Regeneration, Infrastructure & Investment

The city of Birmingham is seeing the benefit from a huge level of investment into regeneration schemes as part of the Midlands Engine initiative,increasing rental demand and rental growth in addition to providing an excellent opportunity for capital appreciation.

The forecast for Birmingham’s property market displays that it will remain one of the UK’s strongest performing cities for the foreseeable future
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Key regeneration programmes & infrastructure include:

Big City Plan

Birmingham’s Big City Plan is one of the largest regeneration projects in the history of the UK, attracting billions of pounds of investment with projects across the entire city.

The Big City Plan is a 20-year City Centre Masterplan to encourage and support Birmingham’s continuing transformation into a world class city centre.

Key Elements of the pan include creating over 50,000 new jobs; contributing £2.1 billion to the economy each year; providing over 5,000 new homes with new leisure and recreational facilities to attract more families and much more.

Paradise

Paradise is the most important development Birmingham has seen in a generation with £700 million worth of investment due for completion in 2026.

Historically, it was a place where arts, learning and commerce flourished side by side, and the latest transformation will see the creation of an urban neighbourhood in the heart of Birmingham.

Paradise will become a thriving hub of events, spaces, squares, restaurants and cafés; a place to work and leisure

Smithfield

Smithfield is one of the largest city centre development sites in the whole of the UK worth £1 billion, spanning 34-acres, situated between Birmingham’s Chinese Quarter, Eastside District and the main city centre shopping area.

The future vision for Birmingham Smithfield includes new vibrant retail markets, family leisure facilities, cultural buildings, homes, public squares and transport. Delivering 300,000 sq.m of new floorspace, 2,000 new homes and an investment value of over £500 million.

Smithfield is an integral part of the Birmingham Big City Plan, delivering the strategic city centre masterplan. It will see the transformation of the more run down parts of the city of Birmingham

West Midlands Metro

The West Midlands Metro is a dedicated tram line around the West Midlands, providing a vital transport link for workers across the region and a huge investment of £1.3 billion into infrastructure.

The first phase of the expansion is due to complete in 2021 with the completion of the Birmingham Westside line. The full Birmingham metro redevelopment is targeted to finish before the delivery of the first phase of HS2 in 2026.

According to Nationwide, living within 750 metres of a station can add 6% to the value of a property; therefore, there should be a positive impact on house prices as a result of the Midlands Metro.

Citywide Regeneration

Birmingham's growth is driven by several key regeneration projects, including The Paradise City Redevelopment Project, Eastside Locks, Birmingham Smithfield, and The Big City Plan. Supported by the Birmingham City Council, these initiatives are revitalising the city, attracting new residents, and increasing demand for housing. This surge in demand is pushing up both real estate prices and rental rates in Birmingham.

Booming Student Population

Birmingham is home to five universities, including several prestigious business and law schools.With approximately 80,000 students in higher education, Birmingham boasts one of the largest student populations in the UK.The city's vibrant atmosphere and strong retention rate—50% of graduates remain in the area—create a rich talent pool that attracts major multinational corporations.

Strong Economy

Birmingham boasts the second largest city economy outside of London, valued at £31.9 billion. The city has attracted multinational businesses such as Deutsche Bank, HSBC, and PwC. Additionally, Birmingham is a major hub for enterprise, being the largest start-up center outside of London.

Birmingham's Population

Birmingham is the UK’s second largest city with a population of 1,141,400 people.

Birmingham has the highest quality of living in the UK after London, with its population enjoying the highest level of income after household spend, it is no surprise that Birmingham is expected to experience rapid growth over the next few years. The city ranks as the top regional city outside of London for its quality of life, due to affordability of housing, excellent retail and leisure facilities and career prospects with big businesses, it is no surprise that Birmingham has a high level of student retention.

Birmingham’s population is one of the youngest in Europe. 75% of Birmingham's population is under 35-years old and 40% under the age of 25, which is due to Birmingham featuring five universities and student population of 80,000. 24% of Birmingham’s residents are young professionals. The progression from student to young professionals is fuelling the demand for quality rental accommodation and boosting house price and rental growth.

Student Population

Birmingham is the UK’s second-largest student city with 80,000 students, boasting five universities, Aston, Birmingham City, the University of Birmingham, University College Birmingham and Newman University College.

University of Birmingham

The university is home to 26,000 students, of which 5,000 are international students. 31% of the university’s academic staff are also from overseas, making it one of the most diverse campuses in the UK, encouraging a global outlook.

The Complete University Guide ranks the University of Birmingham 13th in the UK in 2021.

The university is also globally recognised, ranking 107th in the world by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021 and 87th by the QS World University Rankings

Aston University

Aston University is located in the centre of Birmingham, made up of five schools: Engineering and Applied Science, Life and Health Sciences, Languages and Social Sciences, the Aston Medical School and the Aston Business School.

The university has a student body of over 11,000 students from over 120 countries and has been a leading university for graduate employment for over 25 years.

The university ranks 43rd in UK in the Complete University Guide 2021.

Birmingham City University

Birmingham City University achieved university status in 1992, and is home to 24,000 students from 80 countries.

The university ranks 84th in UK in the Complete University Guide 2021.

The university’s strengths are in the creative and performing arts. The Birmingham Government School of Design was the first college of design outside London and the Birmingham School of Music, later the Birmingham Conservatoire. Both were incorporated into the university and still have a strong standing in the UK’s higher education landscape

University College Birmingham

University College Birmingham was awarded university status in 2012 with its undergraduate and postgraduate degrees accredited by the University of Birmingham, one of the world’s top ranked academic institutions.

The university is home to 7,500 students with students from more than 60 countries.

Newham University College

Newman University College was awarded university status in 2012 and is a smaller university just outside of Birmingham city centre with 2,700 students.

City Centre

There is a constant demand from renters for city-centre locations in Manchester, which is one of the many reasons it has fast become an excellent place for property investors. You can find some of Manchester's biggest regeneration schemes here, such as NOMA and Spinningfields. The population in the city centre is largely made up of young professional and students, making it a great hub for landlords wanting a prime tenant demographic. Zoopla (June 2020) states the current average price paid for a property in Manchester City Centre is £211,791 and in the last five years prices have increased by circa £45,000 (25.5%)

Trafford

Located a stones throw away from Manchester City Centre (4km) is an area with many ongoing and upcoming regeneration projects, Trafford. This includes one of the city's most interesting and valuable regeneration projects, the Intu Trafford Centre. This is the second latest retail park in the UK and attracts circa 35 million visitors a year. Furthermore, the Trafford area attracts a large number of young professionals which makes it another popular investment spot within Manchester. There are more regeneration plans in the pipeline, set to boost housing, education, leisure and retails facilities in the area. According to Rightmove, the average price for a flat is £196,925 and prices are up 8% on the previous year.

Salford

This investment has lead to huge growth with Salford's population forecast to grow by 13.7% by 2036, nearly twice the Greater Manchester average of 7% (Manchester City Council, 2017) and is also forecast to see the highest level of economic growth in Greater Manchester with an increase in GVA of 52.9% by 2036.

This has drawn investors to capitalise on the demand for high-quality properties such as Regent Plaza with young, highly-skilled professionals flocking to the area.

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Why Invest in Birmingham?

Strong Rental Demand

Increases in Property Prices

Regeneration, Infrastructure & Investment

Big City Plan

Paradise

Smithfield

West Midlands Metro

Birmingham's Population

Student Population

University of Birmingham

Aston University

Birmingham City University

University College Birmingham

Newham University College

Strong Economy

Regency Invest

City Centre

Trafford

Salford

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