Major Birmingham investment body to become operational 'within months'

Members of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) Board are set to discuss the establishment of the Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC).

The MDC aims to attract billions of pounds into the area and create tens of thousands of jobs. A report to the board said it is anticipated the new body would be be fully established in May.

It aims to give investors speed, scale and certainty and help bring major schemes forward. It will bring together planning powers, land, funding and delivery under one roof and cut bureaucracy.

This new corporation is being created by West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker and Birmingham City Council leader John Cotton. The council will discuss the proposal later this month.

Huge projects incorporated within the MDC area include the £3 billion Birmingham Sports Quarter, the £4 billion Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, the HS2 station at Curzon Street, the £2 billion Smithfield development, and a major creative industries hub in Digbeth.

The report said: “Birmingham East represents one of the most significant regeneration opportunities in the United Kingdom.

“The area has experienced some of the most deep-rooted deprivation of any ward in the country for decades.

“Of its 375,000 population 28.8 per cent of adults have no qualifications, 27.3 per cent have never worked (more than double the national average) and child poverty is almost 50 per cent.

“Change is essential and once-in-a-generation opportunities are being proposed which can translate strategy to delivery and create thousands of new, sustainable jobs for the community.

“Over £10bn private sector investment is coming forward through programmes such as Birmingham Sports Quarter, Digbeth Creative Quarter, Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, Park Birmingham and Arden Cross which is coupled with an unprecedented range of public sector levers (Investment Zone, Enterprise Zone, Growth Zones) and infrastructure funding (including the regional £2.4bn Transport for City Regions, and £1.75bn Midlands Rail Hub).

“The establishment of the Birmingham East MDC will deliver substantial benefits both within the MDC boundary and to the wider region.

“An MDC acts as a regional economic engine, concentrating development in one place but spreading jobs, infrastructure, and investment across the wider geography.”

A public consultation saw 94 people ‘completely agree’ or ‘agree’ with the establishment of an MDC while 49 people ‘completely disagreed’ or ‘disagreed’ with the idea.

Among the concerns were taking powers away from councillors, adding another layer of decision making, cost, duplication of work and concerns around how compulsory purchase orders have been handled previously.

Other respondents said it should not just cover East Birmingham and include other areas including Aston Villa, Highgate Middleway, Vauxhall, HS2 Interchange Solihull, St Martins Bull Ring, Nechells, Sparkbrook and Alum Rock.

WMCA Board will meet on Friday, March 9 to discuss the proposal.