More affordable homes at Port Loop in Birmingham

Above: the village green at Port Loop - courtesy of Howells Architects for Urban Splash, Places for People and Birmingham City Council

West Midlands Combined Authority has been speaking about the Port Loop neighbourhood, which is being created on derelict industrial land in the heart of Birmingham. Another 58 homes have recently been completed including affordable apartments.

WMCA says:

'All of the 58 architect-designed, two-bedroom apartments in the newly completed Mansion House building are available to move into now, with 28 now available through the government-backed Shared Ownership scheme. 

'Shared Ownership enables aspiring homeowners to buy a portion of a property while paying a subsidised rent on the remaining share.

'The apartments have been built by developer Urban Splash in partnership with Places for People after the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) agreed a £13m investment to unlock the land for regeneration. Each apartment offers bright and spacious living areas, a private balcony and modern designs.'

WMCA says that Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands has made the construction of more social and affordable housing a key priority for the region:

'Since his election 12 months ago he has used West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) funding to unlock sites that will provide more than 1,000 affordable homes, including more than 500 homes for social rent.

'In January the Mayor announced a further £1.7m funding for Port Loop to provide another 124 social and affordable homes on five acres of the site.'

Speaking about the announcement, the Mayor said:

"Too many families are waiting too long for a safe, affordable place to call home because our region just doesn’t have enough houses that people can actually afford.

“Many are left with no choice but to live in private rentals that are often poorly regulated. For them, the prospect of owning their own home is nothing but a distant dream.

“They deserve better, and that’s why I have committed to building thousands of new social and affordable homes. Already we have funded over 500 social homes in the region – more than we’ve ever grant funded before.

“Port Loop shows how we can work with private partners like Urban Splash and Places for People to build high-quality, affordable homes that also create vibrant new communities that people feel connected to and proud of.”

Guy Ackernley, managing director, development and residential at Urban Splash, said:

"Our vision for Port Loop has always been about inclusivity – creating a neighbourhood where people from all walks of life can find a home that suits them.

“Whether through outright sale, rental, or shared ownership, we want to offer customers real choice. It’s brilliant to now be able to offer even more affordable options in this growing community."