Homes England has entered into a building lease with Vistry for the delivery of 750 homes and a retail convenience store at the former City Hospital site in Birmingham.

The development will comprise the demolition of most of the existing hospital buildings to provide 698 new homes and the conversion of the former infirmary building to provide a further 52 one and two-bedroom apartments.

Vistry already has planning permission to build the 698 new-build homes at the site and recently secured further planning permission for the conversion of the infirmary. Across the scheme, 35% of the homes will be affordable housing, made up of a mix of tenures to satisfy local need.

Fully vacating the City Hospital took extensive collaboration across three public sector bodies – Homes England, Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust and Birmingham City Council – and with the site now fully decommissioned, patients and staff have transferred to the Midland Metropolitan Hospital, which opened in October 2024.

Preparation of the City Hospital site has already begun, with asbestos removal works starting in December 2025 to ensure a safe demolition. Following completion of the demolition, construction is expected to commence in the second half of 2026, with the first homes due to complete in early 2027.

Mike Goulding, director of development at Homes England, said: “This development marks a new chapter for a historic site, bringing much-needed, high-quality homes – with over a third as affordable housing – to this part of Birmingham. We’ve worked closely with the NHS Trust, Birmingham City Council and the local community to enable a smooth and safe transition from a working hospital to a site ready for demolition and construction.”

Michael Moore, managing director of Vistry North West Midlands, added: “This major regeneration scheme will transform a challenging brownfield site into 750 high-quality, mixed tenure homes and new commercial uses. We share the government’s ambition to deliver new homes at scale and pace, and by working closely with Homes England and Birmingham City Council we can create a vibrant, sustainable new community that will not only meet the housing needs of the area but will bring both regeneration and valuable investment into the city.”