Rosewell to advise West Midlands on aligning capital investments with Mayor’s growth plan
Mayor of the West Midlands Richard Parker has appointed economist Bridget Rosewell to provide independent advice on aligning the region’s capital investments with his Growth Plan, a blueprint for how the region will grow its economy by £17bn over the next decade, creating 100,000 new jobs and 120,000 new homes.
The appointment coincides with the launch of the West Midlands Major Investments Prospectus which identifies specific investment opportunities underpinned by more than £2.4bn of new transport infrastructure to provide fast, reliable connections across the region.
Rosewell said, “The Mayor’s Growth Plan provides us with a clear route to sustained growth. By bringing together transport, commercial development and housing in an aligned approach we can create dynamic new places, strengthen communities and give investors clarity on what’s coming, where and when.
“This is about crowding in private sector investment, sequencing schemes intelligently and moving from plan to spades in the ground with speed and confidence.”
Key opportunities include:
Birmingham and North Solihull Gateway — including the Sports Quarter, Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, Arden Cross and Digbeth Creative Quarter – all underpinned by HS2 which will link central Birmingham to central London in 49 minutes
Coventry Growth Arc: A major growth and regeneration programme with a focus on clean energy and advanced manufacturing including Greenpower Park, SEGRO developments and City Centre South
Black Country Growth Corridor – connected by a new £450m Metro tram route with innovative advanced manufacturing supply chain firms, education and healthcare hubs and major residential centres. Key schemes include the regeneration of West Bromwich town centre and Portersfield in Dudley
Wolverhampton to Walsall Growth Cluster – includes the Green Innovation Corridor, i54 Business Park, M6 Junction 10 Employment Area and key housing developments such as Smithgate in Wolverhampton city centre
Innovation, Clusters and Smart Energy – cementing the region’s position as a leader in innovation-led growth across the health, clean technology and digital industries. Key areas for investment include Birmingham Health Innovation Campus, Tyseley Energy Park, UK Battery Industrialisation Centre and Digbeth Studios
Residential Pipeline – with a growing population and strong housing demand the region has a pipeline of development opportunities including major schemes like Ladywood in Birmingham, New Union St and Whitefriars in Coventry, Mell Square in Solihull and Station Quarter in Walsall