The £500 million ($653 million/€556 million) Village, which was being constructed on the former Birmingham City University site in Perry Barr, was abandoned after a review into the impact of the coronavirus pandemic found it could not be delivered on time.

In a virtual press briefing held today after the announcement, Reid revealed delaying the Games had been discussed but it was not considered to be a feasible option.

"The Organising Committee Board, alongside partners, had extensive discussions around that option," he said.

"There are a number of challenges to doing that – the most important one I think is around the sporting calendar.

"Obviously one of the things we want to ensure with this event is that we attract the Commonwealth's best athletes to Birmingham and the West Midlands.

"We believe for a number of sports that would be a challenge based on existing World Championships and other major events that are scheduled to take place in 2023.

"Clearly, the sporting calendar has moved significantly, and that 2023 calendar is busier than ever.

"Therefore, we thought we would be compromised in terms of athlete attendance and the standard of competition, which was not something we were willing to do."

Delaying Birmingham 2022 by a year would result in a clash with the 2023 World Athletics Championships, for example, with competition scheduled to take place from August 19 to 27 in Budapest. 

The Athletes' Village was set to provide accommodation for 6,500 athletes and team officials.

Instead, 1,600 athletes and officials are set to be housed at the NEC Hotel Campus, with 1,900 at The University of Warwick.

Around 2,800 athletes and officials will also be located at the principal village at The University of Birmingham.

Reid claimed the use of the NEC Hotel Campus would not limit bed capacity for tourists and spectators, while the Organising Committee would ensure all accommodation would also be equipped for Para-athletes. 

"The universities have some existing accommodation that is suitable for Para-athletes, and we will supplement that when necessary," Reid said.

"It is one of our priorities to ensure that all the teams can have suitable accommodation for their Para-athletes."

The decision to move away from a single site follows an assessment by the project delivery team, which worked with the construction supply chain, as well as independent experts, on how it could reduce the risk to the Games.

With a shorter than normal timeframe until the 2022 Games open in Birmingham, the Athletes' Village had very little scope to withstand the delay the pandemic has had on construction. 

The Perry Barr regeneration scheme, with new housing and transport infrastructure, will still be delivered.  

There had been signs of trouble regarding the Athletes' Village after reports said the cost of construction had risen by £91.8 million ($113 million/€102 million). 

Birmingham City Council's Audit Committee also gave the Village project a red-risk rating at the start of this month. 

Birmingham 2022 has also faced criticism regarding diversity.

Only one out of 20 members of the Board of Directors and Executive Management for the 2022 Commonwealth Games was not white, despite Birmingham being one of the most ethnically diverse cities in the United Kingdom. 

In response, CGF President Dame Louise Martin resigned from her role on the Board and nominated Sandra Osborne as her replacement. 

An advert looking for a new Board member has since been published in an attempt to further increase the diversity of the body.