West Midlands 'economic transformation' with £2.4bn funding
Mayor Richard Parker said plans are already in place to deliver metro links in Birmingham, as £2.4 billion investment for the West Midlands was announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.The funding, announced before the government's spending review next week, will go towards extending services from the city centre to the new sports quarter.Mr Parker told the BBC that the money, matched with the £3 billion investment from private investor Tom Wagner, will help create links to the city for some of its most deprived areas. He said it would create up to 8,000 jobs as part of an "economic transformation" that he has always been committed to delivering.
Mr Parker told BBC Radio WM: "Its fantastic news, it's a great day for the city and for the region."We've been to number 10 Downing Street, we've met with the Transport Secretary, and we put the case forward with conviction."The new transport link will connect the community to where the opportunities are, where the jobs are - this is just the start of it."He also said the investment would "unlock" the transport commitments he's made, adding: "It'll be paying for itself three or four times over, and the uplift will be given to some of our most disadvantaged communities in East Birmingham."The BBC understands a further £250 million will be awarded by the government next week. Speaking on the timeline of the plans - which would connect the city centre to the HS2 at Curzon Street, through Digbeth and up to the sports quarter - Mr Parker said the work on planning has already begun.An agreement with HS2 is already in place to begin tunnelling under Curzon Street to move the metro from the city centre, he said.While the project is "a couple years away from significant progress", Mr Parker said there was no shortage of "commitment or conviction". An outline planning application is due to be submitted in the autumn. Mr Parker said: "There's going to be action on a multiple number of fronts to deliver the project as fast as possible."Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities, said the announcement reflected a "welcome shift" toward a city region-led approach.He said: "Investment in the transport networks of our city regions is a critical step toward boosting local economies, by helping people access jobs and education opportunities more easily."
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