The hunt is on for a new tenant to occupy one of Birmingham ’s most important stately homes after restoration plans stalled.
Majestic Highbury Hall in Moseley was once the home of Joseph Chamberlain, who was elected Mayor of Birmingham around 150 years ago.
He was credited with making Birmingham ‘the best governed city in the world’ as mayor and oversaw massive changes, building amenities such as swimming pools and libraries.
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The reforming leader was also the father of former Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain and Austen Chamberlain, who became chancellor of the exchequer.
Hopes the mansion could be transformed into a visitor attraction were dealt a blow in 2024 when Labour-run Birmingham City Council said it was unable to match fund Highbury’s restoration due to financial restrictions.
But there was a more encouraging update this year when the Chamberlain Highbury Trust (CHT) was awarded a grant by The National Heritage Lottery Fund to restore the Victorian gardens.
The chair of the trustees at CHT said recently they were going to “look again at how we get the mansion restored”.
Ahead of a council meeting this week, permission was being sought to market Highbury Hall to find a new tenant amid fears of a vacant building attracting anti-social behaviour.
Inside Highbury Hall in 2018 -Credit:Iain Findlay/Birmingham Mail
It was recently established that the council could no longer justify Civic Catering, which is part of the authority, running a wedding events venue from the mansion and that its occupation of Highbury Hall would have to be terminated.
“This termination will leave Highbury Trust with an issue of a vacant vulnerable building which will deteriorate further and be subject to potential anti-social behaviour,” the report warned.
“As a result, it was requested by the chair of trusts and charities that a tenant be sought for the next three to five years as a meanwhile use ahead of any revised refurbishment programme commencing.”
Speaking at a Trusts and Charities Committee meeting this week, Conservative councillor Adrian Delaney said a historic building in his own ward had suffered vandalism, resulting in costly repairs.
“If you think about Highbury and how historically significant that is, we certainly don’t want to be in that position,” he said.
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“If we’re going to re-market [Highbury Hall] and we don’t get anybody, what do we do then?
“How are we going to secure the building? What are we going to do to protect that asset?”
Labour councillor Phil Davis, chair of the committee, said the management of the hall was a “priority” and something they needed to address to meet the conditions of the lottery grant.
“I’ll keep the committee closely informed on that,” he said.
“But we do need to make sure that, as the clock is ticking [with] Civic Catering leaving, we’ve done all we can to make sure we fill the gap there.
“And then we’ll return to that in terms of long-term progress.”
The committee agreed to spend £10,000 to market Highbury Hall in the coming months.
‘There will be international interest’
Speaking at a previous Trusts and Charities Committee this year, David Kidney, chair of the trustees at CHT, was optimistic about the future of the historic Birmingham mansion.
“If the restoration, as we plan it, goes ahead, I think what we’ll have on our hands as a city is a hugely significant hub for community activities in its immediate area,” he said.
“That’s covering the wards of Kings Heath, Moseley and Stirchley. But also something of value to the whole of the city.”
Mr Kidney said developing it as a visitor attraction could attract interest from across the city and beyond.
“Given Joseph Chamberlain’s links with national and international politics, I believe there will be international interest,” he said. “So we do have an asset that’s potentially hugely significant and valuable.”
Highbury Hall in 2018 -Credit:Nick Wilkinson/Birmingham Mail
He added at the time: “We propose while we’re doing the works in the garden, to start again on an application to the [The National Heritage Lottery Fund] for a significant grant from them towards the cost of restoring the mansion next.
“So that will mean a new application and more fundraising from us.”
On being unable to match-fund restoration plans last year, a council spokesperson said at the time: “Birmingham City Council is currently not in a position to provide the match funding sought to secure the wider funding package and deliver the scheme of works as originally proposed.”