MIPIM Podcast: Birmingham council unveils New Street images

 

Birmingham city council has unveiled the latest images of the £600m redevelopment of the city’s main rail gateway at New Street station.

 

Speaking at MIPIM this morning, councillor Mike Whitby, leader of the council, said the redevelopment of New Street – known as the Birmingham Gateway project had already started. The new station is due to complete in 2015 and will handle 52m passengers per year.

 

Click here to listen to Stacey Meadwell’s interview with Mike Whitby on Birmingham’s plans to invest significantly in infrastructure improvements

 

Whitby continued the transport theme within his keynote speech and confirmed that the recently announced High Speed Rail 2 line which will enable Londoners to commute to Birmingham in just 49 minutes, will create a new £235m city centre station at the currently unused Curzon Street Station in Eastside, as well as new interchange near Birmingham International Airport and the NEC.

 

 

The council leader also confirmed that plans for Birmingham’s long-awaited £120m runway extension could take an important step forward next month.

 

Whitby said he was “very hopeful” that the final £25m had been secured which would allow work to start.

 

Work on the runway is due to be completed by 2014 and enable passenger numbers to grow from 10m to 18m over the following 10 years.

 

“The runway extension is absolutely vital in global terms,” he said.

 

“It is the most important piece of concrete in Birmingham’s economic regeneration because it enables us to reach out across the world, taking our goods into new markets and providing investors with easier access to our city.”

 

lisa.pilkington@estatesgazette.com

 

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