THE UK'S GROW TH CAPITAL - 2020 INVESTMENT PROSPECTUS - Invest in the West Midlands
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THE UK’S
GROW TH CAPITAL
2020 INVESTMENT PROSPECTUS
This is the
West Midlands,
Edinburgh
Belfast
the UK’s Growth Capital. Manchester
Liverpool
Dublin
The place to create, innovate and build the future.
An entrepreneurial hub, with a pioneering spirit. A region where Amsterdam
long-term, inclusive growth is driven by strategic leadership,
London
responsible investment, world-class businesses and passionate Cardiff
entrepreneurs. Invest with us.
Paris
The West Midlands Our Story
Welcome to the
WEST MIDLANDS
WHERE PIONEERS MAKE THEIR MARK
Investors, more than ever, are looking for certainty and leadership. You need the reassurance that whatever
volatility affects the global economy, your capital investments will make appropriate long-term gains.
The West Midlands offers this reassurance. For centuries our As Mayor of the West Midlands, I’m excited to be working
region has been at the strategic heart of the United Kingdom, closely with a team of local leaders who are animated by the
as an entrepreneurial hub for transport, logistics, manufacturing, same purpose: driving inclusive growth across our region.
trade and innovation. Today, the UK’s second largest city region, With a background in business, at the helm of a leading UK
home to 4.7 million people, hosts a new generation of highly retailer, I understand the importance of collaboration here
skilled people that continue to shape our future. in the West Midlands, which is the spirit that drives us.
We minted the first modern coin – and are now home to a major By bringing the West Midlands under a single entity charged
FinTech hub. We invented the modern postal system and are now with powering inclusive growth, the investor-friendly West
the UK’s first testbed for 5G, ushering in a new age of superfast Midlands Combined Authority provides our region with the
connectivity. We created the first pneumatic tyres and are now strategic leadership and local knowledge needed to succeed.
specialists in future transport systems, including autonomous Supported by the UK Government’s ambitious Industrial Strategy,
vehicles. We are home to the birthplace of Shakespeare and we are building tomorrow’s homes, creating vibrant and thriving
now have a thriving creative and media sector, as well as one of mixed-use places, investing in world-class infrastructure, and
Europe’s fastest growing technology clusters, including a globally transforming the West Midlands into the UK’s growth capital.
significant gaming industry.
In this £10bn investment prospectus you can learn more about
A natural home for pioneers, we have a diverse, resilient economy, the strength of our offer and the boldness of our vision. We are
one of the youngest and fastest growing populations in Europe, the most promising place to invest in the UK – and, like all good
great quality of life, unrivalled connectivity, brilliant centres of businesses, we have a plan and are delivering it.
learning, and world-class businesses, large and small.
All this provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
We are seizing it, and you can too.
Andy Street
Be part of our story.
Mayor of the West Midlands
02 03
The West Midlands Our Story
THE TIME TO INVEST
Birmingham’s New Street Station and Grand
Central shopping centre has undergone a £750m
revamp and is now a world-class transport and
retail hub, attracting £175m in investment from
IS NOW.
Canada’s largest pension fund.
There has never been a more exciting time for the West Midlands. With strong strategic leadership
in place through the West Midlands Combined Authority and a thriving and resilient economy the
region is primed for unprecedented growth. This £10bn investment prospectus provides a significant
opportunity to make your mark in our region. We can provide investors with a simple entry point into
our region, connecting you with the people that matter and guiding you every step of the way.
With the region’s population forecast to grow by half a million The West Midlands has all the elements in place to provide investor
over the next 20 years – equivalent to a city the size of Bristol or certainty and strong long-term growth. The region is open for
Liverpool – and wage levels expected to rise faster than anywhere business and the time to invest is now.
else in the UK, demand will continue to grow for new, quality
homes, services and jobs.
DID YOU KNOW?
Our diverse economy is another key strength with expanding
finance, digital, life sciences, and advanced materials industries
• The region boasts a trade surplus with the United States of £4.5bn
further fuelling the dynamism of the region’s globally leading
transport, logistics and advanced manufacturing sectors. • Birmingham has been named as the UK’s most
investable city by Europe’s top real estate investors
The West Midlands Combined Authority fully supports the vision
for an even more prosperous city region, with a Strategic Economic • Coventry’s rate of jobs creation from FDI is six times higher
Plan and Local Industrial Strategy backed by an £8bn 30-year than other UK regional cities and double that of London
investment programme and a significant annual investment in
• £5.1bn is being invested in High Speed 2 rail and local
providing job-specific training. It is no surprise therefore that
public transport
investors are increasingly keen to make their mark in the West
Midlands. Canadian pension fund CPPIB demonstrated this • The National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham
confidence by investing over £200m into major commercial Airport is the UK’s top exhibition venue
developments in central Birmingham. • Wolverhampton’s £250m Integrated Transport Interchange
Two of the largest UK regional investments in recent years were will provide a state-of-the-art connectivity hub for the region
made in the West Midlands. Totalling over £330m, these student
housing and logistics deals have earned yields over 5% for their
Singaporean and South Korean investors.
04 05
The West Midlands Our Story
YESTERDAY...
The birthplace of Shakespeare… and the first Industrial Revolution
TODAY...
Home to creators, makers and doers…
and pioneering the Fourth Industrial Revolution
• Accommodating one of Europe’s youngest
populations with almost a third of
residents under 25 years old
• 16,938 additional new homes built in 2019,
up 15% on the previous year
• 145,000m2 of prime office space under
development
• The fastest-growing UK region for goods
exports with 27% growth between 2015
and 2017
• The £107.5bn West Midlands economy
has grown by 16.5% in the last six years
• Cluster of 12,400 technology and
digital companies
• Home to global brands including Jaguar
Land Rover, JCB, Cadbury and AGA
• Global centre for innovation in future
transport systems and supply chain firms
The Ironbridge, in Shropshire, was the first bridge
• Birmingham is the UK’s most investable
in the world fabricated from cast iron, made nearby. city, as voted by 500 of Europe’s top real The West Midlands is home to a
The area is now known as the ‘birthplace of the estate investment experts fast-growing data-driven health
Industrial Revolution’. and life sciences sector.
