Dozens of new affordable homes for Birmingham families are set to be built in Edgbaston after a deal was signed between Birmingham City Council and Keon Homes.
A total of 95 affordable homes, including some proposed for social rent and some in shared ownership, are to be built on site. Keon Homes will work with housing association, Midland Heart, to build the 95-strong mix of apartments (1 and 2 beds) and family homes (2, 3 and 4 beds). Under the plans, the site of the former Tower Ballroom will be transformed into a fully accessible public walkway and square.
Additionally, the development will feature an enhanced landscaping area of at least 25m on the water’s edge that could improve the local nature reserve provision. Construction work is expected to start in early 2027, with the development forming part of a wider project set to create 3,000 new homes across key Birmingham sites. Councillor Sharon Thompson, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills, said: “The Tower Ballroom redevelopment aims to create a vibrant new community, offering high‑quality energy efficient affordable homes and attractive outdoor spaces.
“It will give residents the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of waterside living while remaining just a short distance from the city centre. Delivering more decent affordable homes for Birmingham families is a key priority for this council. Every project like this helps us move closer to our goal of building 2,000 homes a year that create thriving communities and transform people’s lives.
"We have consulted extensively with the public over many years to regenerate the area – and we have listened to the feedback and made changes to the development to deliver a site.” Oliver Thompson, Senior Land Manager at Keon Homes, added his support: “We are delighted to have finally exchanged contracts on this historic and distinctive development site within Birmingham, adding to our growing portfolio of schemes across the Midlands.
“This milestone reflects the huge amount of work that has been undertaken by all parties, including months of collaboration between Birmingham City Council, Midland Heart and ourselves. The focus now is on submitting our planning application for the scheme, with the genuine hope of starting the development in early 2027, eventually delivering 95 high-quality homes alongside attractive landscaped areas and public open space to benefit the local community.” In addition to creating much-needed affordable housing, Keon Homes is committed to creating a landmark scheme for one of Birmingham’s most iconic developments.
This will include two areas of attractive landscaping, which will enhance the biodiversity of the local area whilst creating green spaces that can be utilised by the local community.
Plans have also been lodged to refurbish the Grade II listed Reservoir Lodge into a new hub that will house communal areas and meeting spaces for local charities and community groups. Cllr Nicky Brennan, Cabinet Member for Housing and Homelessness, added:
“In the last year alone, the council has delivered 1,000 affordable homes.
“I am delighted to see that the plans for Tower Ballroom will continue that delivery by building 95 high-quality, affordable homes on such an attractive and historic site.” The development forms part of Midland Heart’s wider £295 million investment programme in Birmingham, which will deliver 1,200 new affordable homes by 2028. The Tower Ballroom site is a particularly important milestone, as the organisation plans to build on the learnings from its low‑carbon Project 80 developments and create a net‑zero neighbourhood of scale, well ahead of incoming national sustainability standards.
Joe Reeves, Deputy Chief Executive at Midland Heart, concluded: “We’re pleased to be working with Birmingham City Council and Keon Homes to bring forward plans for this landmark site.
“The former Tower Ballroom is an iconic location in the city’s landscape and transforming it into much‑needed affordable homes marks an important step for Birmingham. This is also where we plan to deliver our next generation of sustainable homes. The scheme is being designed to meet a new national net zero standard coming into force in 2026 and, to our knowledge, will be among the first in the country to adopt this standard.”
