More than 140 hectares of Birmingham city centre will be transformed by one of the biggest urban regeneration schemes in the country, set to create over 14,000 engineering and construction jobs.
The Birmingham Curzon HS2 Masterplan, unveiled today, is the largest redevelopment announced so far on the back of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project. It will involve the construction of 600,000 sq metres of employment floorspace and 2,000 homes.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council said: “Birmingham can use HS2 as a catalyst to transform a huge part of our city, bringing with it jobs and prosperity for people in the West Midlands.”
Developments will be focused around the new glass station – Birmingham Curzon – where phase one of HS2 will terminate on its 49 minute journey from London.
Waheed Nazir, director for planning and regeneration at Birmingham City Council said: “The potential of HS2 can only be realised if we build a world class station that seamlessly connects people to the rest of the city centre.”
The regeneration is expected to boost the city’s economy by £1.3bn each year. The new station is to be the first built in Birmingham for over 100 years and when complete it will be the largest building in the city.
“The Masterplan demonstrates the transformational value of HS2, not just for rail passengers but for the communities the railway will serve,” said commercial secretary to the Treasury and chair of the HS2 Growth Taskforce Lord Deighton.
This unveiling marks the beginning of an eight week consultation on the Curzon HS2 Masterplan. Construction is set to start on the HS2 line and stations in 2017 with the first passenger services arriving in Birmingham in 2026.
Pictured: An artist’s impression of the proposed Birmingham Curzon station
