The scheme will be built in Ladywood, close to the Birmingham main line canal

Icknield Square PfP

A CGI of how the apartments facing Icknield Port Loop Canal will look

Howells’ plans to deliver 234 canalside apartments in Birmingham have been approved by the council.

The 234 homes, designed for Places for People, will be delivered across three interlinked blocks between four and 10 storeys in height. The site is located in Ladywood, just west of Birmingham city centre.

As part of the section 106 agreement, Places for People proposed a 10% provision of affordable housing, equally split between First Home units and shared ownership homes, discounted at 30% of market rate.

Birmingham council’s policy is that 35% of homes on major developments should be affordable.

However, after assessing the viability assessment submitted by Places for People, the council said that the current offer of 10% market discounted homes for both shared ownership and first homes “would be the option with the greatest benefit to the city”.

The site, which borders Birmingham main line canal and Icknield Port Loop Canal, has a Grade II-listed footbridge.

The existing footbridge structure will be retained, but Places for People will carry out works to replace a revetment wall with a parapet wall, to improve access.

The development will deliver 196sqm of commercial floor space, a new public square, on-street parking spaces and cycle storage racks.