Its two housing brands, St Joseph and St Edward, have exchanged contracts on vacant sites in the fast-growing city with plans to invest £300m in building a major mixed-use scheme, including what will be one of the city’s tallest residential towers.

Berkeley Group chairman, Tony Pidgley, said he had ambitious plans to expand in the city as the firm’s traditional central London market cools and planning redtape in the capital slows new schemes.

The firm’s new St Joseph Birmingham business has acquired a site at Eastside Locks to the east of the City Centre, close to the coming HS2 station and Birmingham’s knowledge quarter.

While St Edward, a joint venture between Berkeley Group and Prudential, has also announced its first foray into the city with the acquisition of a site at Snow Hill Queensway, for a high-rise block.

The two projects will deliver homes for up to 2,000 people, alongside a mix of new shops, cafes, offices and inviting public spaces.

St Joseph will also develop its new regional head office at the Eastside Locks site. Once complete, the company will move here from its current home in the city.

The announcements follow the recent launch of St Joseph’s first Birmingham based development, Snow Hill Wharf, where the first of 404 new homes are now on sale.

Pidgley said: “In partnership with Birmingham City Council, we will transform these long-vacant sites into thriving communities with the new homes, jobs and amenities local people need.

“The council has real commitment and vision to create homes and communities for its people. It’s a fantastic city and a great place to do business.

“We have ambitious, long-term plans for Birmingham and these sites will be followed by many others in the years to come.”