Birmingham Curzon HS2 regeneration plans boosted by funding for new Midland Metro stop
Published: Friday 15 Sep 2017
- £27.5 million package from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) to deliver new Metro stop
- Further £0.5 million allocated by GBSLEP to create public areas at proposed Birmingham Curzon station
- Plans will integrate proposed HS2 station into city centre to improve connectivity to Digbeth, unlocking growth and regeneration opportunities
- Work supports plans outlined by Birmingham City Council's Curzon Masterplan and Curzon Investment Plan to maximise benefits of HS2
A £27.5 million funding package by the WMCA and GBSLEP has been committed to support the construction of a new Midland Metro stop at the proposed HS2 station at Birmingham Curzon.
The work marks an important next stage in the delivery of Birmingham City Council's Curzon Masterplan (2015) and Curzon Investment Plan (2016). The documents set out how the growth and regeneration opportunities around the new HS2 city centre station can be unlocked.
How the Midland Metro extension to Birmingham Curzon could look
Key to delivering this growth are five 'Big Moves' - a programme of measures which have been devised to integrate Birmingham Curzon station into the city centre, ensuring it is a catalyst for regeneration through its connectivity to Digbeth and other surrounding areas. Working in partnership with HS2 Ltd, which will select the team to design the new Birmingham Curzon station from 2018, the five 'Big Moves' include:
- The station design to create a landmark building and arrival experience at Birmingham Curzon
- Paternoster Place - A wide pedestrian bridge over the West Coast Mainline linking into Digbeth
- Curzon Promenade and Curzon Square
- Station Square and Moor Street Queensway - Creating ‘one station' with pedestrian links to New Street Station and city centre
- Curzon Station Metro stop, which will form part of the extension to the city centre into Digbeth. It is expected to be operational by 2023
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:
This announcement is just one more step in what is the biggest investment in public transport infrastructure since the Victorians.
HS2 is the catalyst for Metro extensions, railway lines being reopened and cycling and walking investment.
This funding from the WMCA will be vital in linking the Metro to HS2 as well as continuing the transformation of this part of the city centre
Cllr Ian Ward, Interim Leader of Birmingham City Council, added:
This is another significant and exciting step towards realising my ambitions for Birmingham and the wider region to make the most of the huge potential offered by HS2.
Birmingham Curzon station will further develop the city's position as a world-class destination and this work is the start of plans to make sure that the station is a catalyst for inclusive economic growth
The Curzon regeneration project is being delivered collaboratively by HS2 Ltd, Birmingham City Council and the WMCA, which is committing £18.5 million of funding to deliver the Metro stop at the new HS2 station.
The GBSLEP has allocated ¬£9 million of Enterprise Zone funding to deliver the Birmingham Curzon Metro stop. It has also approved ¬£0.5 million to develop the designs for the other ‘Big Moves', known as the Curzon Public Realm Programme.
Pat Hanlon, Board Director for Access to Finance, GBSLEP, said:
The Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy demonstrates the huge economic opportunities offered by HS2 to our region, and how we can leverage those opportunities with targeted, local interventions. Our investment of more than £9.5 million from our Enterprise Zone Investment Plan to integrate the Midland Metro and our public realm is one of a number of commitments to unlock the full benefits of HS2 and, in doing so, to create jobs, homes and business growth across Greater Birmingham and Solihull
Mike Lyons, Programme Director, HS2 Ltd, added:
HS2 is a once in a generation opportunity to change the economic geography of the country. It will connect eight of the UK's 10 biggest cities, improve capacity and support job creation.
Birmingham is already seeing the benefits of the HS2 programme as it prepares for the arrival of the first train in 2026, and once fully completed the city will sit at the heart of Britain's new high-speed rail network.
The development of Curzon Street station will see significant regeneration opportunities created and help connect the city centre to Digbeth. We welcome the progress the city and the region are making in preparation for this transformational infrastructure project