Attwood Green in Birmingham has been transformed – and the design of the new homes means that people are now queuing up to live there.

It’s all a far cry from the situation a few year ago, when residents staged roof-top protests and sit-ins to draw attention to what they themselves termed “the slum quarter of Birmingham”. 

Attwood Green is made up of five former local authority estates, built between the 1950s and the 1970s, which included the two tallest social housing blocks in the UK. Over time the area became characterised by a high turnover of tenants, empty and derelict homes, falling school rolls and ‘no-go’ areas.

Residents voted to transfer ownership from the local council to a housing association, Optima Community Association, in 1999. Since then, they have been involved in the area’s transformation. Some serve on the board and others have been involved in the plans to redevelop the estates. Many helped select the contractors, after deciding what types of properties they would like to live in.

Between 1999 and 2005, 1,150 properties were refurbished and 1,400 unsatisfactory homes demolished. Almost 2,000 homes are now being built for private sale as well as 550 homes for rental.

Work also includes an outstanding new park, subway closures, transport improvements, significant infrastructure work and the formulation of a community arts strategy.

Residents love the changes. Natalie Brade, who took part in a campaign to improve the area back in 1996, says, “I’m back on the estate that I’ve helped to change, along with a lot of other people. The quality of the houses is absolutely fantastic. They’re beautiful.”

Fellow resident Paul Walsh agrees. “It’s been a long process, but they’ve turned a rough stone into a diamond.”