06 07
The West Midlands Our Story
BE PART OF OUR
TOMORROW
2019 • One of the fastest growing economies of any UK region
2021 • Hosting the UK’s City of Culture
2022 • Delivering the 2022 Commonwealth Games
2026 • High Speed 2 rail links to London in 38 minutes
• 500,000 new residents
2030
• 215,000 more homes
• 500,000 more jobs
2033 • High Speed 2 rail links to Manchester and Leeds keeping
the region at the heart of the UK’s five largest urban areas
High Speed 2, one of the biggest infrastructure
projects ever undertaken in the UK, will connect
the West Midlands to London, as well as the
North of England and Scotland.
08 09
The West Midlands Our Story
The West Midlands is thriving.
Located at the heart of the UK, we
have a youthful and diverse population
that is open and friendly. Close to
London, but without the stress, hassle
and expense of the capital, we are a
region of opportunity that is growing LIVE DID YOU KNOW?
fast, attracting global investment, Bustling urban centres, quiet green
suburbs or wide open spaces, the
With many of the UK’s best schools, high
levels of personal safety, affordable housing, • Most popular UK destination for
relocating Londoners
new businesses and residents, and
West Midlands offers a vast range a wealth of green space, and a vibrant and
of lifestyle choices alongside easily diverse population, the West Midlands is • 1.3 million residents under 25
accessible attractions and expanding fast becoming the UK destination of choice • Average home 60% cheaper
holding onto the talent nurtured here.
cultural offerings. for businesses, giving their employees a than London
Recent years have seen a renaissance across great place to live, learn, work and play.
• Birmingham has one of the highest
the West Midlands’ diverse urban centres. proportions of green space of
Our people are creative, innovative, Coventry is set to become the UK’s 2021
City of Culture, and Birmingham will host the
2022 Commonwealth Games, and the region
any UK city
• Coventry has one of the fastest
passionate, and connected –
population growth rates in the UK
boasts football clubs in the English Premier
League and Championship – all of which
truly puts the region in the global spotlight.
and we get things done.
Come and invest with us. The annual Godiva Festival held over three days in
Coventry is the largest free family music festival in the UK.
Coventry will become the UK’s City of Culture in 2021.
10 11
The West Midlands Our Story
CONNECT
DID YOU KNOW?
Connectivity is king in the global economy. Expanding infrastructure networks,
With its strategic location at the heart established global partnerships and tightly • 90% of the UK population
of the UK, the West Midlands is the best connected clusters of high value businesses within a four-hour drive
connected city region in the country – by air, saw the West Midlands welcome the UK’s • The largest bus network
road and rail. Served by Birmingham Airport, highest proportion of business visitors in outside London
one of the UK’s fastest-growing airports, 2016. Connections to the global economy • The UK’s first 5G testing hub
local labour mobility is being enhanced by a are being further enhanced by superfast represents a £50m investment into
£5.1bn investment to expand rail, tram and broadband and 5G that will keep our future mobility and connectivity
bus rapid transit systems. High Speed 2 will innovative businesses at the vanguard
• High Speed 2 to connect to
provide even quicker rail connections to of the Digital Age.
London in 38 minutes by 2026
London, Heathrow Airport and continental
and provide quicker links to
Europe, as well as to regional hubs in the
Manchester (41 minutes) and
North of England and Scotland.
LEARN
Leeds (57 minutes) by 2033
• Rolling out 100% superfast
broadband coverage
DID YOU KNOW? • Constructing Europe’s longest Bus
The West Midlands has always been Our diverse population provides Rapid Transit network with 125km
known for creativity, innovation, design powerful connections to expand The West Midlands has…
of dedicated and enforced bus lanes
and making. We are home to the professional networks globally, while • Nine universities, including
• The West Midlands has the
birthplace of Shakespeare and the Lunar increasing the region’s cultural, two in the World’s Top 100
UK’s largest smartcard transport
Society, whose members helped shape creative and culinary variety. • 56,000 graduates a year scheme outside London
the Industrial Revolution. Today world-
A multi-million-pound UK government- • Europe’s largest specialist
leading educational centres and a young
backed skills deal will provide further construction and built
and entrepreneurial population puts the
digital and technical skills to ensure environment campus
West Midlands at the cutting edge of
employers can access the talent required • World-class business schools
creativity and innovation. A high number of
to build the future. We are also working producing more business students
pioneering startups reinforces a growing
with leading employers to respond to than any location outside London
reputation as the UK’s growth capital.
labour shortages, create talent pipelines
With nine universities and top research ahead of large projects and provide
institutions, Birmingham, Coventry and in-work retraining to make jobs
Wolverhampton are brimming with more sustainable.
Based in Wolverhampton, luggage label The WMCA region attracted over 131
bright graduates, with many staying to Goodstart Jones is being supported by eBay million visitors in 2018, an increase of
start businesses and build homes. in the UK-first Retail Revival innovation, aimed 2.6% (+3.4m visitors) over the past year.
at combining expertise in new online shopping Birmingham Airport is undergoing a
terminal transformation programme as part
habits with a tangible shopfront experience.
of its long term £500m master plan vision.
12 13
The West Midlands Our Story
FROM WORKSHOP
OF THE WORLD...
Historically known as the ‘workshop of the world’, today the West
Midlands’ diverse range of thriving sectors and entrepreneurial
spirit continue to drive global innovation and change. Home
to both established global brands and a new generation of
businesses already shaping the future, the region is a natural
home for designers, creators, makers, innovators, and pioneers
who want to make their mark.
DID YOU KNOW?
