Plans to construct a crucial safe centre for highly vulnerable children in Birmingham have moved a significant step closer to becoming a reality.
A Vital Facility for the Region's Most Vulnerable
Birmingham Children’s Trust is seeking planning permission to demolish existing buildings at 18 Gravelly Hill North in Erdington. The site will be redeveloped into a specialist residential home named the West Midlands Safe Centre. This facility is designed to support children from across the West Midlands region who are in acute need.
The proposed centre will offer 20 bedrooms for boys and girls aged between 10 and 17 years old. It will provide more than just accommodation, incorporating integrated healthcare, educational, and sports facilities. The home will specifically cater to children who have experienced trauma, have unmet emotional needs, or have faced significant instability in their lives.
Addressing a Critical National Shortage
The driving force behind the project is a severe lack of appropriate facilities nationally. Project officials stated that, on average, 60 children across the country are waiting for a secure welfare bed at any one time. Currently, there is no such facility nearby for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands, forcing local authorities to place children far from home at a high cost.
"This essential development will aid the much-needed demand for this service for children in need in Birmingham and across the West Midlands," a planning document explained. "It will save the high cost of getting their support elsewhere."
Planning Recommendation and Site Details
A council officer's report has recommended the scheme for approval, concluding it would provide a safe, high-quality living, leisure, and education facility while enhancing the area's character. The report found no significant impact on neighbour amenity, highway safety, or infrastructure.
The site is currently occupied by a three-storey villa and a complex of buildings, including a chapel, which was last used by Birmingham Children’s Services youth offending team. The buildings were vacated in January 2024. While the loss of the existing structures was considered, the officer noted the public and economic benefits of the new scheme carried significant weight.
The Birmingham planning committee is scheduled to make a final decision on the application on Thursday, 18 December.
