what’s going to happen to us.”

Against this backdrop, Ladywood residents were asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service about what they wanted to see from any future administration after the local elections on May 7.

All 101 council seats across Brum are up for grabs and Labour will be looking to keep hold of the council while facing opposition from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Green Party, independents, Reform and more.

“It’s really tough, because I’m not sure how much local councillors really can influence things apart from the planning committee,” Laura Kudrna said.

“I would hope that across the city we elect people who vote for the best interests of the city at these committees.

“Labour has consistently voted for demolition so that’s a real concern.

“I would like to see people who are really making good decisions at planning committees, whoever they are.”

One Ladywood resident, who wished to remain anonymous, quoted Nelson Mandela when he was asked what the estate needs post-May.

“A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens but its lowest ones,” he said reading the quote.

“For anyone in power, always think about the people who don’t have a lot in this world.”

Controversial lawyer Akhmed Yakoob also attended the meeting and said future leaders at the council should provide “clarity” for Ladywood residents.

Mr Yakoob, who stood as an independent candidate for the West Midlands mayoral election and in the Ladywood constituency during the 2024 general election, is now leading a new political movement for May’s election.

The candidate is currently awaiting trial on charges, which he denies, of money laundering, encouraging money laundering and contravening a requirement to apply customer due diligence measures when establishing a business relationship.

The offences are alleged to have taken place between 18 February 2020 and 8 January 2021. His trial date, with co-defendant Nabeel Afzal, 38, from Birmingham, is set for August 2027.

Speaking of the upcoming elections, Mr Yakoob, dubbed the ‘TikTok Lawyer’ said: “[Ladywood residents] need answers.

“If you’re going to put a CPO [Compulsory Purchase Order] on someone’s property, they deserve answers and clarity.

“Hopefully after the all-out elections and a few of our good candidates get elected, we’re going to demand answers.

“Every vote that happens in the council chamber, we’re going to oppose it if we don’t feel that it’s right for us.

“We’re not just going to tow to the narrative or to any party narrative – hopefully we bring about change.”

‘Hurt and frustration’

Last October, Labour-run Birmingham City Council said its partnership with developer Berkeley St Joseph was working closely with local residents to understand their “needs and aspirations”.

It said at the time that of the homes to be built, at least 20 per cent will be affordable housing.

“We fully intend to offer you first refusal to purchase a new home on the estate if you want to stay,” the Ladywood resident and community charter reads.

“A rehousing strategy will be developed to ensure that existing residents are appropriately prioritised for new homes.”

Ladywood residents have also been told that the number of existing council homes will be maintained and all will either be renewed or replaced.

One council officer added at the meeting that a “build first” approach and a “commitment to less demolition and increased refurbishment” should provide protection from residents being displaced.

Coun Lisa Trickett, chair of the council’s homes committee, meanwhile acknowledged the “hurt, frustration and the need to do something differently”.

A hybrid planning application will have to be submitted and approved before work can start on site, which is not expected to happen until 2028 at the earliest.