A unique mix of talented people, world- Enterprise Zones based in Birmingham and
class research, business and government Black Country provide unique benefits and • Connected and autonomous
investment has seen the West Midlands incentives to businesses and further cluster vehicles are potentially worth
transition from industrial heartland to the area’s expertise in engineering, business £50-100bn to the UK economy
high-tech hub, now home to Europe’s and financial services, pharmaceuticals and • The West Midlands produces one
fastest growing technology cluster. With healthcare, and automotive. third of the nearly two million vehicles
more patents for low carbon transport than manufactured annually in the UK
Some of the world's best educational
anywhere else in Europe, the region is a • Birmingham has the highest number
facilities and our commitment to becoming
global centre for future transport systems of start-ups of any regional city
the UK's leading region for job-related skills
and supply chain firms.
development ensures we'll remain at the • Coventry's ratio of published
Our unusually high concentration of games forefront of global innovation. patent applications is the UK's
development companies, with around second highest
130 in a cluster known as Silicon Spa, are
pioneering the Digital Age of augmented
and virtual reality, while the development
of advanced materials, bio-energy, FinTech,
...TO
future power systems and autonomous
vehicles will continue to shape the future.
14
The West Midlands is home to a high
concentration of gaming companies in a fast-
growing tech cluster known as Silicon Spa. INNOVATION ENGINE 15
The West Midlands Our Story
Future of Mobility • Connected and Automated Vehicles
(CAVs) – self-driving vehicle trials for
The West Midlands is the centre of
WORLD-CLASS OPPORTUNITIES
the public beginning in the UK in 2021
transport innovation in the UK, leading
and the West Midlands will deploy the
the smart, low carbon movement of people
first fully operational CAVs in advance
and goods and connecting communities
of the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Supported by our landmark Local Industrial Strategy, the West Midlands has a diverse, to new opportunities.
resilient and thriving economy, and four major new market opportunities. • UK Battery Industrialisation Centre
Opportunities:
(UKBIC) – a national facility and
• Future Mobility Zone - the first to be research technology organisation
established in the UK on a network of
over 50 miles of roads, and to develop • National Automotive Innovation
the next generation Electric and Centre – creating and developing novel
Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) and technologies to reduce dependency on
Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) fossil fuels and to reduce CO2 emissions
• 5G West Midlands Testbed for Mobility
Data-driven health Modern Services Creative content,
and life sciences The West Midlands is driving innovation techniques and technologies
By leveraging value from investments in our and demand through its globally relevant The West Midlands is growing its core
world-leading research and clinical bases, the cluster of business and professional services, creative industries and creative design skills
West Midlands has already established itself offering ‘full service’ provision at scale and techniques as part of the transformation
as a leading centre for the evaluation and unprecedented in any other UK city region. of products, processes and services.
real-world application of health interventions.
Opportunities: Opportunities:
Opportunities: • Largest and fastest growing sector in • A core sector generating over £4bn of GVA
• Enable the region to access region, with highly paid, high-skilled roles through 10,000 firms and 10 per cent of the
state-of-the-art healthcare services UK games industry based in Silicon Spa
• Driving business performance
• Create a system that enables the rapid across all sectors • An advanced manufacturing sector
adoption of digital technologies comprising over 134,000 employees
• Application of disruptive technologies and across over 5,700 companies in a prime
• Developing the West Midlands’ 5G to innovate next-generation services position to drive innovation and adoption
Health Technologies Cluster of new opportunities for the sector
• Compelling quality of life proposition
• Developing a workforce equipped with attracting and retaining top talent • The creation of Create Central,
the digital and entrepreneurial skills an industry-led body turbo-charging
• Internationally recognised research games, TV and film industries in
• Making the West Midlands the best centres for excellence for advanced the West Midlands
place to train, work, live and grow services and responsible business
a health technology business • Significant opportunities associated with
Coventry’s UK City of Culture in 2021
16 and the 2022 Commonwealth Games 17The West Midlands Our Story
Birmingham Coventry Dudley Sandwell
BOLD LEADERSHIP
STRONG PARTNERSHIPS
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) guarantees strong strategic leadership for the Solihull Walsall Cannock Chase North Warwickshire
region and a single entry point for investors, providing key insight, knowledge and connections.
Led by Mayor Andy Street, who ran John Lewis, one of the UK’s most successful retail businesses
for nearly a decade, the WMCA team work with local leaders to champion the region and boost
investment, economic growth, transport, housing and jobs.
Capitalising on a once-in-a-generation opportunity to power The West Midlands is open to investment and business and
inclusive growth, the WMCA, with its first elected mayor, we are working with our partners including the West Midlands
was established in 2017 to provide strategic leadership Growth Company to attract jobs, investment, visitors and
across the region. businesses to the area.
The WMCA works hand in glove with local leaders and partners, The region has a relentless focus on delivery, with housing Nuneaton and Bedworth Redditch Rugby Shropshire
including the neighbouring East Midlands and larger Midlands completions increasing at four times the national average in
Engine, to attract investment and drive inclusive growth. recent years. We are now delivering on ambitious plans to
transform the region’s diverse urban centres, unlock
As the fastest growing economy of any city region in the UK,
brownfield land, and expand public transport.
with wage levels rising quicker than the rest of the country,
the West Midlands offers stellar investment opportunities. With Coventry becoming the UK City of Culture in 2021 and
Birmingham hosting the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the
Benefiting from a strategic approach to regeneration, transport
region’s local and global reputation as a dynamic, cosmopolitan,
and growth and strong local networks, the WMCA has partnered
open and business-friendly destination will continue to expand.
in major redevelopment projects, including the extensive
redevelopment around Birmingham’s central rail stations and
The West Midlands Combined
Europe’s largest automotive R&D cluster. Authority brings together 17 local Wolverhampton Stratford-on-Avon Tamworth Telford and Wrekin Warwickshire
authority partners, all animated by
Three Local Enterprise Partnerships exist across the region, same goal: driving inclusive growth
promoting collaboration on economic and employment across the region.
growth between local businesses and local government.
