Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Birmingham City Council have formally launched a bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for a new Masterplan to transform Edgbaston Stadium and support the surrounding community.
The “Edgbaston Stadium and Community Masterplan” will create a mixed-use destination with cricket and community at its core, realising the legacy of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The renewed stadium would combine elite sport, conferencing and events with community assets in order to improve health and social care, education, employment and social cohesion in the area.
Community is at the heart of the Masterplan, with proposals including a new stadium-based multi-use community hub with the potential for an NHS walk-in centre, as well as a second community hub at the former Police Station site in Quinton. The Edgbaston piazza will provide a venue for community markets, open-air screenings and more, as well as becoming a natural home for other cultural events like Eid and Diwali celebrations.
Masterplan partners include Compass Group UK & Ireland, who will be investing in Learning, Development & Apprenticeship Centres that will help develop much-needed digital, catering, and hospitality skills, which will boost local employment opportunities and create a local skills base that will help attract further investment to the region.
The new Masterplan and its associated redevelopment will also set a standard for sustainable travel and accessibility, with new dedicated cycling and walking routes linking communities in Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook and Highgate to the stadium, Midlands Arts Centre and Cannon Hill Park, as well as improving walking and cycling links with the city centre.
An on-site hotel is also being considered, linked to the redevelopment of the existing Raglan and Priory stands, which will serve the stadium’s growing conference and events business, as well as providing accommodation during major sporting events. The new stands will also increase capacity, accessibility and the overall customer experience at the stadium. Building on the success of the Birmingham Bears and Birmingham Phoenix brands, the proposed redevelopment will help to make sport and its associated health and wellbeing benefits more visible and connected to the local community.
The new Masterplan and Levelling-Up fund bid were launched by politicians from both main political parties today with Birmingham City Council Leader, Cllr Ian Ward, West Midlands Combined Authority Mayor, Andy Street, and Edgbaston MP, Preet Gill all pictured alongside Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Chief Executive, Stuart Cain.
Stuart said:
“We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Stadium and Community Masterplan and its associated funding bid. They will transform Edgbaston Stadium into a truly mixed-use community destination.
“Edgbaston is one of the world’s best-loved cricket grounds, having been the backdrop for great sporting drama for nearly 140 years. These proposals help realise the legacy of the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games, creating a welcoming place
for our whole community to enjoy.”
Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council said:
Launching the Masterplan at Edgbaston Stadium, Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council said: “Birmingham City Council is delighted to work with Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Edgbaston MP Preet Gill to submit this Levelling-Up Fund bid to the Government in Westminster.
“This Masterplan presents a unique opportunity to bring the local community and a Birmingham icon together to improve health and employment outcomes for thousands of people and the City Council is determined to put the people of Edgbaston right at the heart of the levelling up agenda.
“This bid is one of five we have put forward. Each of them has an indisputable case for delivery. These proposals, once properly funded, will combine to have a transformative economic and social impact right across our city.”
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:
“This Levelling-Up Fund bid is a hugely exciting opportunity for Birmingham and the wider West Midlands and is a great practical example of how we can secure a tangible legacy following on from this Summer’s spectacular Commonwealth Games.
“By bringing a major mixed-use redevelopment to this internationally recognised venue, we can deliver substantial benefits to our communities. It also dovetails nicely with the new stations on the nearby Camp Hill Line which are coming to fruition.
“I’m particularly encouraged by the corporate partnerships with Compass and others, which promise to deliver important employment and training opportunities in high-demand skills – providing exciting prospects for local residents.”
Edgbaston MP, Preet Gill MP said:
“It’s great to see that this Masterplan will help tackle social and wellbeing issues for thousands of people in my constituency. These changes to the stadium and its surrounding area will make Edgbaston a vehicle for community cohesion, drawing the proudly diverse local communities together by offering something for everyone on both matchdays and non-matchdays.
“I’m also encouraged by the fact that the benefits will reach more than just the surrounding areas of Edgbaston. If successful, this bid will breathe life back into Quinton Police Station, which has been closed since 2018. It is so important that community assets like this are retained and offer services that communities need, including a youth offer. That’s why I am so proud that this bid will mean the reopening of Quinton Police Station as a community hub.”
Robin Mills, Managing Director, Compass Group UK&I said:
“As an employer of around 45,000 people, we know that we have the ability to make a real difference not only to the lives of our own employees, but also the communities in which we serve. As such, we are proud to be a partner on this Masterplan Project and look forward to working at the proposed Learning, Development and Apprenticeship centre to bring opportunities to local people to help progress and build a career in our industry. Hospitality is well placed to bring down barriers that exist in relation to social mobility – you can join the industry and be trained on the job.”
