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Major Developments
 
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Major Developments
Eastside
 

Eastside is Birmingham's biggest physical regeneration project and is part of Birmingham City Council Development and Culture Directorate's Planning and Regeneration Service.

Eastside by night
Eastside by night

What is Eastside?

Eastside is the largest physical regeneration project in Birmingham (comprising 170 hectares/420 acres). It is transforming, revitalising and regenerating the neglected areas of Eastside, Digbeth and Deritend through multi-billion pound investment by a wide range of organisations and businesses.

Eastside is a key component in Birmingham's renaissance: encouraging new residential communities, new investment, new businesses and job creation, as well as economic and cultural growth, with more than 12,500 new jobs being created during the lifetime of the initiative.

It is also a major feature of the Big City Plan, an exciting twenty-year vision for the future of Birmingham's greater city centre.

The Eastside project brings together public and private sector organisations to invest in Eastside's potential. These agencies are encouraging growth in learning, technology and knowledge-based facilities, while conserving the area's heritage.

This investment, as demonstrated by a number of developments, is underpinned by a commitment by the city council and its partners to establishing Eastside as an example of best practice in sustainability, an integral part of the philosophy and activities that determine this quarter's progress.

Where is Eastside?

Eastside is located to the east of the city centre, in the area between the Bullring and Lawley Middleway, and from Dartmouth Circus in the north to Bordesley Circus in the south. It includes the The Custard Factory, Aston University, a number of Birmingham City University campuses, Matthew Boulton College, and South Birmingham College.

Please see the map attached below for further reference.

Please note: the map is reproduced from the Ordnance Survey Mapping with the permission of the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationery Office © Crown copyright. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. Birmingham City Council. Licence No.100021326, 2007.

Why are we regenerating Eastside?

Eastside — Birmingham's new learning, technology and heritage quarter — will provide citizens with learning and employment opportunities. Eastside City Park and new developments will create links between surrounding communities and the city centre.

The project will also extend the city centre and its successful network of public squares, spaces and streets, developing a dynamic new quarter that is home to high quality urban design, two conservation areas and a number of historic sites.

Who will benefit?

Local people will have access to the new Eastside City Park, new developments and businesses, and the creation of new jobs and training opportunities. Visitors to the city will be able to experience quality leisure attractions (eg Millennium Point; VTP200, the vertical theme park) and enjoy a range of facilities in the mixed-use developments throughout Eastside.

Major investments and new developments

Eastside is a focus for major investments and new activities, complementing existing institutions (eg educational bodies) and new developments like Ventureast, Masshouse Developments Ltd, Martineau Galleries and City Park Gate.

In March 2006 Birmingham City Council and Advantage West Midlands (AWM), the regional development agency, signed a joint venture to transform the area and create thousands of new jobs. This alliance is delivering and preparing the land for major schemes in Eastside, such as Eastside City Park, Ventureast, alongside the learning and leisure quarter.

The Curzon Street Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) is intended to assemble and deliver the land for these schemes. A public inquiry in February 2007 heard from a range of stakeholders and objectors to the CPO, and the Secretary of State confirmed the order on 30 May 2007. This allows the city council to complete the land assembly for the area.

Sustainability

Eastside's regeneration puts sustainability at the heart of the project and includes the proposed restoration of canals and adjacent buildings, the construction of new high-density, sustainable mixed-use developments, and the first major urban park in the city centre for more than 100 years.

Eastside City Park

Eastside City Park will play an important role in the regeneration and development of Eastside. It will be a major new environmental and leisure facility for the city, comprising 3.2 hectares (8 acres ). It will create a vital link between the city centre, Eastside and surrounding communities.

Learning quarter

Eastside is home to a range of educational establishments, including South Birmingham College, Matthew Boulton College, Aston University and the New Technology Institute , a number of Birmingham City University schools, and expanded facilities for Aston Business School and the Academy of Life Sciences.

Heritage

Digbeth and Deritend played key roles in the development of Birmingham, and initiatives like Eastside City Park and improvements to the public spaces and places within the area will acknowledge and draw on the city's past.

Developments in Eastside will demonstrate a commitment to conserve and improve the quality of the local environment with well-designed, attractive buildings, spaces, historic waterways and railway viaducts, with sustainability at the heart of the project.

Arts and culture

Arts and culture are important aspects of Eastside, providing means of expression for residents, artists and users of the city, as redevelopment work improves the area.

It is proposed that innovative and creative approaches that respect the past and Eastside's unique heritage will interact with developments to create a new context and positive identity for this part of the city.

Events and activities in Eastside

Within Eastside there are a range of organisations and bodies providing events and activities for members of the public and professionals throughout the year. Follow the above link to find out more information.

Newsletters, publications and other documents

The City Centre Development Team (Eastside) has produced a number of documents such as general leaflets, newsletters and other material that contain further information about developments within the project area.

Contacting the City Centre Development Team

For more information about the Eastside project, please contact the City Centre Development Team (Eastside) at

16th Floor
Alpha Tower
Suffolk Street Queensway
Birmingham B1 1TR


Tel: 0121 464 0900
Fax: 0121 464 0899


Related Links
Information about external links on birmingham.gov.uk
Major Developments Main Page
Contact Planning
Attachments
The links below go to files which are "attached" to this page.
There is a page of advice, to help you open and read attachments.
Eastside map Eastside map
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
 
Last updated - Thursday 3 April 2008 Return to Top | Printer Friendly