Heartbreak as first-time purchaser learns destiny of ‘dream residence’ hours after popping bubbly

A first-time buyer was left in tears after discovering the Ladywood home she had just moved into was earmarked for demolition as part of a £2.2 billion redevelopment project. Dr Fabiola Creed, an academic researcher, received the devastating news just hours after celebrating her move with a bottle of champagne.

“It shattered everything.”

she said. “I wake up with a sense of dread every morning, and it’s always in the back of my mind because I cannot plan ahead. I thought buying a house would give me certainty and roots; this is a nightmare.”

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She is now calling for an investigation into why potential homeowners are not informed about such significant proposals, claiming she was left completely unprepared.

Fabiola, who recently got married, revealed that she had been saving for most of her life to afford a deposit on her own home. In a heartfelt conversation with Birmingham Live., she spoke movingly about the impact on her health and wellbeing, especially as the news came the morning after she had moved in with such high hopes.

“I started saving when I was just 14 years old, doing a part time job. I started saving £50 a month, then as I got older and started earning it was £100, then £200, so really for 16 years I have been saving up for my first home. Owning a home meant the world to me because I never had a safe home growing up.”

“When I found this dream fixer-upper I was delighted. I was sold by the seller’s stories that the house was a wonderful place to have and raise children.”

The three-bedroom house on Lighthorne Road, Ladywood, listed for £230,000 had a lot going for it. “It’s located close to the city centre, and to work, has three bedrooms and a garden, and is in need of quite a bit of work that means we can gradually put our mark on the place – these were all big pluses for us,” said Fabiola.

However, she was unaware that the local neighbourhood was due for redevelopment. Neither her estate agent nor the seller gave any hints, and no information emerged from legal checks.

“The first day we moved in, my mum helped us, and we were so excited. On our wedding day we had been given two expensive bottles of champagne, one to toast the first home, and one for our first child, and it all felt perfect. The next morning everything changed.”

A leaflet from local MP Shabana Mahmood landed on the mat, asking for her views on the Ladywood regeneration plans. Further investigations by a shocked Fabiola revealed the house was inside the development’s ‘red zone’, and earmarked for possible demolition.

“We were devastated. Do we renovate as planned? Do we wait to have children? These were the questions we were asking ourselves.”

The mammoth Ladywood overhaul, which could transform the area with brand new skyscrapers, lush apartments, and vital community hotspots including parks and schools, has been on the cards since last year. However, despite the buzz, the council and Berkeley Homes St Joseph haven’t put pen to paper just yet.

No planning applications are in sight, meaning it’s all a bit ‘watch this space’ for the ambitious venture. Wentworth and Rose estate agents, who flogged the gaff, told us: “We regret to learn of Ms. Fabiola’s concerns regarding her recent property purchase, particularly in light of the proposed regeneration plans for Ladywood. At this stage, we understand that the regeneration initiative remains in the proposal phase and has not yet been formally approved.”

Continuing, they said: “We undertake significant efforts to ensure that any material information provided by sellers, which could impact prospective buyers, is appropriately disclosed during the listing process. In this instance, it is unfortunate that the buyer’s appointed representatives did not flag this proposal as part of their due diligence review. We extend our best wishes to Ms. Fabiola as she works towards a satisfactory outcome with her representatives.”

Talks between the council and Berkeley Homes are still in progress. Residents whose homes are marked for demolition will be offered settlement terms and could potentially face a compulsory purchase order.

Fabiola, a local resident, has made a public plea: “Please don’t gentrify this area! They should focus on improving what is already there. Add luxury flats if necessary by building on neglected or abandoned areas of the neighbourhood; create more affordable homes too. But don’t pull down decent homes.”

Ladywood, one of the city’s poorest wards, is an area of stark contrasts. Some parts have been neglected for years, with dilapidated concrete maisonettes, high-rise tower blocks, and poorly maintained green spaces desperately needing regeneration.

However, other areas are relatively new, including cul-de-sacs of private family homes near the city centre. The Ladywood Unite campaign group, advocating for affected residents, says Fabiola isn’t the only new buyer affected.

More stories are emerging of people moving in, unaware of the plans. Conversely, existing residents wanting to sell fear the area is already blighted due to the scheme, even though it hasn’t been formalised yet.

Paul Langford, Birmingham City Council’s top brass for city housing, has said that wheeling and dealing are still happening with Berkeley Homes St Joseph to wrangle the best deal for Brum. This includes making sure there’s a decent slice of affordable and social pads in the project.

The big sign-off on this deal will come once they’ve finished their chinwagging. Then, Langford notes, they’ll be able to get stuck into proper chats with all the homeowners caught up in this.

He highlighted the fact that the area’s facelift is going to take two whole decades to complete. “These are people’s homes and lives and we are absolutely committed to ensuring that if they are impacted they have a full range of options available to them to get the best alternative home for them. We understand that everyone will have a different need, and want a different outcome, and we need to have those individual conversations.”