Birmingham council to sell more landmark sites in budget push

National World - LocalTV

Birmingham City Council is considering selling more of its property portfolio to help close its budget gap – including police HQ, historic buildings, and development sites. Supporters say the sales could bring jobs and housing. Critics warn the city risks losing valuable public assets.

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00:00Birmingham's bankruptcy didn't just wipe out confidence in the council, it's now rewriting

00:08the city's map. This lightest sell-off could see everything from police headquarters to park

00:13lodges pass into private hands. The council says the goal is simple, turn assets into cash to help

00:19tackle its budget black hole. But the list reads like a property catalogue for developers,

00:25Lloyd House in Colmore Circus, the former Cascade swimming baths in Stetchford, a Victorian cottage

00:31at Sutton Park's Midland Gite and a jewellery quarter block earmarked for partial redevelopment.

00:38There's also a disused nursery in Sutton Caulfield, empty offices in Erdington and Sturchley and a

00:44core retail asset in the city centre, once home to the Birmingham Gazette. Some sites are already

00:50attracting interest with promises of jobs, housing and community facilities if deals go through.

00:57Others will need heavy investment before they're usable again. It's part of a wider disposal programme

01:03that's already seen the sale of major sites since the start of last year. Critics say it's a short-term

01:09fix that risks stripping the city of spices that could serve future generations. Supporters argue

01:16that hanging on to vacant buildings is a luxury Birmingham can't afford when it's cutting services

01:21elsewhere. If approved, the council will be banking on buyers who can deliver more than just a cheque

01:28and a city willing to live with the cost of selling parts of itself to stay afloat. And while the sales

01:34might bring in millions, the bigger question reminds whether this approach can ever rebuild public

01:40trust in how Birmingham is run.

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