Keon gets the nod for ‘iconic’ Brum ballroom site

Nearly 100 affordable homes and apartments will be built on the site of the former Tower Ballroom in Edgbaston – after Staffordshire developer Keon Homes was named as the council’s preferred developer for the scheme.

The venue was originally a roller-skating rink when it opened to the public in 1876, later becoming a dance hall, but its doors slammed shut for the final time in 2017.

Now, Burntwood-based Keon is working up a 95-home scheme of houses and apartments in association with social housing group Midland Heart, with a planning application expected to land with Birmingham City Council’s planning department early next year.

As part of the scheme, Keon says the grade two-listed Reservoir Lodge will be converted into a new hub facility, which could house communal areas and meeting spaces that support local charities and community groups.

Matt Beckley, Partnership Director of Keon Homes, said: “The Tower Ballroom is an iconic location in Birmingham, and we are delighted that we have been chosen to bring it back to life – providing much needed affordable housing and, importantly, a fantastic public space on the edge of the city.

“The mix of apartments and homes have been selected to make the most of the available space, whilst placing views of the reservoirs at the centre of the scheme – both for people living there and those spending time in the newly landscaped gardens we’ll be creating.

“We’ll be delivering high quality, energy efficient properties on behalf of Midland Heart, a housing association we already have a proven track record with following work at nearby Port Loop and at Holyhead Road in Coventry.”

The development sits on the banks of Edgbaston Reservoir, the second largest body of water in Birmingham, built by Thomas Telford in 1824 to supply the array of new canals being built in the West Midlands to support the region’s industrial boom.

The Tower Ballroom building and grounds was owned by Butlins during the 1940’s and was used as a rifle range by the home guard during the first World War, before the site was bought out by Birmingham City Council in 1956 and leased out for various entertainment purposes until its close in 2017.

Plans for housing on the site had been mooted since 2005, and a subsequent campaign to have the site listed floundered in 2022, leading to the building’s demolition shortly afterwards.

Keon says it hopes to begin work on site in early 2027, subject to planning approval next year.