HS2 to bring urban overhaul to Birmingham

21 Jul 14
An urban regeneration company charged with leading the redevelopment of central Birmingham has been established, capitalising on the city’s status as a High Speed 2 hub.

By Vivienne Russell | 21 July 2014

An urban regeneration company charged with leading the redevelopment of central Birmingham has been established, capitalising on the city’s status as a High Speed 2 hub.

Birmingham town hall

HS2 Ltd today announced that its construction headquarters would be located in Birmingham, bringing 1,500 high-skilled jobs to the city.

On the back of this, the Birmingham Curzon Urban Regeneration Company has been formed to drive a broader redevelopment agenda, expected to deliver 14,000 new jobs, 600,000 square metres of employment floorspace, 2,000 homes along with a £1.3bn economic boost.

Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore said: ‘It is essential that we have the power to make local decisions, and the regeneration company will allow us to realise the full potential and benefit of HS2 for this area.’

Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has allocated £30m of funding to kick-start development activity and £130m has also been secured from the Local Growth Fund for HS2-related projects, including bringing forward the extension of the Midland Metro tram system.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said locating HS2’s engineering headquarters in Birmingham would see its benefits spread beyond just those who will use the line.

‘It is great news that Birmingham City Council has created a company specifically to focus on the regeneration opportunities created by HS2,’ he said.

‘It will bring new investment and work into the city, helping secure the future prosperity of the region and the country.’

HS2 chair David Higgins added: ‘The lasting impact of HS2 will, in the end, be determined by how successfully local authorities and regions use it as a catalyst to transform and develop not just their economies, but also the look and feel of the areas it touches. The Birmingham Curzon Urban Regeneration Company will therefore be hugely important both for Birmingham and the rest of the West Midlands, and also as an example to the rest of the cities along the route.’

The company’s board will include representatives from the city council, the LEP, HS2 Ltd and central government. HS2 Ltd called the formation of the company a ‘bold and new approach to driving local economic growth, in what is a major transfer of power away from central government’.


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