Tandem snaps up Birmingham trading estate for £2m

A scheme to convert a derelict former industrial premises into more than 200 apartments is set to go before city council planners next week, with a recommendation for approval.

Birmingham-based Real Estate Investments has wound down its debt by around £20m through asset sales, despite enduring what it describes as one of the most challenging sales periods since the 2008 financial crisis.

A tentative revival of high-speed rail between Birmingham and Manchester has been welcomed as a step in the right direction. However, industry figures say an absence of detail could once again test public and investor confidence in the UK’s rail ambitions.

As HS2 reshapes connections to the rest of the country, a series of emerging projects are beginning to realign the city’s economy and identity. The question is no longer whether it has the assets to succeed, but whether it can join them up in time to shape its own future, writes Rachel Leung, Head of Midlands at JLL.

Emily Berville Charlesworth has been promoted to land director at Persimmon Homes Central, following 12 months in the role of head of land.

The government is set to announce the revival of long-term plans to build a high-speed service between the West Midlands and Manchester – but will hope to learn lessons from the overrunning HS2 project.

Faster decision making on high-risk building schemes has been offset by a rise in cases, according to new data published by the government’s Health and Safety Executive.

A year of restructuring and tighter cost controls has put Britain’s flagship high-speed rail project back on a steadier path, but passengers will still have to wait years before trains reach Birmingham.

Local authority proposals to buy up hundreds of buses from coach firm National Express could be given the green light next week.