West Midlands targets £19bn worth of regeneration through trailblazing new platform

The West Midlands is seeking to mobilise over £19 billion worth of regeneration through a UK-first, proprietary investment platform targeting the national and global developer community.

Launched today by Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker at real estate conference UKREiiF, Site Selection WM represents the UK’s ‘smartest’ portfolio of investment sites and renewed impetus to place the West Midlands at the forefront of UK growth.

The digital platform uniquely maps over 64 of the region’s most significant development and occupier sites using real-time data, inclusive of planning status, land use, investment type and industry focus. Additional local market intelligence designed to inform investment decisions includes demographics, amenities, innovation assets and connectivity – including HS2 and Metro links.

The launch comes ahead of the anticipated West Midlands Local Growth Plan unveiling next month, which identifies place-based growth as a central theme, alongside a new Spatial Development Strategy.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Showcasing over 1,000 acres of regeneration opportunities, Site Selection WM effectively captures the enormous scale of West Midlands ambition. By offering a more innovative and transparent way to explore a range development sites, it marks a step-change in how the region engages the global investor community.

“From town-centre revitalisation projects; to forward-thinking, affordable housing-led schemes – bringing forward the right infrastructure is critical to my mission of fostering growth for everyone.

“I look forward to speaking to new potential partners with a shared commitment to our region’s future.”

Site Selection WM was commissioned by the West Midlands Growth Company in partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority, Birmingham City Council, Coventry City Council, Dudley Council, Sandwell Council, Solihull Council, Walsall Council and Wolverhampton City Council.

Major regeneration opportunities showcased include once-in-a-century masterplans surrounding the West Midlands’ HS2 terminals; place-shaping, town-centre renewal projects; a range of affordable housing-led schemes; and innovation-focused employment land schemes. Specific regeneration projects include:

• Smithfield Birmingham: set to redefine the city through a £1.9bn regeneration of 17 hectares in the city’s centre.
• Arden Cross: an ambitious £3.2 billion development project spanning 140 hectares, centred around the first HS2 Interchange Station outside London.
• And, West Bromwich Town Centre: a transformative, multi-phase regeneration project, supported by the largest allocation of Towns Deal funding in the UK.

The platform also highlights the West Midlands Investment Zone (WMIZ), which blends a mix of capital investment, tax incentives, and business support programs linked to innovation-led growth clusters. The WMIZ is anchored by three key sites:

• the Coventry-Warwick Gigapark, focusing on electric vehicles and battery manufacturing;
• the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, with research and incubation activities in digital technology and med-tech;
• and the Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor, driving new growth in green industries.

The Site Selection WM platform is also designed to support local occupiers my mapping currently available and forthcoming property provision.

Its launch took place during day one of UKREiiF, where the West Midlands showcased its most ambitious programme to date. The West Midlands’ programme features speakers including: West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker; Birmingham City Football Club owner, Tom Wagner; former cabinet minister and Chair of the University of Warwick’s Innovation District, Greg Clark; and Birmingham City Council’s Managing Director Joanne Roney CBE. 

Investors, developers and occupiers can explore Site Selection WM here.