From Skyline to Streets: Driving Residential Regeneration in the West Midlands
2025 has seen strong progress in residential delivery across the West Midlands. Landmark schemes in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton are transforming skylines, and bringing forward thousands of new homes, all in line with the ambitions set out in the West Midlands Growth Plan. The region’s housing market remains highly active, With a fast population growth of 370,000 over 20 years, residential developments are critical – and the West Midlands is mobilising to meet demand.
What’s particularly encouraging is that these schemes are building momentum at a time when the national picture for housing remains challenging. Across the UK, higher build and capital costs, skills shortages and planning backlog have all put pressure on the residential market. Yet the West Midlands continues to demonstrate resilience, demand, and a strong appetite for high-quality new homes.
Birmingham: Density, Design and Delivery
Birmingham’s skyline continues to evolve at pace, a visible reflection of a city in transformation. The cranes that shape its horizon speak not only of construction but, signal confidence, investment, and ambition. A residential pipeline of 33,000 units promises to change the face of the city.
- One Eastside: delivered by Sphere Group and PIC: is becoming the city’s new 51 story residential landmark in the UK outside London.
- The Octagon: the striking 49-storey tower funded by CDL as part of the Paradise scheme delivered by MEPC.
- MODA’s Great Charles Street: bringing 722 homes to a key gateway site for the Jewellery Quarter, and 1 Beorma Place, funded by Salhia Real Estate, which adds 124 apartments alongside new commercial space.
While build-to-rent continues to dominate completions (around 60% of Birmingham’s 2024 delivery), new schemes like Sphere Group’s Edition are also returning to a build-to-sell model on the market, reinforcing the city’s diversity of product and tenure. Collectively, these projects reflect the Council’s ambition to drive residential density upwards by more than 368%, creating a vibrant, mixed and sustainable city core, one capable of attracting and retaining talent, supporting local businesses, and sustaining economic growth.
Coventry: Market-Making Regeneration
In Coventry, construction has begun on City Centre South, a partnership between Hill Group and Shearer Property, with Legal & General funding the affordable homes. This transformational scheme will bring:
- 991 new homes part of phase one, 1,575 houses across all phases, new homes ranging from private, for sale, and build-to-rent
- This scheme will bring 200 affordable homes
- Pedestrian-friendly routes connecting this quarter to the city centre, Friargate and the new Coventry Cultural Gateway Centre
- Transport initiatives including cycle parking, new cycle hire docking stations, car club spaces and working with the Coventry Very Light Railway
What does this mean for Coventry?
City Centre South embodies the West Midlands Growth Plan’s vision of regeneration at scale, bringing new tenures, energy-efficient design, and city-centre living back into focus.
In a year when the UK housing market has felt the strain of higher costs, City Centre South stands out as a rare example of major regeneration still moving at pace. It shows that the West Midlands is not sitting back and waiting for national conditions to improve. With thousands of new homes, fresh commercial space and a people-focused city-centre neighbourhood taking shape, the scheme proves there is both confidence and institutional capital behind Coventry’s future.
Sitting within the Coventry Growth Arc City Centre South connects the £2.5bn Coventry & Warwick Investment Zone with new residential, cultural, and business districts. The corridor offers investors a direct route into Britain’s clean growth economy.
Public and private investment are working in sync here.
Wolverhampton: Unlocking City-Centre Potential
The West Midlands is committed to meeting the rising housing needs, which creates opportunities to invest at scale across a diverse range of sites from large city-centre mixed-use schemes and edge-of-centre developments to suburban low-rise projects, whole estate regeneration, and community-led housing initiatives. Underpinned by major transport investment, these projects are unlocking sites and driving the region’s residential transformation.
Wolverhampton is fast becoming a leading case study in urban renewal. Smithgate has moved from planning approval to Mayoral funding, with work now cleared to start, estimated to break ground early in 2026, signalling real momentum in the city’s core.
Wavensmere is now delivering on Canalside South, and with construction underway, the scale and ambition of the scheme are visible to all arriving in Wolverhampton by train. The development’s canals and waterside spaces bring character and life to the city, while its thoughtful design illustrate how brownfield regeneration can create both vibrant public spaces and commercial value.
Paragon Living has transformed the former Sunbeam factory into a market-making, high-quality build-to-rent scheme of 186 units that preserves the structure’s historical significance. With the first phase nearing full occupation, phase two has launched indicating proven demand, in secondary locations.
Wolverhampton is visibly transforming. Smithgate, Canalside South, and Sunbeam illustrate how targeted regeneration can breathe new life into historic areas, attract residents and businesses, and position the city as a vibrant hub in the West Midland.
In Digbeth, Latimer’s scheme at Clyde Street is delivering affordable homes as part of a major regeneration zone. In Wolverhampton, WHG’s redevelopment of the former Fountain Hospital site is adding much-needed housing while preserving community value. Yardley Brook and ongoing work at Willenhall further demonstrate that social and affordable delivery remains central to the region’s housing strategy.
This approach reflects the mayor’s focus on inclusive growth and echoes the principles of the West Midlands Growth Plan: building in well-connected places, supporting densification of town centres, re-using brownfield land, and linking housing to transport, employment and wider regeneration. By integrating new residential and affordable homes with mixed-use development and public infrastructure, the region is ensuring that growth is sustainable, connected and community-led.
Shaping the region’s next chapter
The West Midlands housing pipeline remains one of the most investable in the UK. Projects such as West Bromwich town centre, Smithfield Birmingham, Mell Square in Solihull, Willenhall, and Spon End in Coventry are set to deliver thousands of new homes over the next few years.
All are shaped by the same principles found in the Growth Plan, building in well-connected places, supporting densification of town centres, re-using brownfield land, and linking housing to transport and employment. With the region targeting delivery of 120,000 new homes, this integrated approach is key to maintaining pace and resilience.
The momentum seen across the West Midlands in 2025 demonstrates a maturing residential market built on strong public-private partnerships, targeted investment and clear strategic direction. The story is consistent, this is a region delivering on its plan.
Real Estate and Regeneration Events
In 2026, the West Midlands will once again be attending both MIPIM and UKREiiF to promote our amazing region on the global stage.
We’re currently looking for partners to join our delegation at both events. If you’re ready to shape our international presence and stand alongside public and private sector leaders, showcasing the UK’s most investable region, register your interest.
Social and affordable delivery: Inclusive growth in practice