Birmingham sets out life-changing plans for 230,000 of its residents

Plans will include the creation of over 40,000 jobs, 10,000 new homes and improved access to a quality education, excellent public transport and health services.

Much of East Birmingham currently falls within the top 20 per cent most deprived areas in England. However, there are also huge opportunities coming to the area including HS2, the Commonwealth Games, the Midland Metro expansion and other major projects that will transform the city.

The bold, new strategy aims to capitalise on these investments, so that that local communities in East Birmingham are able to reap the benefits. Over the next ten years, the proposal has five areas of focus: improved local services; business, employment and skills; local places and green spaces; Midland Metro East Birmingham to Solihull extension and; the heavy rail network.

The strategy brings together public sector organisations, businesses and most importantly of all, the local community to ensure that the growth the area sees is inclusive for the people who currently live there. All of this will be delivered through the East Birmingham Board - a body established to ensure that East Birmingham makes the most of the massive opportunities that are coming to the area.

Cllr Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council said, “Being born and bred in East Birmingham, I’m more than familiar with the challenges this part of the city faces so I’m absolutely delighted that these plans have been set into motion and are open to the public for their comments, views and input as part of our consultation.

“By many measures, Birmingham is currently booming, with inward investment at record levels, the Commonwealth Games on the way and major projects like Smithfield, Curzon and others transforming the city. But how many people in East Birmingham feel they have a real stake in that growth?

“That is exactly why we've developed this strategy; because we're committed to reducing inequalities and building a fairer city. A city where the benefits of growth are shared more fairly, providing new opportunities for local people to change their lives for the better and delivering lasting improvements to living standards, education, health, the environment and transport. We want to help shape the lives and life chances of the people of East Birmingham for generations to come.”

As part of this strategy, East Birmingham will also be developed as a centre for sustainable and low carbon technologies which will make a major contribution to achieving the city’s target of a zero-carbon Birmingham by 2030.

View the East Birmingham Inclusive Growth Strategy

The consultation will run from Monday 17 February until Monday 11 May 2020 and can be found at: https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/economy/ebigs.

Background notes for editors:

Current stats for East Birmingham:

• This is one of Europe's youngest cities, but even by Birmingham standards, this part of the city is youthful, with one third of the population aged under-16.
• People living in this part of the city are three times more likely to have a long-term health condition, to be in contact with mental health services or to die prematurely from a preventable health condition.
• Adults in East Birmingham typically have fewer qualifications than average with 36 per cent of people having no qualifications, compared with 28 per cent for Birmingham and 23 per cent nationally.
• More than one in three children in the area grows up in poverty - largely because the unemployment rate is more than double the national average.

Homes:

• Birmingham Municipal Housing Trust (BMHT) plans to build 1,000 high quality affordable homes in the area over the next ten years. Key BMHT schemes include Yardley Brook where 298 units are planned, and sites at Bromford and the former Poolway shopping centre.
• The Bordesley Park Area Action Plan sets out a vision for the development of over 580- hectares in inner East Birmingham including proposals for 750 homes.

Jobs:

• 36,000 jobs will be created by new developments in the city centre including the transformation of the Curzon area in the vicinity of the new HS2 station.
• At Peddimore near Castle Vale, 6,500 jobs will be created as part of the development of a 71-hectare site for business and manufacturing uses.
• HS2 will also facilitate major growth at UK Central in Solihull, near Birmingham Airport, the NEC and the new HS2 station including up to 5,000 new homes and 70,000 new jobs.
• The development of the former LDV and Alstom sites at Washwood Heath to create the HS2 Rolling Stock Maintenance Depot, HS2 Network Control Centre and a range of other employment uses is expected to create 2,000 jobs.