Athletes' village flats still empty a year on

The 968 flats remain empty and closed off to the public

Almost 1,000 flats that were originally earmarked for the 2022 Commonwealth Games athletes' village are standing empty almost a year after completion.

Residents living near the complex in Perry Barr said they felt like the apartments "were laughing at us".

They were not completed in time for the Games and were finally finished in April 2023.

Birmingham City Council said it expected to be "welcoming the first families into their new homes from spring 2024".

Although the properties are yet to be occupied, they are available to buy.

However, Liberal Democrat councillor Jon Hunt said there had been reports the valuations were not being accepted by some mortgage providers, which considered them too high.

An artist's impression of Perry Barr Station and Birchfield Gateway showed how the area was expected to look when projects were finished

"People seem willing to pay the prices, but they won't give them the mortgages at those values," he said.

He highlighted the state of the area and the number of unfinished developments.

"There’s a general problem that there were some wildly overambitious ideas and you might walk around here and think that the area is a little bit blighted."

The apartments are now being marketed for between about £157,000 and £229,500.

Of the 968 properties, 312 are designated as affordable housing.

They were initially available under the government's First Homes pilot, which would have given first-time buyers 30% off.

The city council said that was now being replaced by a discounted scheme, although it is unclear how that compares with the government offer.

A spokesperson for the local authority said there had been "significant interest despite fluctuation in the housing market".

Taken as a whole, the past year has been a turbulent one for those seeking mortgages.

The first apartments are expected to be occupied in the coming months, about a year after they were completed

For some residents, the fact the development remains empty has highlighted the issue of homelessness.

A resident of a local women’s refuge centre said she walked past the empty flats every day.

She said they were "just sitting up there looking at us - it feels like they’re laughing at us".

"There’s so many women and homeless people around Birmingham who would be so grateful to have a space to call home," she added.

Another resident, Rich Krawcyk, said: "It's shocking to see such a big investment empty- it's money wasted.

"That money could’ve been spent on other things, there’s a lot of homeless people in the area that need housing."

Councillor Jon Hunt said the area seemed like "a fantasy village" at the moment

The Perry Barr residential scheme is part of a £700m regeneration project by Birmingham City Council, which has been ongoing since 2020.

The project pledges to deliver "new homes, improvements to public transport, walking and cycling routes, new community facilities and lively public spaces".

David Griffiths, who works locally, said: "I’m sure it’ll work, but I don’t think it's worked at the moment.

"I'm not quite sure what Alexandra stadium is being used for, it doesn't look particularly busy."

Ahmed Ravat, who has lived in the area for 50 years, said residents had "had to put up with a lot of traffic chaos", describing the project as "a shambles".

Graffiti spray painted on the side of Perry Barr residential scheme barriers reflected frustration over the empty properties

Mr Hunt, who represents the Perry Barr ward, said he hoped the widespread cynicism associated with the project would ultimately "turn out to be unjustified".

He said there were "some quite exciting plans for the area, but we just don’t know if they’re going to happen at the moment".

He added the developments had "stopped and stalled", highlighting an overspend by a council "exasperated by the demands of the Commonwealth Games".

"Just £1m could have rebuilt the library and community centres," he added.

In a statement, the city council said the "award-winning scheme" would provide "much needed housing in north west Birmingham".