Port Loop, B16

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Our development has been completely abandoned by US. Crime and litter is through the roof. After sales is non existent. The facilities we were supposed to have such as parks and commercial units have not been completed ( or started)

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Responses are rare, and require chasing several times before a response is received. Dates for repair are not forthcoming.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

That the aftersales would be so abysmal and we would wait so long for repairs.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The development is extremely well located with the city centre just a 15-minute walk into town. There is an Aldi half a mile away and a large Tesco only a 5-minute drive. The extremely close proximity to Edgbaston reservoir and the beautiful walks/ access to learning to sail etc cannot be ignored either. There are a lot of beautiful canals nearby and a lovely walk into Harborne. If working in or around the city centre then the commute is a huge selling point. I work in the city centre and it's not uncommon for my colleagues to have to travel up to an hour each way whereas my commute is only 15 minutes. This is hands down one of, if not the best development in Birmingham. There is a barge located on-site which sells coffees, teas, cold drinks and snacks which is a great social hub for the local area. There are regular activities taking place here such as kayaking, dancing or art. A local expert on bikes is on hand to take a look at your bicycle and will repair it for free. There is a genuine community feel that I haven't seen in other developments.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

They are generally very good. Snags can be logged on an online portal.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

I genuinely hadn't expected there to be such a community spirit. I was dubious as to whether it was marketing fluff but have been proved wrong.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The best of this new development is the community without any doubt! it's relatively close to city centre with the advantage of being a really quiet area.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

There was few issue when I first moved in (ie doors not aligned, floor uneven or the main door getting locked!) but they were quickly solved.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

quality of the white goods don't add up to the overall quality of the complex.

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

October 2021 - Port loop is still in the construction stage but it’s showing great promise. A bus stop is close by (5min walk) Morrison’s is a 20min walk Lidl is a 10min walk away Both well stocked supermarkets which offer great value The development promises a civic square center which will hopeful make it a bit more of a destination but this is still very much a residential area Bin collection is via bin store seems regular and no traffic noise as we are on an island surrounded by canals 15mins walk you’re in brindley place which is a great area Canal towpath needs lighting leading to brindley place

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

So far all snags and issues have been acknowledged but the process feels a bit lengthy when you consider you want to settle and not keep on contacting customer service

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

That the water bus will not be available from port loop for a long time Voi scooters can not be parked in portloop

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

Close to medium sized Tesco and Morisons by car, within about 15 minutes walk to Lidl and small road of shops, no shops extremely close by but this likely to change as the development grows. Only 15-20 minutes walk along the canal from Brindley place which has a wide selection of restaurants and bars, good availability of takeaway from city centre. Lots of open spaces, mini park in the development itself, about 5 minutes walk to Edgbaston reservoir and immediate access to canal. Transport links are slightly limited, the most useful public transport is the number 80 bus that can get you into New Street via Five ways in 25 minutes but this is the only bus that services the immediate area. In terms of living on my street, it's a very quiet area as the development is in it's early phases, no through traffic as the main road leads to the canal. Occasionally late at night you can hear boy races going along the larger adjoining roads but it's mostly background noise. Parking availability is moderate, guest spaces are provided but limited and can fill up quickly on weekends. Currently cars can be parked on the main road (Icknield port road) but I have a suspicion that when more of the development is completed yellow lines could be added. There is no on street parking in front of the current houses, some houses have room for 1 or 2 cars on their driveway. In terms of anti-social behaviour there have been some instances of fly-tipping near the entrance to the canal and building site but they have been dealt with quickly by the council. I do also think that the entrance to the canal leads to non-residents often walking through the development to get there, groups of youths often frequent the area but my neighbours and I haven't had any issues currently. Bin collections are every two weeks and on the part of the council there have been no problems.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Snags can be raised on an online system, while emergency issues can be called in. Snags have been slowly corrected but this is understandable with dozens of new houses being completed. Our kitchen tap sprung a leak in a connecting part (a part failure or installation issue) and was dealt with in that same week as an semi - emergency.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

With Urban splash there's a 10 day period to report initial snags which will be rectified as soon as possible. We delayed moving in by a week, even though we had a snag inspector we still missed a lot of small defects which won't likely be fixed until the end of the 2 year snagging period. I would recommend moving in on or very near your completion date and living in the space to note down all the small issues you can find.