Ladywood residents fear being 'pushed out and forgotten'

Laura Kudrna said people were unsure about the future of the area

Residents said they fear being "pushed away and forgotten" amid a plan to demolish 2,000 homes on an estate.

The £2.2bn regeneration scheme, earmarked for the Ladywood estate in Birmingham, would make way for 7,000 new properties.

Families said it could mean losing a close-knit community. They also said they have had no information from the council.

Birmingham City Council has pledged to work more closely with residents.

Properties in an area stretching roughly from the Utilita Arena to Ladywood Middleway could be demolished under compulsory purchase orders.

The Ladywood Unites group was formed when residents heard the news.

"Over 2,000 people are affected by this and they just don't know what's going to happen next," Laura Kudrna, one of the organisers, said.

"It's not as if the council sent us letters saying that our homes are at risk of a compulsory purchase order - instead we've had to find out from the news.

"We need to make sure that Ladywood has the best deal for it."

Ron Steadman's family have lived in Ladywood for generations but he now fears for his children

Ron Steadman, 74, has lived in Ladywood all his life. He said he had seen his daughter in tears due to the stress and uncertainty of the situation.

"I want something for my family, friends and children that are going to grow up, are they going to be just pushed away and forgotten?"

Many residents said they had learned from media articles land and homes would be demolished under compulsory purchase orders.

Leah Swinyard says residents learned about the plans though media articles

"It's awful to be in this position, for them to put this on us and give us no information about it," said Leah Swinyard, who has lived in the area since December 2020.

For David Keynes, if the plans go ahead, he would lose the home he has lived in all his life.

He said "It's absolutely terrible. The community is coming together and we are going to stay strong."

David Keynes was born is his house in Ladywood and has lived there ever since

The estate, in the west of the city, is Birmingham's eighth most populous ward with 42.8% of residents aged between 25 and 44.

The council has recommended St Joseph Homes Ltd as the developer for the project, which is expected to take 20 years to complete.

Under plans to transform 60 hectares of the estate, schools, businesses, churches pubs and community services would also be bulldozed down.

Ladywood is closed in the west of the city and contains the majority of the city centre

Birmingham City Council cabinet member for housing, Jayne Francis, said the authority had apologised for previously putting on a meeting when dozens of residents were unable to attend.

"We're going to be much more systematic about who we consult with to make sure everyone in Ladywood can have their input into the process," she said.

She added the plans had not yet been signed off, saying the aim was to create a "different type of neighbourhood with improved community and health facilities".

Initial consultation is due to start in September and she promised that "no-one is going to be turfed out of their house", adding: "There will be an offer made at some point."