Find out how the Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation brings sport, entertainment, business and education together with public transport links in a transformative £11bn project.
What is a Mayoral Development Corporation?
A Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC) is a statutory body used to support the delivery of large-scale regeneration in a defined area.
Established under the Localism Act 2011, an MDC can bring together planning, land and investment powers in one place. This can include the ability to acquire and develop land, provide financial assistance and take on local planning authority responsibilities.
Why east Birmingham?
East Birmingham has faced long-standing economic challenges. A number of major infrastructure and regeneration projects are planned in the area, including the proposed extension of the West Midlands Metro and developments at the Sports Quarter, Knowledge Quarter, Curzon Street, Smithfield, Digbeth and Central Heart.
The Mayor of the West Midlands, West Midlands Combined Authority and Birmingham City Council have been considering how best to coordinate and deliver these proposals.
In March 2026, the West Midlands Combined Authority, supported by Birmingham City Council, agreed to submit a proposal to Government to establish the ‘Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation’ to accelerate delivery and regeneration at the heart of Birmingham.
How will it revitalise the area?
This will be Britain’s biggest and most powerful Mayoral Development Corporation - helping to speed up £11bn of regeneration plans for the east of the city.
By combining powers on land acquisition and planning, along with business tax incentives and infrastructure improvements, an MDC will cut through red tape to accelerate the injection of billions of private and public sector investment into the area.
A similar project was the London Legacy Development Corporation, set up to transform large parts of East London at the centre of the 2012 Olympic Games.
What is coming to the area?
Much like London 2012, the catalyst for the Birmingham East MDC will be sport including land earmarked for the £3bn Birmingham Sports Quarter and its showpiece 60,000 seat Powerhouse Stadium, served by a new Metro tram route.
The MDC will cover an area the size of more than 600 football pitches, and include some of the biggest regeneration projects in the UK and Europe including:
- The £4bn Birmingham Knowledge Quarter
- The HS2 Curzon Street Station and adjoining Central Heart site
- The £2bn Smithfield development next to the Bullring
- A major creative industries hub in Digbeth
The map below shows the boundary of the proposed Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation.
Map of the proposed Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation
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For an accessible version of the map contact digitalcommunications@wmca.org.uk
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