Birmingham City Council has celebrated the completion of the first home of 293 new homes it is delivering, as part of a £26 million house building programme, which began in January 2010.
The new family homes are being delivered through the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust on council owned land, which has been donated for free.
The council is working well ahead of the Government’s deadline to have homes complete by March 2011 and is the first authority in the West Midlands to complete external works to its first home, in Brooklea Grove, Kings Norton, as part of the Local Authority New Build programme.
Birmingham City Council was joined by its partners, Coleshill-based firm Frank Haslam Milan (FHM) West Midlands, a Keepmoat delivery company, which delivered the first home, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), council tenant representatives and apprentices working on the scheme, amongst others, to mark this important step forward.
18 year-old apprentices Jonathan Schwarm (apprentice plumber) and Harry Brindley (apprentice plasterer), who are learning new skills and helping deliver new homes, were proud to be a part of the day.
Training and employment opportunities were created with the developers, through jobs and apprenticeships, helping tackle unemployment within the city, particularly amongst younger people.
Councillor John Lines, Cabinet Member for Housing at Birmingham City Council, said: “This marks yet another significant milestone in the development of our first new build council homes, through the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust. The first of 500 we aim to build each year.
“I am delighted by the progress made by our partners FHM and it will not be too long before the first houses are handed over and families found for these wonderful new homes.
“I would like to thank the HCA for helping us to achieve our ambition and I am sure they will continue to work with us in the future. I’m sure these homes will be the cornerstone of the community and complement the wider regeneration in Kings Norton, the ‘Big Change’.
“Thanks also to our young apprentices who are working hard to help deliver 43 new homes on this site. I am sure FHM are looking after them well are providing with them skills they will be able to use for the rest of their lives.”
David Rhead, Birmingham Area Manager for HCA West Midlands added: “We are pleased to have supported Birmingham through the local authority new build programme and the strong partnership between the HCA, Birmingham City Council and FHM is demonstrated in the scheme being one of the first in the country to complete local authority homes. We look forward to further completions here and support the city’s ambition for this community.”
Fraser Mercer, Managing Director of FHM West Midlands said: “We are very proud to be building the first council properties in Birmingham for the first three decades. We are delighted to have completed the first plot at Brooklea Grove, we have a fantastic working partnership with BMHT which has enabled FHM to play their own part investing in the city’s economy and creating new jobs.”
The council’s house building plans represent Birmingham’s first major council house building programme in almost three decades.
The council is confident that the homes could be ready to be occupied later this year. All homes will meet high quality design and environmental standards which will reduce running costs and energy bills for residents.
In January this year, Birmingham City Council was also the first local authority to gear up to deliver new homes for social rent as builders in Kings Norton, Hodge Hill Sparkbrook and Handsworth started works to supply 129 new council homes as part of the first phase of building.
The second phase of building began in April on sites in Northfield, Ladywood, Handsworth and Saltley, when for the first time the council started building 164 new family homes for sale, with social rent, side by side, providing mixed tenure developments and excellent housing choices for Birmingham’s families.
Ends
Notes to editors
For images from the day visit:
http://www.catersphotosonline.co.uk/FHM_Brooklea_TO/
For further information contact Belinder Kaur Lidher on 0121 303 6969
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There are too many houses (and people) in Birmingham already. Should instead be building houses where they are needed, such as in the country where food can be produced locally, and in/near the foreign countries where people are coming from.