The UK Government also fully supports the four pillars of our
Local Industrial Strategy: smart mobility; data-driven health
and life sciences; modern services; and creative content,
techniques and technologies.
18 19The West Midlands Our Story
WE DELIVER THE WEST MIDLANDS:
A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS
Won the bid to host the UK City of Culture in 2021
The West Midlands is a place to innovate
– we embrace creators and makers and And the Commonwealth Games in 2022 − plans include a £60m
those with a pioneering spirit. But we are state-of-the-art Sandwell Aquatics Centre
also a region of doers. Since the West
Midlands Combined Authority was created Secured a ground-breaking Devolution Deal in 2016, with a further
just three years ago, we have a strong track £2bn devolved since then
record of success. Investors can be assured
that in the West Midlands they will find The £107.5bn West Midlands economy has grown by 16.5% in the last six years
dynamic and business-friendly partners
all animated by the same goal: driving 145,000m2 of prime office space under development
inclusive growth across the region. We can
help connect and guide you every step of Home to the UK's most investable city − as voted by 500 of Europe’s top real estate
the way. Together we can make it happen. investment experts
E
urope’s largest bank, HSBC, relocated its UK headquarters to the West Midlands
with 2,500 employees
More jobs from foreign direct investment than any region outside London
18,590 business registered in Birmingham in 2018, the highest outside London
£50m investment to develop the UK’s first 5G testing hub
Delivering the first integrated public transport network outside London
Walsall born swimmer Ellie Simmonds,
who won five Paralympic gold medals, is now £175m annually to provide the skills employers need to build the future
playing a leading role in organising the 2022
Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
Additional new homes up from 6,839 (2011/12) to 16,938 (2018/19)
20 21The West Midlands Make Your Mark
INVEST IN This £10bn investment prospectus provides significant opportunity
to make your mark in the UK’s growth capital.
• Building tomorrow’s homes to accommodate the region’s growth, we will become a world
OUR FUTURE
leader in advanced methods of construction, placemaking, brownfield regeneration, urban
renewal and housing delivery
• W
orking with visionary investors, developers, and architects we are creating great places
that are transforming our urban centres, leaving a legacy for generations to come
• With unprecedented backing from the UK Government we are delivering major strategic
infrastructure upgrades, including some of the largest projects in the country’s history
• With new expertise and investment we have unlocked a diverse range of challenging brownfield
regeneration sites including the largest brownfield housing site in the region (Friars Park)
• Working along new and existing transport corridors we will showcase portfolio corridor
investment opportunities making corridor thinking, planning and implementation the norm
The £700m Paradise Birmingham development,
delivered by Argent and Hermes and masterplanned
by Glenn Howells Architects, is one of the largest
and most important commercial developments
outside London.
22 23The West Midlands Make Your Mark
This LoCal Homes factory in Walsall, using the latest in
modern methods of construction, has capacity to produce
1,000 high quality, energy efficient houses every year.
INVEST IN
Each home can be built in as little as one day.
TOMORROW’S HOMES
Harnessing the West Midlands’ entrepreneurial spirit, we believe in challenging the status quo and
embracing new and innovative thinking. That also applies to housing, where we have a relentless
focus on creating thoughtfully designed places, maximising our connectivity and delivering
inclusive communities that bring together the very best practice in housing delivery, innovation
in construction, regeneration, placemaking and urban transformation
Housing completions have been increasing at four times the UK’s Delivering more homes, diversifying an undersupplied rental stock
average in recent years. In the last year alone overall housing and maintaining housing affordability is central to ensuring the
supply increased by 15% in just 1 year. As a strategic hub for West Midlands remains a destination of choice. Supported by a
advanced manufacturing and logistics, the region will become a strategic approach to skills development, transport investment
global leader in modern methods of construction, delivering high and urban transformation the West Midlands will remain the most
quality factory-made, digitally-enabled homes at scale and speed. investor-friendly region for residential investment in the UK. We can
With strong local and national government support and the largest offer land for direct purchase, and the opportunity for joint venture
developable brownfield land supply in the UK, the West Midlands and public-private partnerships. We can also make introductions to
is aiming to double housing delivery within a decade and triple fast track the delivery of affordable housing and provide compelling
the supply of affordable housing by 2031, with advanced methods propositions. Join us in powering inclusive growth as we ensure
of construction becoming the norm. A wave of brownfield sites scale, pace and quality of development is achieved.
which have been stalled and derelict because they were too
difficult to develop have been unlocked by the WMCA working
with its public and private sector partners – creating new homes,
jobs and infrastructure for local communities and de-risking DID YOU KNOW?
private sector investment by positive public intervention.
• The West Midlands has the UK’s second highest housing target – an average of 16,500 dwellings a year between now and and 2031,
and already ahead of trajectory
BY 2031 THE WEST MIDLANDS WILL:
• The region delivered an overall supply of 16,938 new homes in 2018 – that is more than double the figure just 7 years ago
• Increase affordable housing supply to 6,000 new completions annually
• The average home in Birmingham costs 7.3 times annual earnings versus 10.2 UK-wide and 17.8 in London
• Deploy the most advanced methods of manufacturing in construction in new
• The region has created a public land disposals database to simplify planning and acquisition
homes in line with the region’s advanced methods of construction strategy
• The West Midlands’ residential property prices for 2017/18 grew 5.8% − one of the UK's fastest
• Secure high-quality design through a new regional design charter
• Hong Kong investors put £300m into 1,000 new homes in Birmingham's city centre
• Deliver 16,500 new homes every year
•P
oor housing stock means one in 10 families struggle to heat their homes, representing a significant opportunity for new retrofitting
• Deliver zero carbon buildings in line with the region’s 2041 Climate Change Action Plan.
technologies, aimed at tackling fuel poverty and improving sustainability and wellbeing
24 25The West Midlands Make Your Mark
INVEST IN GREAT PLACES
The West Midlands is undergoing a cultural and urban transformation. Robust partnerships
between commercial developers and public authorities are rapidly transforming the accessibility
and experience of the region’s urban centres, opening up new opportunities for workplaces,
retail, food and beverage, leisure and housing.
