Judith
It's off topic so I'll keep it short. try Amazon Books you can get books on there for as little as 1p plus postage.
Oh, I have a very active account with Amazon!
Where I spent a lot of my childhood Nechells I watched it all being rebuilt in the late 50's & early 60's. Then well within 50 years most of it was demolished and rebuilt. It couldn't have been all down to the dislike of high rise living because a lot of the high rise blocks still remain, The same as some of the maisonette's went but just as many remained. I wonder why that was, could it have been something to do with the use of High Alumina Cement Concrete in the buildings that were demolished.
I think it's the same all over. There's a big estate King's Norton/Hawkesley way that's in the process of being demolished now & the houses must only be about 30/35 years old. I know the houses aren't poor standard as they are the exact same style & build as my own, which is an ex-council house (I bought it off the people who bought it off the council).
If they are council or housing association properties it may be that the cost of refurbishment to meet modern standards is more than demolition & rebuild. Having worked at a housing association a few years ago I know that rental properties have to meet certain standards of kitchen, heating, windows, insulation etc. You also get tax breaks for new builds that you don't get for refurbishment/renovation so it's probably down to cost.