Icknield Port Loop to deliver over 1,000 homes.
Birmingham City Council and the Canal & River Trust are seeking a partner to kick start the development of Icknield Port Loop – the largest brownfield residential site in the city. Having formed a Limited Liability Partnership last year, a private sector development partner is now being sought to take a 50% share in the partnership.
Potential development partners will learn about Icknield Port Loop during international real estate show MIPIM, at an event covering Birmingham’s residential growth agenda. The 27-hectare site in Ladywood has outline planning permission for 1,150 homes, 6,690 sq m of new retail and commercial floor space, a hotel and swimming pool. Located by Edgbaston Reservoir and surrounded by the local canal network, it is also within walking distance of Birmingham city centre.
Sir Albert Bore, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said, “Icknield Port Loop is one of several areas around Birmingham that provide a real opportunity to create new homes, generate jobs and stimulate the city’s regeneration. Showcasing the site during MIPIM will help us to find the right partner to move the scheme forward, and maximise its potential as a sustainable urban neighbourhood.”
The site is located within the Greater Icknield area of Birmingham, which has the potential to deliver some 3,000 new homes and 1,000 new jobs. Waheed Nazir, Director of Planning and Regeneration at Birmingham City Council, commented: “By 2031, we expect Birmingham’s population to have increased by some 150,000 people. It’s crucial to ensure that we make the best use of existing brownfield sites, with Icknield Port Loop an example of how they can be redesigned into high quality residential schemes. The development of the site highlights how the public and private sectors can work together to address Birmingham’s future housing needs.”
Birmingham City Council is one of over 30 public sector and industry partners taking part in the Greater Birmingham delegation at MIPIM this year. The news follows the announcement that the city’s former Selly Oak Hospital site has been acquired by developer Persimmon Homes for £100 million, after it was unveiled at MIPIM in 2014. The land has outline planning permission for 650 new homes.