Large-scale regeneration in Birmingham, Coventry and Our aspiration is to catalyse and deliver genuinely
Wolverhampton is only the start of this story. In smaller urban high-quality development that supports strong and
centres across the region the WMCA’s urban town centre socially inclusive communities. We will ensure that
improvement programme is further reviving their commercial residents, businesses and visitors will enjoy the shared
appeal and redesigning the public realm. benefits, firmly establishing the region as the UK’s
destination of choice to live, learn, work and play.
Beyond our urban centres, strategic growth corridors where
development can be prioritised, aligned and accelerated have
been identified. New corridor investment plans are being created
for example along the Walsall to Wolverhampton and Sandwell INCLUSIVE GROWTH CORRIDORS
to Dudley corridors to show investors and developers the
compelling vision, real estate evidence and different ingredients • Wolverhampton — Walsall: major regeneration and
and projects which make them great places to invest and build. development opportunity, with circa £100m transport
upgrades planned to support the construction of over
URBAN TRANSFORMATION 4,500 new homes, as well as major redevelopment in
Walsall and Wolverhampton urban centres
• Sandwell — Dudley Metro Extension: the 11km Metro
•B
irmingham: £1bn+ Curzon Street High Speed 2 rail
extension between Wednesbury and Brierley Hill
station; Argent and Hermes’ £1bn, 7-hectare Paradise
links the Black Country with HS2 and supports the
project and LendLease’s £1.5bn 17—hectare Smithfield site
regeneration of Brierley Hill and Dudley town centres
•T
he Black Country: £6bn of investment opportunities − 17 new Metro stations will support investment and
in high density sites for residential, office, retail and regeneration opportunities throughout the corridor.
technology enhances the region’s reputation as the UK’s
• Perry Barr: the £280m Athletes Village for the 2022
largest high-value manufacturing cluster
Commonwealth Games provides the catalyst for
• Wolverhampton: £3.7bn in urban regeneration regeneration of the wider area with an improved new
investment, with the former Springfield Brewery rail station, major public transport investment, and
becoming Europe’s largest specialist construction and delivering new homes and jobs post-Games
built environment campus
• Greater Icknield — Smethwick: major investment in land
Designed by architect Allies & Morrison • Coventry: £700m Friargate development adding prime remediation and transportation improvements provide
and developed by Cannon Kirk, Friargate is office space, hotels, homes, shops, restaurants and a catalyst for a new mixed-use urban quarter just 10
a 300,000m2 new mixed-use destination, public space to the town centre minutes from Birmingham city centre
opening up a new green link into the town from
Coventry’s soon-to-be upgraded rail station.
26 27The West Midlands Make Your Mark
THE WEST MIDLANDS IS COMMITTED TO:
INVEST IN WORLD-CLASS
• Investing up to £5bn in transport upgrades, to deliver an integrated world-class transport network and fully connect local transport
networks and communities into our HS2 stations
INFRASTRUCTURE
• Extending the West Midlands Metro system, by 30km by 2026, including the delivery of light rail extensions to Dudley-Brierley Hill
and through East Birmingham to North Solihull and the High Speed 2 Interchange Station
• Delivering £50m in investment to create the UK’s first multi-city 5G testbed across Birmingham, Wolverhampton and Coventry
The West Midlands lies at the strategic heart of the UK, as an entrepreneurial hub for transport, • Delivering the UK’s first Future Mobility Zone and the UK’s largest connected and autonomous vehicles testbed
logistics, manufacturing, trade, health and innovation. To enhance its global position and to secure
• Delivering the biggest station and infrastructure investment programme for a generation – building seven new suburban rail
sustainable growth, the region is now undertaking major infrastructure improvements, including stations, reopening 31km of track new passengers and providing 20,000 new seats
some of the biggest investments in UK history and the UK’s first 5G testbed.
• Investing up £100m, in time for Birmingham 2022, to deliver the longest bus rapid transit system in Europe
This unprecedented programme includes major rail projects To remain at the cutting edge of the digital revolution, the • Delivering a network of new cross city bus routes and supporting town centres in order to promote inclusive growth
such as High Speed 2, local transport improvements, including region is rolling out 100% superfast broadband coverage.
the first integrated public transport network outside London, We are also hosting the UK’s first and largest public test
ensuring places, homes and businesses remain highly environment for 5G as well as trialling connected and
connected, driving inclusive growth while lowering emissions. autonomous vehicles, both important pillars of the UK’s
industrial strategy.
A £5.1bn investment is underway to expand rail and tram
networks, including new stations in congested areas and bus An annual energy bill of £10bn and significant development
rapid transit lines to connect to key development sites. The and investment plans provide a platform for local clean energy
West Midlands will also boast two High Speed 2 rail stations, innovators to grow into major export businesses. The region
with £1.1bn being invested in strategic station upgrades to is also committed to playing a major part in delivering carbon
improve capacity across the region. The UK government is neutral growth and hosts many of the UK’s leading energy
investing £2.9bn in 234km of smart highways radiating from research institutions.
Birmingham and 11 major road schemes supporting housing
Opportunities for infrastructure innovators and investors to
and growth across the region.
make their mark are significant – supported by a clear strategy
for inclusive growth and strong leadership.
DID YOU KNOW?
• The West Midlands has an annual energy bill at £10bn, second only to London
• The clean energy sector generates £134,638 GVA per employee, more than double the UK average
• The West Midlands manages the largest public bus network outside London, with a clear
commitment to a clean fleet by 2020
• High Speed 2 will increase access to and around one of the UK’s fastest growing airports
• 90% of UK businesses are located within a four-hour drive from the West Midlands
The West Midlands is hosting the
UK’s first testbed for 5G technology
and autonomous vehicles, putting
the region at the leading edge of the
fourth Industrial Revolution.
28 29The West Midlands Make Your Mark
...
