Deal signed for Edgbaston’s Tower Ballroom reboot
Plans to build almost 100 affordable homes in Edgbaston have moved forward, after Staffordshire housebuilder Keon exchanged contracts for the site with Birmingham City Council this week.
Plans for the historic Tower Ballroom site were revealed in November last year, after the city council appointed Keon as the preferred developer for the scheme.
A total of 95 homes will be built on behalf of housing association Midland Heart, while the former ballroom venue will be redeveloped as a public walkway and square.
Construction work is expected to start in early 2027, subject to planning approval.
“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,” said Oliver Thompson, senior land manager at Keon Homes.
“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.”
Midlands Heart says the scheme will form part of its plans to build more than 1,200 new affordable homes by 2028, announced earlier this year.
Joe Reeves, Deputy Chief Executive at Midland Heart, said: “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.”
The deal was arranged by Avison Young.
