Newtown, Birmingham

Newtown Newtown
Inner-city area and electoral ward
Scholefield Tower, Newtown
Newtown Location within the West Midlands
Population	16,289
• Density	7,529 per square kilometre.
Language	English
OS grid reference	SP073882
Metropolitan borough	Birmingham
Metropolitan county	West Midlands
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Birmingham
Postcode district	B19
Dialling code	0121
Police	West Midlands
Fire	West Midlands
Ambulance	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Birmingham Ladywood

Newtown is an inner-city area located north of Birmingham City Centre, in the county of West Midlands, England. It is an electoral ward of Birmingham City Council and within the Birmingham Ladywood parliamentary constituency. Newtown ward is bordered by the Soho & Jewellery Quarter ward to the west and south-west, Lozells and Aston wards to the north, Nechells to the east and Ladywood to the south.

The quality of housing in the area deteriorated rapidly from the end of the Victorian period until the 1960s when some of the least favourable slum conditions in the city were to be found in Newtown.

History

Newtown, historically known as Aston New Town, underwent extensive redevelopment during the post-war period as part of Birmingham's programme of comprehensive slum clearance. Much of the Victorian terraced housing in south Aston was demolished during the 1960s and replaced by a modern council estate consisting of high-rise tower blocks, low-rise housing and the Newtown Shopping Centre. The redevelopment scheme was approved in 1968, and the completed estate included sixteen tower blocks, three of which were twenty storeys high.

Governance

Main article: 2026 Birmingham City Council election

Newtown is represented by one councillor on Birmingham City Council: Rasheda Begum of the Labour Party as of 7 May 2026.

Newtown is governed locally as an inner-city ward within Birmingham City Council and is under the regional oversight of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). Local priorities such as employment schemes, training fairs, and community engagement are managed through frameworks like the Newtown Ward Action Plan, involving local schools, places of worship, and community groups. Major regeneration, housing, and infrastructure projects in the area are guided by cooperative strategies such as the Aston, Newtown and Lozells Area Action Plan.

Geography

St George's Park
Tomb of Thomas Rickman (d. 1841)
Interactive map of St George's Park
Type	Urban park
Motto	Newtown is everyone's town.
Location	Newtown, Birmingham
Coordinates	52.4916°N 1.9042°W / 52.4916; -1.9042
Area	1.93 hectares
Elevation	145m above sea level
Created	1961 (1961)
Etymology	Named after St George's Church, the former Anglican church that occupied the site
Administrator	Birmingham City Council
Open	24/7
Terrain	Urban parkland
Habitats	Urban green space
Threatened by	Anti-social behaviour, vandalism, littering, maintenance pressures
Other information	Former churchyard site with historic monuments

Newtown is centred on New Town Row, a section of the A34 road which runs from Birmingham City Centre through north-west Birmingham into Walsall; and part of the ring-road around the centre of the city, the A4540. St George's Park is a public park in the Newtown district of Birmingham, England. Located on Great Hampton Row, it occupies the former site of St George's Church and its churchyard. The park was established following the demolition of the church in 1961 and preserves several historic monuments associated with the former parish, including the Grade II-listed tomb of architect Thomas Rickman and a First World War memorial.

Regeneration

From the late 1990s, Newtown became the focus of a major regeneration programme known as the Newtown Area Initiative. The scheme included the demolition of several tower blocks considered no longer suitable for modern housing needs, including Wiggin Tower and Brooks Tower (which were demolished in 2002), alongside the construction of new homes, environmental improvements and community facilities. Remaining residential blocks such as Manton House and Reynolds House were refurbished as part of the wider renewal of the estate.

Regeneration has continued through subsequent housing and neighbourhood improvement programmes, with Birmingham City Council and its partners supporting new residential development, refurbishment of existing housing and investment in community infrastructure as part of the wider Aston, Newtown and Lozells regeneration strategy.

Education

Newtown is served by a number of educational institutions. Newtown Nursery School provides early years education and has served the area since 1970. Primary education is provided by schools including St George's Church of England Academy and other schools in the neighbouring districts of Aston and Hockley.

Secondary education for residents is provided by schools in the surrounding areas, including Aston Manor Academy, King Edward VI Aston School and St Edmund Campion Catholic School. The area is also within easy reach of further and higher education institutions, including James Watt College in Aston and Birmingham City University's City Centre and City South campuses.

