Birmingham City Council has appointed local architect companies Axis Design Collective and BM3 to design council homes as part of the Council's first phase of council house building, delivering 131 homes with an investment of £15.2 million.

The appointment of the Birmingham-based businesses will drive up employment in the city as the Council forges ahead with its ambitious council house building plans, which will help house families at a time when waiting lists for social housing are rising across the UK.

Axis Design Collective and BM3 beat off stiff competition from other companies from across the country, to secure the contracts to create designs for sites at King's Norton, Hodge Hill, Sparkbrook and Handsworth. Both companies have worked with the Council before, producing award-winning schemes at Brandwood End and Ley Hill.

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The companies were selected for the high quality of their designs and the value for money services they provide. The architects will submit planning application, before the end of July for all 4 sites.

The Council's ambitious council house building plans, to be delivered by the Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust, will eventually deliver 500 new council homes a year, dwarfing the 375 council homes built across the country last year.

Councillor John Lines, Cabinet Member for Housing said: "I'm delighted to be employing local Brummie talent and the appointment of Axis Design Collective and BM3 will mean local businesses can work alongside us to deliver council homes for our people.

"It's important we recognise the skills of people in this City. Good design is at the heart of what we deliver and we would expect nothing less for our citizens. I have every faith that Axis Design Collective and BM3 will help us create homes and places that generations of local people can be proud of.

"Their track records show they can deliver and I'm looking forward to working with them and our residents on this landmark development."

(CD/JM)