More than one year on from Birmingham City Council’s decision to partner with Berkeley Group to regenerate central Ladywood, residents are still struggling to find answers about their future.

Shabana Mahmood has conducted a second survey of residents in partnership with Ladywood Unite, writing to over 1,600 households in the regeneration zone, with a focus on mental health and the direct impact the proposals are having on residents’ future plans.

Over the course of four weeks 167 people responded. Overwhelmingly, 86% reported a negative impact on their mental health. Residents also shared the mental health impact of the regeneration in their own words, with responses focused on the uncertainty surrounding the proposals.

Over 7 in 10 people rated the Council’s work so far as very bad.

Writing to the Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, Councillor Sharon Thompson, following the survey, Shabana has asked the council to move to finalise their agreement with Berkeley Group, to give residents certainty heading into the new year.

Commenting on the survey results, Shabana Mahmood MP said:

I was re-elected on a promise to survey residents living in the Ladywood regeneration zone, putting their voices at the heart of the discussion.

 

I’m pleased to be delivering on that election promise and publishing the results of my second regeneration survey today.

 

More than one year on, residents still feel in the dark about the regeneration.

 

In their own words, residents have told me that it’s stopping them from growing their families, investing in their businesses, and making essential repairs to their homes.

 

While I’m pleased to see the council start to change their approach to engagement, it’s clear that they now need to begin finalising an agreement with their chosen development partner.

 

We need to see progress and a renewed commitment to reflecting the concerns of Ladywood residents – and I will not stop fighting until their voices are heard.