Works to start at Icknield Port

Work on the next phase of a high-profile urban development scheme in Birmingham will get underway this month.

Keon Homes, working in partnership with sister company Cameron Homes and housing association Midland Heart, has agreed a land-led deal to commence works on phases 3A, B and C on the Icknield Port Loop Development, building 124 units over the next two years.

Part of the broader urban regeneration development, these phases will see construction of two, three and four-bedroom homes, alongside a small apartment block that straddles the canal corner and will be sympathetic to the heritage of the site.

All homes will be spacious and zero carbon ready, incorporating electric heating, hot water heat pumps and generating localised electricity through solar panels.

Phase three will involve timber frame construction with a fabric first approach and community neighbourhood gardens that will be at the heart of the scheme. 

It’s a positive outcome for Birmingham’s affordable housing situation after two previous developers had gone into administration, delaying the full impact of one of the city’s most iconic projects.

“As a Brummie born and bred, I’m delighted that we have found a solution that will eventually bring this next phase of the project to life,” saidd Warren Bolton, director of Keon Homes.

“It has been nine months in the making, but thanks to our strong partnership with Midland Heart and our ability to bring our sister business Cameron Homes into the mix, we were able to meet all the expectations and are now looking to build this flagship scheme out. 

“There is a desperate need for more affordable homes in the city and Icknield Port Loop was starting to meet some of these requirements. This is not just about ‘bricks and mortar’, this is about creating a thriving community that is just 15 minutes’ walk from everything Birmingham has to offer and will boast fantastic open spaces.”

Work will start shortly, with more than 50 people in the supply chain working to build 21 units for shared ownership sales and the remainder for social rent, ideal for local people, young couples and families.  

Keon Homes will also be looking to work alongside the Noel Sweeney Foundation and other charities to ensure employment opportunities and a lasting positive legacy are left during the two years it is on site.

The firm is expecting the scheme to take just under two years to complete, with the first properties set to be handed over in Spring 2025.