Given its proximity to important projects such as HS2's Curzon Street Station and the planned Sports Quarter, Digbeth is set to unleash its potential over the next two decades.
Alexander Brock Local Democracy Reporter and Jayne Thomson News Editor
08:41, 28 Jun 2025
Birmingham's vibrant creative quarter, Digbeth, is regarded as one of the city's trendiest neighbourhoods, boasting a unique and quirky character. Its proximity to key projects like HS2's Curzon Street Station and the planned Sports Quarter positions Digbeth for significant growth over the next two decades.
The Central Birmingham Framework 2045, a city council initiative that will shape central Birmingham's development, highlights Digbeth and surrounding areas as ripe for transformation in the coming years.
The framework strategy notes: "The Central East area has the greatest potential of any part of the UK to accelerate its growth as a unique global centre of company start-ups, creativity, crafts and arts, innovative hi-tech businesses, television and film industry, and social enterprises.
"With the launch of the BBC 's new broadcast centre at the Tea Factory, Masterchef and the Digbeth Loc film studios at Warwick Bar, HS2 Curzon Street Station and Metro coming direct to the heart of Digbeth, and 10,000 new homes already planned – the next 20 years will be Central East's time, a new era for Digbeth and the communities of Bordesley and beyond."
This month's announcement of a new tram route to East Birmingham brings attention to five significant projects set to revolutionise Digbeth, including the Sports Quarter and a proposed 'sky park'.
Sports Quarter and new tram route
Earlier this month, the government and West Midlands Combined Authority confirmed a new tram route was to be built to East Birmingham.
Funding for the project – which will kickstart Birmingham’s huge Sports Quarter regeneration project – was made available as part of a £2.4 billion government boost to the region’s transport network, announced by Chancellor Rachel Reeves in June.
The funding follows talks between the Government, Mayor Richard Parker and Birmingham City FC chairman Tom Wagner, whose Knighthead company intends to build a new stadium and other sports facilities.
The route is set to connect to the Eastside extension currently under construction, serving key locations including Millennium Point, Birmingham City University, the Curzon Street HS2 station and Digbeth, home to the new BBC Tea Factory and Steven Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios.
Mr Parker said: “This funding means we can now deliver a new Metro line to the Sports Quarter - connecting it to Birmingham city centre and unlocking one of the most significant private investments our region has ever seen.
“But this is just the beginning. This investment unlocks a nationally significant infrastructure project that will transform East Birmingham and North Solihull into one of the UK’s key growth corridors."
Phoenix Yard
Ambitious blueprints for a £100million 'gateway to Digbeth' were recently laid out before council planners.
If given the green light, a plot near Digbeth Coach Station is set to be cleared for the "landmark" Phoenix Yard mixed-use development, boasting 240 new homes, retail, commercial, educational and media spaces, alongside public realm enhancements.
Hartwell PLC, the property developer, has labelled the brownfield site adjacent to Digbeth High Street as "outdated" and "under-utilised".
The Phoenix Yard project aims to capitalise on Digbeth's recognised potential as an emerging growth zone in Birmingham, according to the company.
Joanne Churchill, group property manager at Hartwell Plc, commented: "By tapping into the potential of this site, our plans are set to significantly enhance the area's evolution into a thriving and vibrant part of Birmingham."
New homes, bridges and 'sky park'
Digbeth's landscape is poised for a major overhaul with an ambitious scheme that could introduce new homes, bridges, and a 'sky park'.
The extensive proposals, reviewed in 2021, envisage up to 1,850 residential units, a nightclub, car parking, student digs, public realm improvements and more across an approximately 18.9-hectare site.
Proponents of the project aim to "revitalise" Digbeth and foster an "independent, individual and industrious" community spirit.
Last year marked a significant advancement for the proposals, with Birmingham City Council confirming its approval of the planning application after finalising a legal agreement.
One of the standout features of the new proposals is the 'sky park' envisioned for the 400m long Duddeston Viaduct, a currently unused but significant structure in Digbeth.
"There is an opportunity to create a vibrant public space that would be of benefit not only to the existing business and residential community but to the rest of the city centre, wider Birmingham and the West Midlands," highlighted a council report.
The plans also envisage several new bridges in Digbeth, with pedestrian crossings over the River Rea and the Grand Union Canal included.
Smithfield scheme
The ambitious Smithfield project, hailed as a 'once-in-a-generation opportunity', promises to redefine Birmingham's landscape by creating an iconic destination right at the city's core.
Set to overhaul the old Birmingham wholesale market area adjacent to Digbeth Coach Station, the extensive development will feature homes, cultural venues, offices, a theatre/cinema, a fresh market, a park, and more.
For years, there's been anticipation that this colossal venture will not only become a landmark attraction but also unlock Birmingham's potential, enhance its global profile, and pay homage to its rich history.
A previous Birmingham council report outlined the myriad benefits of the Smithfield development, including job creation, further investment, housing, and the addition of a new public square and green spaces.
"This is an opportunity, in my view, to transform an area of the city I have represented since 1996," Coun Yvonne Mosquito expressed at a meeting last year when the proposals received the green light.
"It's also about generating jobs for local people who are struggling."
Garrison Circus
Last year, plans to erect four new structures in Digbeth, including a towering 37-storey residential block, were given the nod.
The slated developments comprise two residential towers offering a combined 546 flats and two student accommodation complexes providing 710 units.
In 2024, Paul Squire, the head honcho at Sama Investments, declared: "Garrison Circus will transform an underutilised brownfield site to unlock a new gateway into Digbeth, whilst also supporting the wider regeneration of the area.
"Not only will we deliver much-needed new homes and support the vibrancy of nearby universities, but our plans offer street-level community uses and green space for existing residents in the area to enjoy."