Birmingham City Council has approved the planning application for the accommodation for Commonwealth athletes.

The council said its preparations to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games has ‘sprinted ahead’ with the approval of the first phase of a wider regeneration scheme which will provide around 1,400 new homes.

The properties are being built on the site of the former Birmingham City University campus and will accommodate around 6,500 athletes and officials coming to Birmingham for the games.

After the Games, the properties will be converted to provide around 1,400 new homes across a range of tenures – social and affordable rent, homes for sale, and for private rent – creating a new residential neighbourhood in Perry Barr.

The development, which has received £165m from the Government and £20m from the West Midlands Combined Authority, will also include a retirement village and a community centre.

‘I commend everyone involved with the development of this planning application,’ said Birmingham CC leader Cllr Ian Ward.

’It shows the “can do” attitude of the city council and its commitment to partnership working – by securing planning permission today, 364 days since the Games were awarded to Birmingham, we’ve successfully completed work that would normally a take a Host City three years to complete in just one.’

Cllr Sharon Thompson, cabinet member for homes and neighbourhoods, added: ‘Through this scheme we will provide people from across the Commonwealth sports movement a first-class home away from home when they come here for Birmingham 2022.

‘But longer-term and even more importantly, the Athletes’ Village will provide a place for 1,400 families to call home, part of a community that will be able to look back with pride at why and how their homes came to be built and look forward to living their lives in an improved Perry Barr.’

For more on this story read Cllr Ward and Birmingham CC's corporate director for economy Waheed Nazir's feature in The MJ (£).