Birmingham City Council has recently published a number of reports setting out properties it is proposing to dispose of across the city.
These reports are in the public domain, but they sit across different committees and documents, which can make it difficult to get a clear picture of what is included and what stage each property is at.
We’ve brought together a list of the properties currently identified, what they are, and what the next steps may be.
Two routes for property disposals
The Council is progressing disposals through two main routes:
1. Assets held in Trusts and Charities
These were considered by the Full Council acting as Trustee on 24 March 2026.
In this case, the Council is not acting as a standard property owner, but as a trustee, meaning these assets are held for public or charitable purposes.
The report set out a number of properties and sought approval in principle to progress their disposal, subject to further steps such as valuations and, where required, approval from the Charity Commission.
The properties listed include:
- Former park keeper’s lodges at:
- Calthorpe Park (Balsall Heath West)
- Harborne Park (Harborne)
- Selly Oak Park (Weoley & Selly Oak)
- Community and public buildings:
- Moseley Road Community Centre (Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East)
- Calthorpe Park Play Centre (Balsall Heath West)
- Bartley Green Library (Bartley Green)
- Selly Oak Library (Weoley & Selly Oak)
- Other sites:
- Sarehole Mill Building (Hall Green North)
- 98 Queensbridge Road (Highbury Estate, Moseley)
- Bockleton Field Study Centre (outside Birmingham)
- The Elford Estate (outside Birmingham)
What happens next for these assets?
Because these properties are held in Trusts and Charities:
- The Council must follow specific legal processes, including Section 119 requirements
- Independent valuations are required before disposal
- Some disposals may require Charity Commission approval
- Each property will be considered individually
In many cases, the proposed approach is disposal by lease, rather than outright sale, particularly for community buildings.
2. Assets not held in Trusts and Charities
These were considered by the Cabinet Property Committee (February and March 2026).
These are properties the Council owns directly and is proposing to dispose of as part of its wider asset strategy.
They include:
Larger buildings
- Oakhill Centre, Harborne (former children’s home / offices)
- Thornbury Centre, Aston (former school / offices)
- Halescroft Centre, Northfield (former youth offending centre)
- Victoria Common building, Northfield (former “Sons of Rest” building)
Land and garage sites
Over 20 smaller sites, typically former garages or small parcels of land, proposed for freehold disposal and often intended for housing development. Found across the city in areas including:
- Small Heath
- Tyseley & Hay Mills
- Kingstanding & Oscott
- Bartley Green
- Longbridge & West Heath
- Yardley & Shard End
What does “disposal” mean?
In Council reports, “disposal” can mean different things depending on the asset.
For example:
- Freehold sale (permanent transfer of ownership)
- Leasehold disposal (long-term lease, often up to 25 years)
- Assignment or surrender of existing leases
For trust and charity assets in particular, disposal is often expected to be through lease arrangements, reflecting their public or charitable status.
Why this matters
Taken together, these lists include a wide range of assets. For many people, these are places that have had a local use or identity, even if they are currently vacant or underused.
While the reports describe them as “surplus” property, they may also represent potential opportunities for:
- Community use
- Local service delivery
- Social enterprise activity
- Partnerships with the public sector
Opportunities for community organisations
Some of the properties listed, particularly, community centres, libraries, and park buildings may be of interest to local organisations, charities, and social enterprises.
There are established routes through which organisations can get involved, including:
- Long-term lease arrangements
- Community asset transfer
- Partnership or meanwhile use
For trust and charity assets especially, there may be an expectation that future use continues to deliver community or public benefit.
How we can support
At Save Birmingham, we work with community organisations, social enterprises, and local groups across the city and region.
If your organisation is interested in any of the properties listed, or is exploring the idea of taking on a building or land, we can support with:
- Understanding the process and options available
- Assessing feasibility and risks
- Developing proposals and business plans
- Navigating Council processes
If you’d like to explore any of the opportunities highlighted here, or want to understand more about what’s happening locally, feel free to get in touch via contact@savebirmingham.org
We’re here to help organisations make informed decisions and, where appropriate, take forward opportunities that benefit their communities.
