Urban village plan to act as Birmingham boost

Article posted by Coliseum, November 12^th, 2021

Image: NEC Group

An urban village featuring 5,000 homes and a primary school could be built on land around the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham (UK).

The ‘BBC’ stated that the project would “transform” more than 27 hectares of land that is currently surplus or used for parking, the NEC Group said.

The National Exhibition Centre (NEC) is an exhibition center located in Marston Green, Solihull, West Midlands, England. It is near Junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to the Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International Railway Station. It was opened by the Queen in 1976.

Its plans also include a new hotel, cafes, restaurants, and offices.

The ‘BBC’ further stated that the Birmingham City Council, which owns the land, urged people to give their views during a six-week public consultation.

The NEC Group said the proposals for the brownfield site would create about 3,500 jobs and “make a major contribution to meeting housing needs”.

Paul Thandi, Chief Executive of the NEC Group, said it was working in partnership with the Council to “unlock the full and exciting potential of the site”.

Added Thandi, “The NEC campus is home to one of the top exhibition venues and arenas in Europe, and together with existing partners, we have long held ambitions to create a competitive destination to work, rest, live and play.”

NEC Group is the UK’s leading live events business operating in exhibitions, conferences, music, sports, family entertainment, and hospitality. Its vision is to be Europe’s most successful live events business, operating leading leisure, entertainment and business destinations.

The village to the North of the NEC site could ultimately be home to more than 11,000 people and include a mix of homes and amenities.

Those behind it said it would work “in harmony” with the existing mature woodland and promote active lifestyles.

Meanwhile, a grand plaza, outdoor event space, new hotel and restaurants are planned for the NEC campus itself.

‘Golden decade’

Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, said the project marked an “exciting moment” for the City and region – “I believe that we are at the beginning of a golden decade for Birmingham, with the Commonwealth Games taking place next year, and the arrival of HS2,” he said.

He added the proposals connected the site with the planned Arden Cross development and the HS2 interchange station and that together they would “transform” the area.

A public consultation is set to end on December 24^th.

The Birmingham City Council is the local Government body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974.

High Speed 2 (HS2) is a planned high-speed railway network in the United Kingdom, with the first phase between London and Birmingham currently under construction.

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