‘At least’ 1,700 homes planned for Digbeth hub
West Midlands mayor Richard Parker says a new creative development in the heart of Birmingham will be ‘bigger, better and bolder’ than its forerunner at Media City in Manchester.
The mayor was joined by culture secretary Lisa Nandy at the launch of two new projects for the city’s Digbeth area, intended to make the West Midlands a hub for creative industries.
Homes England unveiled its prospectus for the 22-acre Warwick Bar site, a collection of derelict and brownfield sites around Digbeth which the organisation hopes will lead the wider regeneration of the area.
The scheme involves a residential-led development including a minimum of 1,700 new homes, as well as 110,000 sq ft of workspace for creative industries, set to be built within touching distance of the new Curzon Street HS2 railway station.
Birmingham-based architects Howells have led on designs for the indicative proposals.
Homes England says it’s working collaboratively with Birmingham City Council, the West Midlands Combined Authority and the West Midlands Growth Company on the proposals.
Pat Ritchie CBE, Chair of Homes England, said Warwick Bar is a “unique position” to leverage the connectivity of HS2, its proximity to a growing city centre, and the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter innovation cluster.
“The Prospectus sets out our ambitious shared vision for the regeneration of Warwick Bar,” he said.
“It presents an exciting opportunity to interested delivery partners, to be part of one of the most important development opportunities in Birmingham and the wider region, driving Digbeth’s ongoing transformation.”
The second of the two announcements was a new production office known as Production Central WM, which hopes to bring filming for more big-screen “blockbuster” films to the region.
The region is already home to the BBC, which is building a new broadcasting house in a former derelict Tea Factory, with primetime TV shows Silent Witness and MasterChef also in pre-production from other new bases in Digbeth.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said the region was on the “cusp of its renaissance” as a top location for the creative industries.
“Digbeth will be bigger, better and bolder than Manchester’s Media City – it’s central location and abundance of investment opportunities make it unique,” he said.
“The BBC and Steven Knight are just some of the partners who are investing heavily in Digbeth’s future, because they know that this place, at the heart of the country, has the backing of industry and government – and a wealth of local talent to work with.
“Together, we’ll write a new chapter in Digbeth’s history that puts our region centre stage for the creative industries.”
Today’s announcements came as international businesspeople, developers and investors were joined by key government figures including chancellor Rachel Reeves for a Regional Investment Summit held in Birmingham.
Cllr John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council, added: “Digbeth’s continued emergence as a buzzing creative quarter and centre for TV and film production is key to Birmingham’s growing reputation as a city of unmatched potential and economic growth.
“The Warwick Bar Prospectus and the opening of Production Central WM builds upon significant investment from the council in Digbeth through programmes such as the Enterprise Zone. They are the latest exciting chapters in an exciting success story, providing much-needed high-quality jobs, homes and opportunities for our growing city.”
