Enterprise Zone impact and delivery
The Enterprise Zone (EZ) has been an enormous success since its launch in 2011.
It has accelerated the transformation of Birmingham City Centre, one of the region’s most important economic assets.
The EZ has:
- attracted £1billion private investment
- accelerated over 350,000 sqm of floorspace
- delivered more than 7,000 jobs
- secured a range of occupiers including:
- HSBC
- High-Speed Rail 2 (HS2) Ltd
- HMRC
The EZ has demonstrated its commitment to delivering economic growth through innovation and bold decision-making. This commitment has been supported by successive EZ investment plans (EZIP) that have invested over £214million into infrastructure and development schemes across the EZ.
Examples of EZ investment
Paradise
Situated in the heart of Birmingham City Centre, Paradise will form a landmark development within the region, providing a thriving and vibrant place to work, live and socialise.
Phase one is complete. It delivered One and Two Chamberlain Square, which is made up of high-quality office and retail space, and a world class urban realm.
Phase two is underway focussing mainly on site-wide infrastructure including:
- a hotel
- two new office buildings
- a residential tower
Metro extension to Centenary Square
An 800 metre Metro rail extension linking the Westside area of Birmingham City Centre to the Metro network, that connects directly with the major developments in Paradise.
This has created a direct connection between Birmingham New Street and Centenary Square making it easier for companies to:
- access more customers
- reduce transportation costs
- reduce travel times
The extension has also helped to deepen labour pools by improving physical access to jobs, supporting the city to achieve its goal of zero carbon.
Centenary Square
The redevelopment of Centenary Square has provided high-quality 'public realm' and a world class setting to the landmark buildings and developments around it.
Public realm is a term used for external urban spaces that are accessible by everyone.
It is an attractive environment for businesses, and supports business investment in the wider area.
Snow Hill public realm
This programme of projects focusses on public realm and public highway enhancements to local streets and spaces in the Colmore Business District linked to the redevelopment of Snow Hill Station.
This has led to considerable improvements in pedestrian, cyclist, and public transport access to Snow Hill Railway Station and the immediate area.
Southside public realm
A transformation of the Southside area, public realm improvements were made to transform a section of Hurst Street from a highway corridor to a pedestrianised public events space in the heart of the Southside district.
The development included:
- replacement footway surfacing on upper Hurst Street and Hill Street, making a uniform, level paving surface to create a public events space in Hippodrome Square
- feature rainbow applied to the new public Hippodrome Square
- vehicle mitigation measures
HS2 Curzon Station enhanced public realm
To maximise the benefit of the HS2 Curzon Station, this project focusses on further development and regeneration around the station:
- to improve access to Digbeth
- unlock investment in the area
- additional works within the Curzon area to deliver public realm enhancements. This will:
- create a more pleasant environment
- improve pedestrian and cycle connectivity
- extend the station’s urban public realm
Digbeth public realm
To encourage further investment and maximise the potential in the Curzon area, improvements to the quality of public realm in Digbeth were needed, including:
- safe and attractive walking and cycling routes
- parks
- other multi-use outdoor spaces
This project is delivering a world class urban realm in Digbeth through the reconstruction of Digbeth High Street, creating an attractive, vibrant, and pedestrian friendly destination aligned with the Metro integration. It has created an environment that is attractive to residents, businesses, and visitors.
Digbeth public realm has provided Digbeth High Street with an individual identity that supports and protects the current creative arts and heritage. It has also reduced car dominance (places created for cars not people), creating an integrated, efficient, reliable and sustainable transport corridor.
Former Typhoo building redevelopment
This project will support the redevelopment of the former, derelict Typhoo Tea Factory in Digbeth to deliver a new broadcasting centre for the BBC, totalling 84,000 sqft, along with 2,780 sqft of additional retail space.
The former Typhoo building is an icon of the Digbeth area. The status and positioning along with the unique design, heritage status, and size of the building, means that redeveloping the building will act as a catalyst for growth and change across Digbeth, unlocking further inward investment.
The relocation of the BBC to Typhoo will help support the growth of the high value digital and creative industries around it.
Enterprise Zone Business, Professional, and Financial Services (BPFS)
Birmingham has the highest concentration of BPFS firms in the West Midlands.
Enterprise Zone funding is supporting a small team within Birmingham City University to develop a place marketing/communications strategy for a BPFS cluster organisation, including:
- community building events
- developing case studies
- podcast series
- social media content
- representing the Birmingham cluster in the FinTech National Network
In doing so, the project is supporting business growth, focussing on improving the reputation of Birmingham, nationally and internationally, in these growing sectors.
It aims to raise recognition of Birmingham as a centre for BPFS by:
- increasing connections within Birmingham to attract ‘next generation’ BPFS services
- increasing innovations capacity
- maximising investment in growing the sector
New innovations will make BPFS businesses some of the best in the world, help support export growth, and bring in overseas investment.
The project showcases how the region has everything needed for a successful business, including:
- local labour force
- the right ecosystem
- the skills needed
- connectivity
- technology
- education institutes
- global companies
- SMEs
- cultural/creative assets
Cultural Action Areas
Cultural Action Areas (CAAs) will play a major role in driving place-based economic recovery by bringing high streets and local centres back to life, with:
- a more diverse cultural and heritage offer
- new uses for retail spaces and under-utilised buildings
- improved access to community activities
- improvements to facilities
CAAs will also aim to improve community cohesion, business resilience, and improve life changes for Birmingham citizens, through volunteering.
Find out more about the CAA programme
Higher level skills match plus pilot
This project aims to create jobs for local graduates, promoting inclusive, sustainable economic growth, and improving productivity by identifying the higher-level skills needs of businesses.
These skills needs will be matched with the skills of graduates in the local graduate talent pool and will show the socio-economic impact of placing local unemployed graduates into sustainable jobs. This will be delivered through a unique collaboration and delivery partnership between:
- Aston University
- Birmingham City University
- University College Birmingham
- University of Birmingham
The project is fully endorsed by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Page last updated: 8 August 2024
