Major transport plans to support Birmingham City FC’s ambitious £3 billion Sports Quarter set to move a step closer
Their plans include a new 60,000-seater stadium, sports campus of training facilities, a new academy, community pitches as well as leisure, commercial and residential development.
Major transport plans to support Birmingham City FC’s ambitious £3 billion Sports Quarter are set to move a step closer.
Members of West Midlands Combined Authority’s Investment Board are being recommended to allocate more than £5.7 million towards the development of the East Birmingham to Solihull (EBS) Mass Rapid Transit Corridor and associated Sports Quarter Connectivity Programme activities.
This follows the granting of £2.54 million in November last year to progress the EBS scheme. If agreed, the money will again come from the £50m Transport for City Regions allocated for the scheme.
Birmingham City Football Club owners Knighthead has invested £100 million in purchasing the former Wheels site in East Birmingham which represents part of its wider Sports Quarter vision for the area.
Their plans include a new 60,000-seater stadium, sports campus of training facilities, a new academy, community pitches as well as leisure, commercial and residential development – creating around 8,500 jobs.
A report to Investment Committee said work was ongoing on the projects but this additional funding was essential to enable them to continue working at a rapid pace.
The projects include Adderley Park Railway Station, the Metro Sports Quarter Extension, East Birmingham North Solihull Mass Rapid Transit Corridor and the Birmingham Eastern Ring Road Project.
It said: “Birmingham Sports Quarter is a major, £3bn regeneration programme in East Birmingham led by international investors.
“This includes the delivery of a new stadium for Birmingham City Football Club as well as ancillary stadia and commercial and residential development.
“The Rosewell Review and Mayor’s Growth Plan recognises the importance of this programme, and it falls within the proposed Mayoral Development Zone.
“The overall Sports Quarter is overseen by a Senior Sponsor Group including key political leaders and this group has set a target for transport connectivity to be in place in time for the opening of the stadium in Summer 2031.
“A key part of this transport offer is a proposed Metro connection to the Sports Quarter.
“This Metro route builds on activities already undertaken in the development of the wider East Birmingham to North Solihull corridor.
“We expect to bring forward a Programme Business Case for all elements of the Sports Quarter Connectivity Programme in the Autumn, with the aim of drawing down the funding to appoint a designer and take the scheme through to Transport and Works Act Order approval.
“Given the schedule set out by senior sponsors, it is imperative to maintain a rapid pace of work and robust quality standards.
“The current funding package enables us to proceed with work currently in hand but we will be unable to maintain this pace of activity until the agreement of the programme business case.”
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