Who we are

We are the Druids Heath and Moneyhall Neighbourhood Forum, representing residents of Druids Heath. This is a postwar housing estate on the southern edge of Birmingham. Many of us have lived here for generations – our children and grandchildren grew up here; our friends and families live around us. Druids Heath is our home, and we are proud of it.

 Photo credit: Rob Clayton

Our fight to save our homes

On 23 October 2025, the Planning Committee of the Birmingham City Council voted by a narrow margin (6-6, with the tie broken by the Chair) to approve outline planning permission to knock down most of Druids Heath. In total, 1,800 homes will be demolished to make way for 3,500 new ones, only 400 (11%) of which have been designated in the approved planning documents as affordable – 800 fewer than there are now.

Many of us believe that the regeneration plans of the Birmingham City Council will lead to gentrification – pensioners and working class people who have made this estate our homes will be displaced to make way for wealthier people.

We have tried over the years to make our voices heard, including by attending meetings at Birmingham City Council, but our concerns have gone unheeded. Our struggle for housing justice has been widely covered in the media, including by The Guardian, BBC and Birmingham Mail.

We are now in the process of exploring whether we can bring a legal challenge against the decision of the Birmingham City Council through judicial review. This fundraiser is to help us fund our challenge and save our homes.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere

Our fight has ramifications well beyond Druids Heath. It is well known that the UK is facing a housing crisis. Social housing is becoming increasingly scarce. For example, the number of social rented homes in England fell by 120,000 between 2012 and 2016. The loss of over 800 social homes in Druids Heath exacerbates an already dire state of affairs. We demand better. Our vision for Druids Heath and the UK on the whole is for a fairer, more just society, where good homes protected and cities are built for all, not just for the wealthy.

Why are we fundraising?

At this stage, we are trying to raise £3000 to cover the costs of the first stage of a legal challenge. We have instructed Leigh Day (our solicitors) and Alex Shattock of Landmark Chambers to review the background documents and write to the Council to explain that the decision was made unlawfully and to request them to withdraw the decision.

If the Council refuses, we will likely need to file a claim for judicial review challenging the decision in the High Court. We will need to raise £55,200 in total to meet the legal costs of filing a claim for judicial review.

As is evident, pursuing legal remedies is expensive, and, according to the recently released English Indices of Deprivation 2025, Druids Heath is ‘deprived’ on multiple markers of deprivation.

But we believe that upholding the rule of law and using the law to pursue social justice should be open to everyone, not just the rich and powerful.

We therefore seek your help. Please share this page and donate whatever you can to our fighting fund. 

Thanks very much for your support.