Port Loop newest phase

Birmingham’s ‘island community’ 15 minutes from city centre seeks new permissions

Tom Cramp - Local Democracy Reporter | Tuesday 25th April 2023 7:52am

One of Birmingham’s most unique neighbourhoods could enter its next phase this week ahead of a big city council meeting. The Ickneild Port Loop on the banks of the canal in Ladywood already has many people living in its space grey townhouses, but much work on the 43-acre project is still to be done.

The scheme won its first planning approval back in 2013 but work did not start until 2017. Once finished, Port Loop will contain 1,150 homes, a community hub, office spaces, public green space, playgrounds, and the new Ladywood Leisure Centre and swimming pool to the south.

To find this island community, you only need to head east along Birmingham’s Old Main Line Canal from the city centre for around 15 minutes. It is a modern housing estate with a heavy emphasis on green living and community spirit – hence why ‘love thy neighbour’ is its golden rule.

Developers are looking to enter the next stage of construction this week pending a decision from Birmingham City Council’s planning committee. Some proposed updates include reworking the central park into a linear park that stretches across the estate, a new canal access route for pedestrians and cyclists, adjusting some building heights, and some new plot layouts.

As part of the scheme’s masterplan, some industrial space will be redeveloped to create Tubeworks – the community hub with a coffee shop, co-working space, parcel delivery hub, micro-brewery and more. The meeting on Thursday, April 27, will decide whether some buildings initially earmarked for demolition to make way for this space can be retained.

Ten objections were submitted to Birmingham City Council in relation to the newest updates. Locals are concerned about the potential for loss of light from seven-storey apartment buildings on Ickneild Port Road, and said the new plans cram more housing onto the site for which there is not enough parking.

At this stage, planning documents indicate five out of a possible 28 phases have been completed. The first batch of homes was made available in 2019 with an emphasis on families, starting from £349,000 and reaching up to £420,000.

Many of the houses have been built off-site and can be custom-made depending on how much space the buyer wants. They are then transported to the site and craned into position.

The name Ickneild Port Loop comes from the project’s location on an island just off Ickneild Port Road, created by a loop in the canal. The site is jointly owned by Birmingham City Council and charity the Canal and River Trust.

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