INVEST IN THE WEST MIDLANDS... AND IN OUR FUTURE
A region that supports inclusive growth − doing things differently, and doing them better. We are the most promising place to invest in the UK – offering unprecedented
growth opportunity; strong strategic leadership and a thriving and diverse economy.
The West Midlands Combined Authority brings local authorities This means going beyond the usual ways of working – and doing
together under a single strategic entity committed to driving more to make sure that inclusive growth is at the heart of our plans A region that gave birth to the Industrial Revolution is now We are on an exciting journey. Join us on it.
inclusive growth across the region. We have an ambitious for the region. We are the most promising place to invest in the pioneering the new industries and technologies that will We can help you every step of the way.
growth strategy that is already delivering; creating good jobs, UK – we have a clear vision and a strategy for delivering it and can shape our future. We are young, entrepreneurial and creative
real skills progression and a pipeline of developments that will provide you with the reassurance that your capital investments will − and are fast becoming the UK destination of choice.
benefit all of our communities. make appropriate long-term gains. Together we are committed to
doing things differently, and doing them better. Join us.
Investing in the West Midlands means investing in our
communities: they are vibrant, diverse and welcoming.
They are your future talent and your future market. That
is why we want inclusive growth to ensure that all our CONNECTING COMMUNITIES
communities have a chance to contribute and benefit. Our plans actively support housing and infrastructure
development in places, and for people, that need it the most.
This means new transport connectivity that connects outlying
communities with centres of job growth and economic
GREAT HOMES AND PLACES
prosperity. It means working with our public service partners
We are committed to not just building houses, but building homes, to make sure the social infrastructure in our places is modern,
communities and vibrant places where people can live and work connected and helps support resilient communities that can
together with pride. So we will promote wellbeing by design, quality play their part.
across the board, and we will measure success on how inclusive
our development has been – on the ROI to society, as well as the FORWARD-THINKING PARTNERS
economy. The WMCA operates a single funding portal (the single Inclusive growth means ensuring all of our communities benefit
commissioning framework) for all devolved housing and land from the value growth and development creates. We cannot
funds – a convenient means to access the investment developers accept economic growth that leaves our communities behind,
and investors need to unlock their housing and regeneration sites so we will work tirelessly to recognise partners who want to
with clear rules of the game on eligibility and decision-making invest in our places for the right reasons, to leave a real legacy
timeframes. The framework puts inclusive growth and placemaking for our citizens and communities. This is forward-thinking,
front and centre of every investment decision. responsible investment with a shared reward.
BUILDING SOCIAL VALUE
We are resolutely focused on growing the social economy in the
region – through our commitment to social value procurement
and supply chain development that proactively includes local
businesses that develop skills, wealth and expertise within our
Central Birmingham is being
communities. We want partnerships that can grow this ethos and
transformed by the £700m Paradise
help leave a lasting legacy of social value in the West Midlands. The Gravelly Hill Interchange, opened in 1972 in the West Midlands, project, as well as the recent opening
is the world’s first ‘spaghetti junction’. of HSBC’s UK head office.
30 31THE UK’S BEST AIR
CONNECTED REGION Birmingham Airport has embarked on a major three year £65m
terminal transformation project to enlarge the departure lounge
Edinburgh
and passenger security search area, as well as introducing further
self-service bag drop kiosks and additional baggage carousels
This work is the first phase of a 15 year vision which will
accommodate the forecasted growth in passenger numbers from
RAIL Newcastle
the current 12.7m today to 18m by the year 2033
Birmingham Airport serves more than 400 direct or one stop
destinations globally with 50 airlines and is the UK’s fifth largest
airport with the highest percentage of business travellers after
High Speed 2 will reduce travel time into London to Belfast
London Heathrow.
38 minutes by 2026, with journey times to Heathrow Airport
cut to just one hour, quicker than from many parts of London West Midlands is one of the UK’s fastest growing
regions for international visitors – attracting
Phase 2 of High Speed 2 will halve travel times
a record 1.9 million overseas visitors in 2017
to Manchester and Leeds by 2033 Leeds
Birmingham New Street is the UK’s busiest
passenger station outside London Manchester
Liverpool
Dublin
Around £1.1bn investment in strategic stations,
including £700m in Birmingham New Street; £200m PUBLIC
in Birmingham International; £82m in Coventry and
£132m in Wolverhampton Station
TRANSPORT
Wolverhampton Over £5bn is being invested in transport upgrades,
ROAD
Coventry
delivering an integrated world-class network
Birmingham
Metro and rail public transport usage continue to increase across
90% of the UK population within a four-hour drive the West Midlands, peaking at almost 40% of all trips into
Birmingham during the morning rush-hour
Forms the backbone of the UK’s ‘golden triangle’ with
more warehouse space for logistics than London, The £1.3bn West Midland Metro expansion will triple the network size,
Scotland and Wales combined Cardiff add 50 additional trams by 2026, increasing passenger numbers from 7.2
Bristol London million to 30 million and interchanging with both High Speed 2 stations
Within four hours by road of nine of the UK’s
13 major ports, including Dover, Europe’s busiest Investing up to £100m, in time for Birmingham 2022, to deliver
passenger port and Felixstowe, the UK’s biggest our flagship bus rapid transit system in Europe.
and busiest container port Bus is the backbone of the West Midlands transport network
234km of Smart Motorway being delivered carrying 80% of all public transport trips. The region has the largest
to improve links from the West Midlands bus network in the UK (outside of London), with over 2000 buses
to London and Manchester and 260 million journeys per annum, across 300 bus routesThe West Midlands Make Your Mark
£10bn of investment
INVEST IN US opportunities inside.
The West Midlands Mayor and Combined Authority provide strategic leadership for
the region and offer a soft landing for investors looking to make their mark. Strong
relationships with local partners and businesses gives us the contacts, knowledge Now make your mark.
and expertise to simplify your entry into our region.
