I visited Birmingham area where homes sell for £30k - for some it's not hard to see why

A couple of residents believe prices are shooting upwards as Alum Rock gets busier - but one recent arrival feels 'unsafe' and is already fed up

The last time I visited Alum Rock it was to report on the area's huge rodent problem. I ended up seeing a dead rat with my own eyes.

So I was unsurprised when I read nearby College Road had been named Birmingham’s least expensive place to live. Number crunchers said seven homes had been sold for less than £30,000 in the past five years.

While among the city’s most deprived locations, we have previously reported on its vibrant community spirit. When I visited this time around, people said it was a place where neighbours know each other and live in harmony.

READ MORE:I wrote about how much I hate Birmingham New Street and was warned 'don't'

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But whichever way you cut it and whoever’s fault it is, this is a place with a lot of issues. I stepped off the No. 14 bus and was immediately greeted by littered pavements, huge congestion and side streets crammed with cars parked bumper to bumper.

It might be said Alum Rock faces the same challenges as any other densely populated inner-city area. And one thing is for sure: it only seems to be getting busier.

Abdul Khabir, a driver who lives in the ward, said he found it “impossible” to believe the area was the least expensive place to live. He said it was a “good, close community” but prices had shot up.

“I can tell you it’s getting more expensive, especially in the Asian community,” the 29-year-old explained. “People want to live here among their own people so demand is higher.”

Local shop worker Farzand Hussain said he had lived in Alum Rock for 20 years. The 59-year-old agreed it seemed to be getting pricier.

He explained it was an open, friendly community where asylum seekers and locals lived peacefully side by side. But while he believed the area was often portrayed unfairly, he conceded there were some issues.

“Yesterday they should have changed the bins but they didn't,” Mr Hussain said. “The people are nice but there is constantly rubbish.”

Arif Khan, 37, was scathing about the area. He explained he had bought a store in Alum Rock after the pandemic priced him out of Sparkhill - but he said he felt “unsafe” and wasn’t surprised homes were selling cheaply.

In just 12 months, Mr Khan claimed he had seen his car stolen and been targeted by shoplifters. He even showed me CCTV footage of brazen thieves driving off with his vehicle on the back of a lorry.

“I feel like I’m not in the UK or Birmingham,” he said. “I feel like I’m in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Housing and rent is cheap but the area is bad. Day after day it’s not getting better, it’s getting worse.”

In April it was revealed a £1.3 billion package of funds would be unleashed to help develop Alum Rock. It is hoped this money will create jobs and prosperity after years of neglect.

Time will tell if the area's problems can be overcome. But Mr Khan, who still has seven years left on his shop's lease, will be among those desperately hoping so.