Birmingham is a city on the up. We are attracting record levels of investment, and right across the city there are cranes in the sky as we set to build the homes and deliver the infrastructure that our growing population needs. Last week, I was in Leeds for the UK’s Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum, where I had the chance to speak to those who are looking to build homes and create jobs in our city.

I strongly believe that Birmingham benefits most when public and private sector organisations work hand in hand to tackle the challenges that we face. That is why I make it clear to all of those who are seeking to invest in our city that success for Birmingham must mean success for the people and communities of Birmingham. Our mission must be to ensure that we leverage the investment coming into Birmingham to resolve the inequalities that still blight too many lives in our city.

We must tackle the ten-year gap in life expectancy between the poorest areas, such as those in East Birmingham, and the most affluent areas in the city. We must lower the rate of unemployment, which is double the national average, and we must lift our children out of relative poverty.

When I was addressing the investors and developers in Leeds last week, I made it clear that building projects and regeneration schemes alone will not be enough. We need to create jobs, opportunities and pathways to prosperity for every neighbourhood across the city.

If we could achieve the average employment rate for the country here in Birmingham, then we would put an extra 75,000 people into work.

I am proud that this Council is working with partners to bring new jobs and opportunities to Birmingham, and we must work to connect our communities with these jobs by offering reliable and affordable public transport.

This week, I visited the new Perry Barr Station which is set to open in the coming days. Over three quarters of a billion pounds are being invested in Perry Barr, delivering homes, jobs and world class public realm, and this station will reconnect the area with the city centre. With the new Sprint bus corridor and a safe cycle route, Perry Barr will soon be one of the best-connected parts of the city, linking people with jobs and opportunities across Birmingham and the wider region.

As we look ahead to a summer of celebration with the Commonwealth Games, we must use this moment to deliver real change for communities right across Birmingham, and build on our growing reputation as a city of opportunity.

This blog was posted on 27 May 2022