Plan to retain athletes' flats for social housing

Plans to retain more than 200 homes for social housing in the Perry Barr complex have been revealed.

The flats, originally built as part of the 2022 Commonwealth Games Athletes' Village, have been sitting empty since completion in April 2023.

Birmingham City Council said the proposals would provide a "welcome boost to the supply of high-quality council homes" if approved.

The authority confirmed that the sale of three plots was recommended for approval, which would bring an additional 755 new apartments onto the market.

The report added that 23,000 people were waiting for social housing in Birmingham and some of those given the new homes would currently be in council-funded temporary accomodation.

This would reduce the requirements for affordable housing from other plots, which could "increase their value to external bidders".

A decision on the homes is expected by the council's cabinet on 23 July.

Councillor Sharon Thompson described Perry Barr as a place where "people are proud to live in and a destination of choice for visitors”.

The demand for accommodation in Birmingham had never been higher as the country faced a "severe" national housing crisis, councillor Jayne Francis said.

She added that the authority had attracted investment to deliver 968 new homes in Perry Barr, with a proportion available for council housing if approved.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

Follow BBC Birmingham on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: [email protected]