Member Article

Birmingham: HS2 HQ

The proposed High Speed 2 rail line is set to name Birmingham as its new home, with plans for construction to take place around the Curzon Street Station redevelopment. The news comes soon after Chancellor, George Osborne, announced a potential HS3 in the future between Manchester and Leeds, thus bringing the concept of High Speed rail ever closer as concrete plans begin to form. Attention is now being drawn away from the capital city as Birmingham is the chosen location to base the HS2’s construction HQ. Chairman, David Higgins, commented, saying that it showed the firm’s “long-term commitment” to the city.

The new headquarters hopes to generate 1,500 jobs for Birmingham. The actual redevelopment of the currently derelict Curzon Street Station aims to deliver up to 14,000 jobs in construction – “expected to include engineers, designers responsible for track, signalling and station plans, as well as support staff.” ¹ Transport Secretary, Patrick McLoughlin, said: “By locating the new HS2 engineering HQ in Birmingham we are bringing skilled job opportunities into the area.” ² It is progression like this which has hopes to boost the UK’s economic recovery, with Birmingham at the forefront of this upturn.

With a predicted £1.3 billion boost to the city’s economy, it will most definitely be worth the investment pooled into the redevelopment projects – an allocation of £30 million has come from the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP and £130 million has been secured from Local Growth Fund for HS2 related projects.³

Funding in Birmingham is being well spent, as outlined in one of our past blogs “2015: Transforming Birmingham”, with regeneration and development taking place all across the West Midlands and not just in the heart of Birmingham City Centre. Areas such as the Merry Hill shopping centre in Brierley Hill and various areas of West Bromwich and Dudley are also undergoing redevelopment and rejuvenation, making Birmingham an incredibly exciting place to invest in.

Sources

1 – BBC News, 2 & 3 – HS2 Website, Image taken from Birmingham Post.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by ERE Property .