Clive Heaphy Martin Reeves Kevin O’Keefe, David Stevens,
CEO Birmingham City Council CEO Coventry City Council CEO Dudley Council CEO Sandwell Council
Deborah Cadman Neil Rami
CEO West Midlands CEO West Midlands
Combined Authority Growth Company
Nick Page Dr Helen Paterson Tim Johnson
CEO Solihull Council CEO Walsall Council CEO City of Wolverhampton Council
Discover how this amazing city region is once again the place to be.
Come and talk to us.
investinus@wmca.org.uk www.wmgrowth.com
32INVESTMENT INDEX AND WEST MIDLANDS MARKET DATA
CURRENT INVESTMENT COMING SOON
OPPORTUNITIES TO INVESTORS ONES TO WATCH
01 Birmingham Curzon 01 B
irmingham International Station 01 Creative Quarter Royal Leamington Spa
02 Eastgate, Church Hill/Homer Road, Integrated Transport Exchange Solihull 02 Former Ironbridge Power Station
Solihull Town Centre 02 City Centre South Coventry 03 Springfield Campus Wolverhampton
03 Friargate Coventry 03 D
Y5 Dudley’s Business 04 Walsall Town Centre
04 i54 South Staffordshire Western Extension and Innovation Enterprise Zone 05 West Bromwich Eastern Quarter
05 I nterchange Commercial District 04 Dudley Town Centre
and Canalside Living Quarter Wolverhampton 05 Friar Park, Sandwell MARKET DATA
06 M
IRA Technology Park Southern 06 G
reater Icknield and Smethwick
Manufacturing Sector Nuneaton 07 M6 Junction 10 Cluster Walsall 01 West Midlands Housing Data
07 Paradise Birmingham 02 West Midlands Investment Market
08 P
erry Barr Regeneration, Commonwealth
08 Telford Investment Cluster Games 2022 and Legacy 03 West Midlands Logistics Data
09 The Brewers Yard Wolverhampton 04 West Midlands Retail Data
10 Transforming Nuneaton
11 UK Central Hub and HS2 Interchange SolihullCURRENT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES 01
Birmingham Curzon BACKGROUND
Birmingham will be at the heart of the UK High Speed Rail network providing
The arrival of HS2 will be the catalyst to unlock and accelerate a range of
development and regeneration initiatives including an expansion of the city’s
office core as well as opportunities around the Science Park and Knowledge
a once-in-a-century opportunity to radically enhance the city’s national rail
Birmingham Curzon is a 141 hectare regeneration area at Hub, which is home to five universities and colleges and 25,000 students.
connectivity, and accelerate its economic growth potential. A brand new
the heart of the city and the UK High Speed rail network. city centre HS2 station, Birmingham Curzon, will be the catalyst for a major
The Creative Quarter centred on Digbeth, Birmingham’s former industrial
mixed-use regeneration scheme in a prime location. The Curzon masterplan
heartland, is a key part of the Curzon regeneration area and home to more
sets out the City Council’s aims for the station and demonstrates the
than 400 creative companies making it a powerful digital hub. Digbeth has an
OPPORTUNITY regeneration potential of the surrounding 141 hectares that could result
eclectic mix of street art, music venues, street food vendors, bars and pubs
Centred around a new High Speed 2 (HS2) terminus station a number of major in a £4bn economic uplift.
and regeneration plans aim to enhance its distinctive character and heritage
investment opportunities exist for parties interested in exploring development buildings as well as providing scope for new commercial development.
Birmingham
partner/funder and equity investment on sites ranging up to 3.3 hectares and
covering a selection of commercial and residential uses. Birmingham City Council
DESCRIPTION
as promoter is working with Homes England as well as private sector landowners The 141 hectare regeneration area comprises over 30 strategic development PROMOTER AND PARTNERSHIPS
to help bring forward investable development projects within the Curzon opportunities and is within the extended City Centre Enterprise Zone. These
Birmingham City Council as promoter is working in partnership with public
regeneration area. There is a strategic opportunity to help shape projects at an sites can provide around 4,000 new homes and 600,000m2 of commercial,
and private sector landowners to bring forward development as well as the
early stage, as these are expected to come forward over the next 2–5 years. leisure and market floorspace.
Greater Birmingham Solihull Local Economic Partnership and West Midlands
Combined Authority to provide infrastructure funding.
With preparatory work underway the station will be operational by 2029.
THE FACTS A £724m investment programme has been agreed with the UK Government
for Curzon, which will integrate the station into the city centre, lead to
Promoter:
LOCATION
the expansion of the Midland Metro network and provide the necessary
Birmingham City Council and infrastructure to unlock key sites bringing growth and development forward The Curzon HS2 terminus occupies a city centre location adjacent to main
multiple private landowners within the city and beyond. retail, and business districts as well as Creative Quarter and the Knowledge
Hub and benefits from exceptional local and regional connectivity.
Scale:
£1bn+ GDV
Sector:
Office, Residential, Hotel and Leisure
Location:
Birmingham City Centre
Investment Type:
Development partner/funder; Equity investor
Programme:
2020–2036
Planning Status:
Strategic masterplan in place
Website:
www.birmingham.gov.uk/birminghamcurzonhs2CURRENT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES 02
Eastgate, BACKGROUND
Solihull town centre is already a leading regional retail, leisure and office location
•T
he delivery of retail, leisure, Food & Beverage and ancillary uses to create
a distinctive, vibrant new quarter within the town - enhancing activity
Church Hill/Homer Road,
throughout the day and into the evening, in a scheme that is connected
with a number of high profile occupiers and international retailers and brands.
to, and integrated with the rest of the town centre
The Solihull Town Centre Masterplan identifies the strategic development
Solihull Town Centre
•T
o provide a good mix of quality private and affordable housing units within
opportunity sites in the town centre, as well as the additional infrastructure
an attractive setting, including community space, which connects with and
requirements necessary to facilitate this development and wider growth.
supports the vitality of the wider town centre
Solihull Town Centre presents a range of occupier, Investment in accessibility through improved junctions, corridors and public
•T
he provision of attractive and high-quality public spaces including a
realm across the centre is underway, creating connected quarters and supporting
investment and development partner opportunities. Solihull development. Designs are being developed for a new Integrated Transport Hub
significant new public space for the town centre and linkages to create a
lively hub and meeting place for residents, workers, shoppers and customers
at Solihull rail station, incorporating new facilities and development, alongside a
pioneering Low Carbon Energy Network, reducing operational costs for new and
OPPORTUNITY • To improve town centre permeability and pedestrian flows through
existing commercial and public sector schemes.
