Birmingham driving service sector boom Markets Birmingham has been at the front of a “service sector boom”, according to new research from Oxford Economics, helping to drive job creation across the wider region. The West Midlands combined authority (WMCA), which contains Britain’s second city, saw gross value added (GVA) in the services sector rise by an average of 4.2 per cent [...]
Labour to unveil new Birmingham-Manchester rail link after HS2 fiasco Transport and infrastructure Ministers are poised to unveil plans to build a new railway line running from Birmingham to Manchester as part of a major overhaul of rail infrastructure in the North – but it won’t break ground for roughly a decade. Rachel Reeves will reveal the heavily delayed shake-up of east-west railway lines across the north of [...]
Birmingham City’s 62,000-seat stadium with 12 chimneys and sky bar Sport Business Birmingham City have revealed plans for a new 62,000-capacity stadium with 12 brick chimneys, a retractable roof and movable pitch. The stadium, when completed in time for the 2030-2031 season, will become the UK’s 8th largest, ahead of Anfield in the top 10. Knighthead Capital Management have appointed Heatherwick Studio and Manica Architecture for the [...]
Birmingham City get boost from chancellor with stadium metro funding June 4, 2025 Birmingham City are set for a multi-million pound boost to their Sports Quarter development after chancellor Rachel Reeves committed investment which will see the city’s metro reach the club’s planned new stadium. Part of the £2.4bn allocated to the West Midlands will link Birmingham’s Sports Quarter to the centre of town, according to West Midlands [...]
Spending review: Rachel Reeves pledges £15.6bn for regional transport June 4, 2025 The government has made its biggest spending announcement since Labour’s drubbing at the local elections in May, with a pledge from Chancellor Rachel Reeves to double investment in local transport over the next five years. A £15.6bn cash injection will form a major pillar of the 11 June spending review, which the Treasury says would [...]
Bankrupt, rat-infested Birmingham shows why local government matters April 23, 2025 With local elections across much of England, it’s time we took regional accountability much more seriously, says Simon Clarke Next Thursday, there are local elections across much of England. For many people, these events will pass them by entirely. For others, they will be purely an opportunity to send a message about national politics: it [...]
The government is facing a wave of summer strikes – how will it respond? April 17, 2025 Public sector strike action is always tricky territory for Labour politicians to navigate, particularly when the party is in opposition. When strikes plagued the previous Tory government (teachers and junior doctors in particular) Labour MPs – including Keir Starmer – were quick to condemn the government while trying hard not to criticise the unions, with [...]
Birmingham landmark on sale in cut-price deal as value slashed in half March 11, 2025 A landmark office building in Birmingham city centre has been put up for sale for half what it was bought for in 2019. The Lewis Building and its adjoining neighbour Priory Court in Bull Street were acquired by Gulf Islamic Investments for £140m. The investor, which has offices in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, bought the [...]
Brady-backed advisory firm Knighthead spends £100m in Birmingham February 5, 2025 The UK government has welcomed Birmingham City owners Knighthead Capital’s £100m investment into Britain’s second city, which is centred around a 60,000-seat stadium. The American advisory firm, in which NFL great Tom Brady owns a small stake, has spent the money on a 48-acre site near to Birmingham City’s St Andrew’s home for the mega-project. [...]
‘Prohibitive building costs’ stunting UK growth projects – Deloitte February 4, 2025 “Prohibitive costs” involved in construction projects in major UK cities led to a sharp decline in the number of new developments breaking ground in 2024, according to a new report from Deloitte. Deloitte’s latest Regional Crane Surveys, which covers the central areas of Belfast, Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester, has revealed the number of new starts [...]