Incredible vision of 'birmingham transformed' by 2045 revealed

A NEW PROSPECTUS SELLING DIGBETH TO INVESTORS INCLUDES STUNNING ARTIST IMPRESSIONS OF WHAT THE CITY COULD ACHIEVE 13:30, 21 May 2025 An incredible vision of Birmingham by 2045 has been

unveiled by city council chiefs, with the city centre, Digbeth and the area out to Bordesley Green and beyond 'transformed' with major new developments. The exciting artists'

impressions of the city were produced for a prospectus aimed at developers and potential investors and shows the scale of the ambition of city leaders. It's backed up with a defiant

message to urge residents to have faith in a bright future, despite the 'negativity' of headlines about the ongoing bin strike and the council's financial distress. READ MORE:

TOM WAGNER URGES GOVERNMENT TO BACK £3BN SPORTS QUARTER TO TACKLE 'INEXCUSABLE' POVERTY The stunning image is the centrepiece of a new 'Digbeth Prospectus' unveiled by

the city council's managing director Joanne Roney at an international conference taking place in Leeds this week. It shows a newly-laid HS2 train line sweeping into the city to the new

station in Curzon Street, surrounded by new housing and leisure developments across Digbeth, including an extended tramline through it, before the eye is drawn out to the new Sports Quarter

planned by Birmingham City FC owners Knighthead in Bordesley Green. The prospectus's chief ambition is to encourage interest from the private sector in ten development sites across 35

plots in Digbeth and nearby. An official launch took place today, Wednesday, May 21, at the UK Real Estate, Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds. The prospectus contains

plans for more than 6,000 new homes and 300,000 square metres of commercial floorspace across Digbeth and is part of the council's Our Future City: Central Birmingham Framework 2045

regeneration vision, which plans to provide 10,000 homes in the wider Central East area. Digbeth sits within a triangle of major development schemes, projects and investment in the city,

including HS2 Curzon Street Station and the growing Birmingham Knowledge Quarter to the north, the £2.8 billion Smithfield scheme to the south, and the emerging Sports Quarter to the east.

"These are drawing in billions of pounds of investment and funding in the short and long-term, positioning Digbeth at the heart of the city’s transformational journey," says the

prospectus. Steven Knight, Peaky Blinders creator, has set up Digbth Loc studios in the area and recently told BirminghamLive the next series of the hit show would be filmed in Birmingham,

giving the area a huge fillip. He has said of Digbeth: "We need to start thinking differently about Digbeth. Birmingham will be the equivalent of Zone 5 on the London Tube System after

HS2 opens. That will transform this city.” He said this week: "Birmingham is on the up, I firmly believe that. We need to stop putting ourselves down and believe in ourselves. The bin

strike is a low ebb and from here we will go up." West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker hailed the city's future vision during a keynote speech at the UK REiiF conference yesterdat,

Tuesday May 20. In conversation with BirminghamLive at the event, he said the region was bursting with promise. Ms Roney, speaking today, said: "As one of Europe’s youngest cities, with

a diverse and talented set of residents, now is the time to encourage as much investment and opportunity into Birmingham as possible. We are committed to ensuring the city is an attractive

area for further global investment, and we need strong partnerships within the public and private sectors to make this happen." The chief image for the area includes a space-age idea of

what the new Blues stadium could look like - a gleaming silver donut design. Sources at the club were quick to point out it could likely bear no resemblance to the finished thing.

Knighthead chief Tom Wagner, also in Leeds this week, spoke earlier of his intention to ensure the landmark development of the stadium and surroundings featured a design 'that was

uplifting and visionary but...feels...authentic, rooted in the industrial heritage of our immediate site and the city.' The key development sites listed in the project include: Typhoo

Wharf - the BBC's new Birmingham HQ will be at the former Tea Factory, with plans for a new canalside public square with opportunities for residential and commercial developments,

potentially creating more than 2,000 new homes. This is a 'phased' long term plan with delivery 'over the next ten to 15 years'. Montague Street and the area around it is

part of a 'comprehensive vision...to deliver a new flagship studio space, and a new pedestrianised neighbourhood alongside other commercial uses.' The site is 'well

positioned to unlock the potential of the Duddeston Skypark' - itself a vision for a new linear green park. Turnaround time is estimated at five to ten years. Fazeley Street and nearby

is home to the new BBC MasterChef studios and the Bond studio where Joe Lycett's Channel 4 show Late Night Lycett is filmed. "This is an opportunity to create a new mixed use

commercial and creative centre right in the heart of existing and emerging media industry activity in Digbeth," says the pitch. It is hoped this could be delivered 'in three to

four years'. Called the Digbeth Oval, a series of plots off Floodgate Street, Gibb Street, Heath Mill Lane, Allcock Street, Bromley Street, and Hack Street are being touted for

'commercial, retail, leisure, hotels and residential use'. It is "a significant opportunity to invest in ten development blocks across a wide area in Digbeth." The

ambition is for the first two blocks to open in 'five to ten years'. Belmont Passage sits opposite the film and TV Digbeth Loc Studios on Montague Street and adjacent to the River

Rea and canals intersection. It is billed as 'an opportunity for residential-led, mixed-use development with a frontage to Lawley Middleway at the interface between Digbeth and HS2

Curzon Station.' Delivery estimate is also five to ten years. Upper Trinity Street site is close to the MasterChef studios and Custard Factory, and is currently home to specialist

production and rehearsal facilities Pirate Studios and Spaghetti Studios, and close to the A3 Projects Space creative hub, music venues The Mill, Deadwax, The Rainbow and Luna. Hopes are for

a 'urban housing, retail, leisure complex a hotel, with a five-year timescale. Article continues below Land off Digbeth High Street and Clyde Street and Warwick Street is also being

primed as a 'city living project' of 481 new homes, with a pocket park for residents. The desired timescale is 'four years'. Other schemes include Garrison Gateway, a

homes development at Brickworks, a new 'city living' project and park on land off Digbeth High Street and Clyde Street/Warwick Street, and a residential scheme off New Bond Street.