Is Birmingham's high-rise boom what the city needs?

When Birmingham's latest tower welcomes residents in the coming weeks, it will be a significant moment for a city reaching skyward.

One Eastside's 51-storey, 155.5m (379ft) block is the joint-tallest building in the city and it is set to provide homes for up to 1,000 people.

Bosses will tell you it is a physical representation of the second city's ambition to compete with the likes of London and Manchester in a race to the top.

But with thousands of Brummies currently on a waiting list for accommodation, campaigners say there is still much more to do when it comes to housing.

The £200m One Eastside development is made up of two buildings, including the main tower and a separate 16-storey block.

There will be 667 apartments across the two buildings in the latest example of the city's burgeoning "build to rent" sector, which also includes The Octagon, which is a short walk away.

"We're creating something that's the size of a village," said Sam Winnard, of the Pension Insurance Corporation, which is behind the project.

"Birmingham is obviously a massive community already but we're creating our own that sits within that.

"As long-term investors we want people to stay in the apartment and to make it their home."

But rent for a one-bedroom flat in both One Eastside and The Octagon comfortably exceeds £1,000, as both are geared towards the luxury end of the market.

Anna Navabi, a 25-year-old student at the University of Warwick, is one of the first ever residents in the smaller annex and said she was loving "every minute".

While her rent is high, she believes it is worth it for the amenities she gets, like an on-site gym, mini-mart and spa.

"We don't have a balcony, but you get an easy lift and you're in an amazing courtyard," she said.

However, not everyone believes developments like One Eastside are what the city needs the most.

Fadumo Haji, a community adviser and housing campaigner with Dream Chaser Youth Club in Small Heath, said she was working with families forced into temporary accommodation.

Some, she explained, are sharing single hotel rooms with six or more people.

"I meet families every day that are really struggling with the housing, especially housing costs and overcrowding," she said.

"They need to build affordable homes for families around Birmingham."

Hannah Badger, a director at property firm CBRE in Birmingham, said the city now had 26 build-to-rent schemes - many of them high-rise - and they were delivering for most people.

She insisted that despite schemes like One Eastside being targeted at a particular demographic, there was a broad range of rental products on the market.

"There is a demand for this high-end product," she said.

"But we have got a real range of rental products across the built-to-rent spectrum in Birmingham now, so there is a product for everyone and it's not just that elitist, higher-earning demographic."

One Eastside will not be the last high-rise of its kind, with more skyscrapers planned in Birmingham and other major UK cities.

But while it is clear the city is building upwards, who for remains a question people are asking.

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