Ambitious plans outlining how Birmingham City Centre will be developed over the next 20 years, creating 50,000 jobs in the process, have today been revealed by Birmingham City Council Leader Mike Whitby.
The Big City Plan is the most ambitious, far-reaching development project in the UK, and seeks to define how more than 800 hectares of land in the city centre will be developed and used for generations to come.
As well as outlining specific areas where the Council will concentrate its resources in the future, ‘Stage Two’ of the plan also highlights individual projects, schemes and infrastructure which it plans to develop and defines specialist quarters/areas where particular types of investment and development will be encouraged.
Cllr Whitby said: “I have been a champion of the Big City Plan since its inception in 2007 – and have been proud to launch it internationally in China, Europe and in the Middle East.
“Now, we are taking the plan to the next level – where we transform vision into delivery, and create the framework for 50,000 new jobs in Birmingham’s City Centre. We are making a bold statement, prioritising the areas and projects which can and will be transformed despite the financial challenges the UK faces.
“Our Big City Plan will provide a clear blueprint for investors, businesses and residents alike – with the detail, the grain and the soul, which I believe will inspire imaginations across the world – and capture billions of extra investment and value for our local economy.
“Against a challenging backdrop we know delivery is more important than ever, and our plan acknowledges the importance of the private sector working more closely than ever before with the public sector, whilst embracing the need for exciting new funding mechanisms like Accelerated Development Zones.”
Key objectives of the plan are to deliver significant change in the city centre, supporting sustainable growth, creating new and improved public spaces, giving streets back to pedestrians and enhancing cultural life in the heart of the city.
The plan addresses how future economic growth can be achieved by expanding the City Core area by over 25%, and in the process delivering:
- In excess of 1.5 million sq metres of new office, retail, leisure and cultural floorspace
- 50,000 new jobs
- A £2.1 billion growth in the local economy per annum
- Five key areas of transformation based around New Street Station, Westside, the Snow Hill District, Eastern Core Expansion and The Southern Gateway
- 65,000 sq metres of new and improved public spaces and 28,000 metres of enhanced walking and cycling routes
- Over 5,000 new homes to attract more families.
- Sets out the value and role of heritage in supporting the creation of an authentic city centre.
- Visionary proposals for each of the city centre quarters – the City Core, Eastside, Southside and Highgate, The Jewellery Quarter, Westside and Ladywood, Digbeth and The Gunsmiths’ Quarter
The masterplan will be supported by statutory planning tools, utilising the Core Strategy and supplementary planning documents, to enable the change of land use and to assist development activities.
Stage one of the Big City Plan commenced in February 2007 with the new city centre masterplan emerging from the recommendations of ‘The Birmingham City Centre Masterplan: The Visioning Study’ produced by Professor Michael Parkinson CBE. This called for a strategic approach to developing the city centre which should cut across public and private sector organisations alike, and bring all their individual long-term plans together in one place.
Work commenced in August 2007 to develop the concepts, objectives and Big City Plan brand, culminating in the publication of the Big City Plan Work in Progress Report. This document was made available for public consultation from December 2008 to January 2009.
As part of stage one, the city council and its partners made significant progress with key investments; headlines include the £600 million Gateway Project to deliver the redevelopment of New Street Station; The £193 million city council investment in the Library of Birmingham to create one of the largest libraries in Europe; and support for over £500 million worth of private sector development projects.
To view the detailed proposals go to www.bigcityplan.org.uk
ENDS
For More Information please contact Simon Houltby on 0121 303 3503 or 07920 750 010
Comments from Birmingham Business:
Gary Cardin
Head of Drivers Jonas Deloitte’s Birmingham office
“A lot of hard work has been put into this by the city council, turning what was a strategic document into a plan-style that the development industry will understand.
“It gives focus to key development sites, to areas of change and what will happen to them, bringing it right down to a clearer, grassroots level.
“Transport and development are often treated like two very separate departments working on different themes, but this Masterplan puts them together, focusing on the importance of investment partnerships, people joining to see the end game and understanding the right plans to get us there.
“All credit to the Big City Plan Team for concentrating more about creating development vehicles. The document is now much less about big words and fluffy ideas, more about how are we going to engage: a clear vision for developing.”
Glenn Howells
Glenn Howells Architects
“This is the first time I’ve seen clear suggestions creating a fantastic, workable city. It’s fundamental to our economic wellbeing as we currently fail to capture people to live in central Birmingham.
“There is a very clear pedestrian wiring diagram showing how connectivity is not just for vehicles. It’s a proper, navigable map around the city, crucial whenever developments happen in different areas as without that we can’t get them to connect with each other.
“Now the Big City Plan clearly starts to plot how developments can reinforce each other rather than staying independent, isolated and not realising their full potential.
“This really is the future for successful inward investment as the city centre could be a fantastic place to live, attracting and retaining young, skilled people.
“Another exciting aspect is alternatives to the Metro, with the Masterplan talking about reliable, high-quality Rapid Transit systems that can be implemented without massive investment and infrastructure.”
Jerry Blackett
Chief Executive
Birmingham Chamber Of Commerce
“The Big City Plan was an exciting concept, but nothing more; the latest Masterplan provides welcome meat on the bones, the new team turning it into something you can visualise in detail.
“It confirms that Birmingham does have a sense of global ambition, a sense of self – something to sell to investors. This is important at a time of scarce investment funding from the pound, dollar and yen: Birmingham now has a convincing story to sell.
“It was great to see it record the importance of the private sector and a clear partnership agenda. It’s not just about more public spending – it can’t be in the current climate. This sets out a very useful foundation stone for the emerging Local Enterprise Partnership.
“It gives us a very, very useful starter for ten on how we want the city to look over the next 20 years and the need for much cleverer thinking over how to fund it.
“I also like the fact that is does not dwell on a ‘shining city centre’ but makes it very clear what’s in this for the ‘boroughs’.
Gary Taylor
Managing director of Argent, Brindleyplace developers
“The city council has really grasped the nettle. The original Big City Plan set out a vision and a direction of travel; this is now more physical, a true Masterplan.
“I’m encouraged by how the city in the current economic climate is focusing on what it can deliver in five priority areas.
“There would have been a danger in trying to please everyone, but focusing on what can be delivered in the next three to five years is really important, allowing the city’s resources and manpower to be properly utilised.
“The developments in the Masterplan are linked together really well.
Neil Rami
Chief executive of Marketing Birmingham
“This is the most comprehensive destinations toolkit the city council has produced for the development agenda for a generation.
“It’s honest and authentic – realistic about what we can deliver, given the climate of public funding.
“It’s brave enough to say ‘here are the areas of transformation’. It’s not spreading the jam too thinly but laying out that, for now, these are enough and quite exciting in themselves, taking us in a strong direction.
“And it’s joining the dots between what the city can look like and what we need to attract for economic growth with both spatial and investment elements.
“The plan has an intelligent and pragmatic approach to transportation and people in a way I’ve not seen before, with principles like park and ride, Rapid Transit systems, interconnective wayfinding and intelligent signage programmes. This is a major step forward.
Alan Chatham
Director,
The Mailbox
“In my view the City Centre Masterplan is a very clear, easy to understand document which carries Michael Parkinson’s visioning study strongly forward.
“At a time when securing investment into our cities is of paramount importance, it will give confidence to investors because we have a coherent plan in place to help them understand the key areas in which they will be encouraged to invest.
“I am reassured that this framework for development will help us tell investors a consistent story about our aspirations for the future development of our city, and will put Birmingham in a strong position to move forwards with confidence.”
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