Through a phased development approach, the Business & Commercial Quarter the provision of high-quality linkages, spaces, paths and other
offers opportunities from 2020, the first being the Council’s Westgate scheme to transport movements
The first opportunity site to come to market, led by the Council, is the
deliver 10,600m2 of Grade A office and collaborative space at the head of Homer 10,600m2, Grade A office development Westgate: 21 Homer Road – delivering
Road between the town centre and rail station. The building will be ready for prime collaborative working spaces in a key location between the High Street
occupation in Summer 2022 and occupier interest is invited. PROMOTER AND PARTNERSHIPS
and Solihull rail station.
The site is under the majority ownership of Solihull Metropolitan Borough
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council are also inviting developers to engage and
Bookending the Business & Commercial Quarter, the Eastgate, Church Hill/ Council, with third party ownerships to the north of the masterplan site
explore innovative design and delivery solutions for the development of Eastgate,
Homer Road site is strategically significant with connectivity into the High alongside the High Street.
Church Hill/Homer Road - a prime site within the Quarter. The site will incorporate
civic and office functions for the Council alongside prime residential and mixed- Street Retail Core. Its scale and potential are highly significant for Solihull.
The site is being promoted by Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council,
use retail and leisure opportunities at the heart of Solihull town centre.
supported by the West Midlands Combined Authority.
THE FACTS DESCRIPTION
The project objectives for the Eastgate site and the desired outputs are:
Promoter: LOCATION
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Located immediately off Junction 5 of the M42 Motorway, the town
• The re-provision of Council accommodation as an ancillary occupation,
Scale: which offers public facing co-located services within a building which is centre offers exceptional connectivity via road and rail. Solihull town
£100m+ GDV flexible and capable of adapting to future change centre is minutes away from Birmingham Airport, connecting to 140 direct
international destinations, and the planned High Speed Interchange station
Sector:
connecting to London in 38 minutes.
Housing, Commercial and Retail
Location:
Solihull Town Centre
Investment Type:
Development Partner
Programme:
Market engagement commencing in Spring 2020.
Preferred bidder stage currently programmed
for Spring 2021
Planning Status:
Town Centre site with existing town centre uses
Website:
www.investinukcentral.com
Westgate, 21 Homer RoadCURRENT INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES 03
Friargate Coventry BACKGROUND
Less than one hour from London, Friargate is one of the largest mixed-use
DESCRIPTION
The whole development will provide 297,290m2 and generate 15,000 new jobs.
developments in the West Midlands. An ambitious new business destination, In total, Friargate will deliver 25 sustainable new buildings including 213,677m2
Friargate is an Office-led mixed-use and multi-phase Friargate is delivering prime new office space, hotels, homes, shops, of Grade A offices, two hotels, 19,974m2 of retail, up to 400 new homes plus
development providing many options for investment. restaurants and public space – all next to Coventry railway station 10,219m2 of leisure space.
and a five minute walk from the city centre.
Planning Consent for a second office building, Two Friargate, has been
OPPORTUNITY Selected as UK City of Culture in 2021 and taking part in the 2022 Commonwealth granted, extending to 12,635m2 net. Detailed construction design is
Friargate JV Project Limited is open to various investment structures Games, Coventry is a city very much on the rise. One Friargate completed in underway to deliver a contemporary Grade A office building, perfect
to accelerate the delivery of future phases including offices, residential, September 2017 and fully occupied with 2,323m2 of the 11,613m2 floorspace let for modern business. The hotel is further advanced with planning
retail, leisure and hotels. Coventry to The Financial Ombudsman Service, an inward investor with a view to possible consent and a contractor appointed in readiness for a start on site
expansion as further buildings are brought forward.
Friargate has already delivered a framework of new infrastructure, new
public spaces and the first high quality office building, One Friargate, The building won a number of awards in 2018, including the British Council for PROMOTER AND PARTNERSHIPS
occupied by Coventry City Council and The Financial Ombudsman Service. Offices (BCO) regional awards: Best Corporate Workplace and the LABC West Friargate JV Project Limited is a UK registered limited company established
The project is about to commit to a new 100-room boutique hotel for Midlands Awards: Best Public Service Building. to deliver the Friargate project. It is owned and controlled by Coventry City
completion in 2021 and a second office building, Two Friargate for 2023.
Council and the Cannon Kirk Group, a Dublin-based development and
THE FACTS Friargate also won the 2017 West Midlands Regeneration Project of the Year, property investment business that includes US venture capital, Oaktree
West Midlands Property Awards. Capital Management, among its shareholders.
Promoter:
Friargate JV Project Limited
The JV Company consolidates a long-standing working arrangement with
Scale: Coventry City Council to help accelerate project delivery while working
£700m+ GDV closely with Coventry and Warwickshire Local Economic Partnership, and
Sector: West Midlands Combined Authority.
Office led mixed-use
Location: LOCATION
Coventry City Centre
Friargate benefits from direct access to London in under an hour and is only a
Investment Type: 10-minute train journey from Birmingham Airport – with connections to Europe,
Range including partnership, direct China, India, Australia, Dubai and the USA. There are few developments,
development or co-investment anywhere in the country, that are as well connected as Friargate.
Programme:
Under construction,
phased over a 15-year period
Planning Status:
Friargate Masterplan approved, first building
built, second building with detailed approval
Website:
www.friargatecoventry.co.ukYou can also read
