Digbeth high street redevelopment lands £15m funding

The revival of Birmingham’s ‘creative quarter’ has moved a step closer after Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) allocated £15.4m from its Enterprise Zone Investment Plan (EZIP) to Birmingham City Council to redevelop Digbeth High Street.

An additional £272,000 is being provided by the council.

Starting in July 2021, the scheme will transform Digbeth High Street into a pedestrian-friendly space, with major improvements to public transport and a reduction in traffic.

The work will be completed as part of construction for the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension which is being planned, designed and delivered by the Midland Metro Alliance on behalf of Transport for West Midlands.

The Metro will be realigned to allow for wider pavements, better cycle routes and increased cycle parking along the corridor.

The public realm improvements are expected to complete next summer and will include:

A two-way Metro running on the southern side of Digbeth (closest to the coach station) linking this area to the West of Birmingham and the Black Country by frequent and sustainable public transport options;
An area of attractive public space with planting, trees, street lighting and flexible spaces for seating;
One lane in each direction for general traffic on the northern side;
Removal of some turning movements for traffic onto and off Digbeth, and at junctions on nearby side roads and changes to the direction of traffic flows on some of the surrounding roads;
A ‘bus, cycle and hackney carriage’ priority on one part of the road to remove through traffic while allowing access for local servicing (provision for loading will be from designated bays and side streets).

Tim Pile, chair of Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership GBSLEP, said: “Digbeth High Street is at the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside. This redevelopment will transform how visitors, business and residents use this major city centre corridor. The £15.4m Enterprise Zone funding will make a difference through enabling wider public realm works that will complement the West Midlands Metro as well as proving improving the environment for walkers, cyclists and public transport users.

“These improvements will also maximise upon Digbeth’s location near the landmark Curzon HS2 station.

“Across Birmingham, our Enterprise Zone locations have acted as the catalyst for wider investment and development. This scheme is just another example of how working with our partners in Birmingham City Council, we are driving inclusive economic growth whilst creating better places for our communities to live and work in.”

Birmingham City Council consulted with the public on the plans for Digbeth High Street early last year.

The £227m Birmingham Eastside extension will be approximately 1.7km in length and will run from Bull Street in the city centre to Digbeth, adding four new tram stops to the Metro network.

More than half of the route is planned to be free of overhead wires, similar to the recently opened extension from Grand Central to Centenary Square.

Utility upgrades and diversions for the scheme began in 2020 and construction in Lower Bull Street is also set to begin next month.

Due to the complexity of the parallel work at the HS2 Curzon Street Station, discussions are currently underway to determine a suitable opening date for the Birmingham Eastside Metro extension that would benefit all parties.

Transport for West Midlands says it will continue to work with HS2 and partners to open the route for passengers as soon as possible.