Transport

Newtown is served by an extensive public transport network owing to its proximity to Birmingham city centre. The district is centred on the A34 (New Town Row), a main route linking central Birmingham with Perry Barr and Walsall, while the A4540 Birmingham Middleway forms part of the area's southern boundary.

The area is served by frequent National Express West Midlands bus services operating along New Town Row and Great Hampton Row, providing direct links to Birmingham city centre, Perry Barr, Walsall and other parts of the West Midlands. Although there is no railway station within Newtown itself, the nearest stations are Jewellery Quarter railway station to the south-west and Birmingham Snow Hill railway station to the south, both offering local and national rail services. West Midlands Metro services are available from Jewellery Quarter, providing tram connections between Birmingham and Wolverhampton.

National Cycle Route 5 passes close to the area via Birmingham city centre, while local cycling infrastructure links Newtown with neighbouring districts and the city centre as part of Birmingham's wider cycling network.

Demographics of Newtown, Birmingham as of 2021.

1. Black African (32.6%)
2. Bangladeshi (9.70%)
3. Black Caribbean (9.40%)
4. Pakistani (6.20%)
5. Indian (5.60%)
6. Mixed ethnic groups (4.90%)
7. White (17.6%)
8. Other (14.0%)

Tower blocks

Hodgson Tower

Existing

Name, (approved, built).

(Parts of some of the houses were approved after they were built)

Name	Started building	Finished building
Hodgson Tower	1968	1971
Baldwin House	1965	1968
Inkerman House	1966	1965
Sadler House	1966	1965
Fallows House	1965	1968
James House	1966	1965
Lloyd House	1966	1965
Reynolds House	1966	1969
Thornton House	1965	1968
Weston House	1965	1968
Manton House	1966	1969

Houses in the St George's housing estate

Name	Started building	Finished building
Holland House	1963	1964
Bowater House	1963	1964
Cadbury House	1963	1964
Ryland House	1963	1964
Teviot Tower	1960	1962
Rea Tower	1960	1962
Geach Tower	1963	1965
Scholefield Tower	1963	1965
Martineau Tower	1963	1965

Demolished

Name	Built	Demolished
Wiggin Tower	c.1970	2002
Brooks Tower	c.1970	2002
Clyde Tower	1967	2006
Cornwall Tower	1970	2014
Bower House	c.1970	1998
Sayer House	c.1970	1998
White House	c.1970	1998
Hertford House	c.1970	c.1990s - 2006

Demographics

Newtown has a diverse population, with residents from a wide range of ethnic and cultural backgrounds. The area has a number of community groups, religious organisations and local facilities that support residents through youth activities, education, advice services and neighbourhood projects. The district has developed a strong connection with Birmingham's African and Caribbean communities, reflected in local events, businesses, places of worship and community organisations.

The Legacy Centre of Excellence on Potters Lane is one of the area's notable community venues, hosting cultural events, exhibitions, conferences and educational activities. Newtown Shopping Centre and surrounding streets have historically served as important local meeting and trading areas for residents. Community-led initiatives and regeneration programmes have aimed to improve public spaces, housing and facilities while supporting the social character of the neighbourhood.

According to the 2021 Census, Newtown ward had a population of 16,289. The ward has a comparatively young population, with 71.4% of residents aged between 16 and 64 years, while only 4.8% were aged 65 and over, which is lower than the Birmingham average. Residents aged 18–24 accounted for 30.2% of the population, reflecting the ward's youthful age profile. Newtown is one of Birmingham's most ethnically diverse wards. According to the 2021 Census, 82.4% of residents identified as belonging to Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) groups, compared with 51.4% across Birmingham. The largest ethnic group was Black African (32.6%), followed by Bangladeshi (9.7%), Black Caribbean (9.4%), Pakistani (6.2%), Indian (5.6%), Mixed ethnic groups (4.9%), and White (17.6%).

Notable buildings

• The Bartons Arms - A Grade II* listed Victorian pub built in 1901.
• Aston Hippodrome - Opened in 1908 on Potters Lane.
• St Stephen's the Martyr's Church - Built between 1842 and 1844 in an Early English Gothic style. It was designed by architect Richard Cromwell Carpenter.
• Legacy Centre of Excellence - a multi-purpose arts, education, and events centre.
• The Elbow Room - a traditional nightclub in Aston.

Notable residents

• Larry Wright (priest), former Rector of St George's Newtown
• Pelé Reid, British heavyweight born in Newtown
• Saido Berahino, from Burundi, moved to Newtown, aged 10
• Marnz Malone, from Jamaica, moved to Newtown, aged 2