Note for residents

26 March 2026

Second Outline Planning Application:

A second major planning application has been submitted for the regeneration of Druids Heath after successful legal action by CELC client and Druids Heath resident, Alison Parr, led to the first planning decision being quashed.

The application is on the BCC planning portal, here.  Search for: 2025/01204/PA | Land at Bells Lane, Druids Heath, Birmingham, B14 5QJ

Consultation ends 30 March 2026

Planning committee meeting 16 April 2026

The reason the first application was quashed was because BCC had unlawfully excluded an important background document from the decision making process.

The Financial Viability Assessment, along with other documents is now part of the new application.  We have reviewed all of the documents that are publicly available as part of that application.

Below is a short summary to help residents and others respond to the consultation.

1. Affordable housing

The Financial Viability Assessment says the scheme can only afford about 400 affordable homes.

That is around 11% of the total.

Independent experts agree that more affordable housing is not currently viable without major extra funding.

Higher figures that residents may have heard about are not secured through planning.

Independent experts also confirm that the viability of the scheme is worse now than when the viability assessment was first completed.

2. Money and deliverability

The scheme has a very large funding gap (over £100 million).

Many parts of the regeneration depend on future funding that is not guaranteed.

This raises questions about what happens if funding does not materialise.

3. Impact on residents

The Council’s own Equality Impact Assessments say the scheme is likely to have a disproportionate impact on:

• older residents
• disabled residents
• people with health conditions
• pregnant women and families

Protections are talked about, but many are not legally guaranteed through the planning permission.

4. The Community Charter

The Community Charter contains promises, not legal guarantees.

It is not part of the planning permission.

It cannot be enforced through planning conditions.

Residents should be clear about the difference between aspirations and things that are legally secured.

5. Business Plans (OBP and FBC)

These are important Council documents about how the scheme is meant to work financially and are described as the “fundamental blueprint for the overall strategic direction for the long-term partnership” between BCC and the contractor.

They are not currently public but have been made available to us as part of a second legal challenge.

We have access to them and will refer to them in a formal consultation response.

Residents and councillors cannot currently see them, which limits transparency.  There is limited reference to these important documents in the papers for the 20 January 2026 Cabinet meeting.

6. What you can raise in your consultation response

You may want to ask:

• How will affordable housing actually be delivered?
• What happens if funding does not come through?
• Which protections are legally guaranteed?
• How will older and disabled residents be protected in practice?
• Why are key financial documents not public?
• Why has the “fundamental blueprint” document not been made publicly available?

This is a long‑term decision. It is reasonable to ask for clarity before it is approved.