350-home Longbridge bid passed

CITY planners have approved a development of more than 350 new homes in south Birmingham.

Regeneration specialist St Modwen has won the green light for the housing in Longbridge as part of its long-running redevelopment of the town on the former site of the MG Rover factories.

The project was approved at the latest meeting of Birmingham City Council’s planning committee.

Construction work is due to start in the autumn on the 75-acre site and be completed by the end of 2023.

Last year, West Midlands Combined Authority contributed £6 million of grant funding to support the redevelopment on the old MG ‘West Works’ site which is the last remaining plot to be built upon.

The brownfield land, opposite Longbridge Technology Park next to the A38, is one of largest remaining parts still to be redeveloped with work already underway on the site’s infrastructure. This latest phase builds on the 1,450 homes and 3,000 full-time jobs already delivered by St Modwen in the town while a new supermarket, hotel, technology park and Bournville College have all been delivered in recent years.

St Modwen’s senior director Rob Flavell said: “Housing has always been an integral part of our plans here at Longbridge.

“More businesses are coming to Longbridge and employees require good-quality, local housing.”

West Longbridge will also feature 27 acres of green space connected to the nearby Austin Park, including a mile of the River Rea which will open to the public for the first time.

West Midlands Mayor Andy Street added: “Securing planning permission for this latest development of housing represents yet another important step for the regeneration of Longbridge. For those of us familiar with the troubled history of this site, it really is brilliant to see the rejuvenation of Longbridge coming along.”