Ambitious transport plans supporting Birmingham City's £3 billion Sports Quarter project have been described as a 'key thing for the country' by local officials. Members of the West Midlands Combined Authority's Investment Board agreed to allocate more than £5.7 million towards the development of the East Birmingham to Solihull (EBS) Mass Rapid Transit Corridor and associated Sports Quarter Connectivity Programme activities.
Funding and oversight
Deputy Mayor and board chairman Councillor Stephen Simkins said the plans were 'exciting' but stressed the need for members to be fully briefed on works and any potential problems. 'Members need to be fully briefed not only on the programme of works and also the investment going forward but what the benefits to the wider West Midlands mean,' he stated.
'I want to be able to catch my plane off the tram. I catch it from sunny Bilston where I'm from. We need to make sure there is oversight and a strategic view that gets that delivery done. Also there are so many partners in this.'
Sports Quarter vision
Birmingham City Football Club owners Knighthead has invested £100 million in purchasing the former Wheels site in East Birmingham, representing part of its wider Sports Quarter vision. Their plans include a new 60,000-seater stadium, sports campus with training facilities, a new academy, community pitches, as well as leisure, commercial and residential development – creating around 8,500 jobs.
Work is ongoing on the projects, but a report to members said the additional funding was essential to enable them to continue working at a rapid pace. The projects include Adderley Park Railway Station, the Metro Sports Quarter Extension, East Birmingham North Solihull Mass Rapid Transit Corridor, and the Birmingham Eastern Ring Road Project.
Integrated transport system
Councillor Simkins added: 'I've been on the Combined Authority since day one and we've always talked about an integrated transport system and yet we've only got one tram line. Now we've got a system. We need to make sure we hit those delivery times and if we don't, there will be a full explanation. This is a key thing for the country and it proves the West Midlands can actually deliver on this. It's exciting but we need to make sure members are fully briefed and given early notice of any problems that might arise.'
