All About Us

Castle Vale  

Our key success factors:

• Our Neighbourhood Partnership and Management model to set its own strategic agenda
• The capacity to deliver through a strong resident –led community housing association that keeps its assets on Castle Vale.
• Leadership from our capable residents
• Estate-based agencies working together to make Castle Vale a successful neighbourhood.
• Sharing our experiences with others.

Where have we come from?

Built in the mid 1960’s, Castle Vale is one of the largest post-war housing estates in the Midlands. Its open, flat site on the edge of North East Birmingham was once the Castle Bromwich Airfield, home to the Spitfire. The estate became home to families from run-down areas of inner-city Birmingham, whose homes had been declared unfit to live in as part of the 1960’s clearance programs. Originally Castle Vale comprised of a mixture of houses, maisonette blocks and 34 high-rise towers.

Approximately one-third of this estate was built for sale. In common with many such estates, the social environment and living conditions deteriorated rapidly during the 1970s and 1980s and, in Birmingham, the name ‘Castle Vale’ came to be associated with social exclusion, unemployment and crime.

In 1993 a Housing Action Trust (HAT) was established for Castle Vale, supported by a group of strong committed tenants and residents. This enabled the tenanted homes to be transferred out of local authority control, and a massive regeneration programme to commence. 

Over the next twelve years 2200 homes were demolished and further 1333 were improved. 1500 new homes were built, along with a shopping centre, community facilities and health centres. The physical environment was improved and landscaped, and the new park was created on the site of some of the old tower blocks. Economic regeneration activities included the creation of new jobs. Health and life expectancy improved.

In 2005 the HAT came to the end of it’s life. 98% of the tenants voted to transfer to Castle vale Community Housing Association (CVCHA) and a Neighbourhood Partnership Board, hosted by the housing association, was formed to co-ordinate the activities of all the successor agencies working on the Estate. 

In 2005 CVCHA was awarded Guide Neighbourhoods status – this provided funding for resident consultants to work with other communities. The Guide Neighbourhood consultancy work is continuing.

What challenges do we face?

Our community has high expectations. Although much has been achieved, much work remains to do:

• Particular areas of the estate are still among the most deprived in terms of income, employment and education, sometimes leading to associated neighbour nuisance and environmental problems.
• Although the housing stock is of high standard, we now have to maintain that standard, and be prepared for future needs and changes, such as eco-friendly homes.
• We have more work to do to tackle the perceptions of crime from estate residents and from outside the community.
• We need to engage and involve young people.
• Resident involvement and Governance needs further development and change emphasis – from supporting regeneration to maintaining a stable community.
• We need to build on the successes of the Guide Neighbourhoods Program to share experience and expertise with others.

What is happening now?

As well as working to its own ambitious Neighbourhood Plan, the Neighbourhood Partnership Board (NPB) is working well to establish and maintain the necessary relationships with local and statutory agencies.

Castle Vale Community Housing Association (CVCHA) now manages 2,400 homes, and is one of the few housing associations to be resident-led. It has a resident majority on the Board, and a resident Chair. Many of the staff are also estate resident.

It is working with the NPB to develop services for the homeowners on Castle Vale, and also to support other neighbourhoods in Birmingham.

As well as housing and housing-related services, CVCHA provides a wide range of community regeneration activities to support the sustainability of the estate, including Estate Environmental Services, community development, delivery of youth activities including setting up a Youth Council, an award-winning Community Safety service and initiatives to tackle financial exclusion.

CVCHA’s Community Development Unit has merged with another agency on the estate to form Castle Vale Community Regeneration Services (CVCRS). It delivers a variety of services including; services for children and young people, community health projects, employment programme, support services and a training service.  CVCRS also manages The Sanctuary, a community facility.

The Guide Neighbourhood Consultants continue to provide a programme of educational visits to Castle Vale, and consultancy support for other neighbourhoods.

Further consultancy services are being developed by CVCHA to promote and share our experiences in areas where we have had particular success.

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Last updated: 21-04-2010