Brickworks Canalside, Birmingham

We saw the opportunity to invest in this brownfield plot of land on Watery Lane Middleway, within walking distance of Birmingham’s new HS2 train link that is being built on Curzon Street and a 15-minute walk to the forthcoming Birmingham Eastside Metro extension.

Birmingham City Council approved our plans for an eight-storey, 85-unit residential scheme on Watery Lane in November 2022. The development, which we’ve named Brickworks Canalside to reflect its local heritage, comprises of 7 x 3-bed, 33 x 2-bed, and 45 x 1-bed units.

Sama’s residential scheme is in line with Birmingham City Council’s “Big City Plan” that aims to create over 5,000 new homes, while also improving connectivity across the city.

The new development includes plenty of communal features, such as a communal social space, gym, and storage for 144 bicycles onsite, as well as communal office space, with 38 square meters of hot-desking. It also incorporates biodiversity and clean air features, such as a ‘living wall’ on the southern edge that will break up the view of the building.

The 0.4-acre site, located between Watery Lane Middleway, Bolton Street, and the Grand Union Canal, is currently used for car sales. The area, popularised in the television drama Peaky Blinders, was once home to Birmingham’s street gangs.