The Chamberlain News

Midlands makes an exhibit of itself in Cannes

In case you haven’t already caught up with the action in Cannes, Chamberlain News presents a round up from nowhere near the Palais des Festivals.

Mipim. It’s a strange old business. Lots of Birmingham’s property, marketing and political types debunk to the south of France where they have more meetings and generate more press releases than in more than a month on Colmore Row. So, what’s new so far?

Earlier this morning, we reported on today’s launch of the UK Central Hub growth plan. The plan for the area around the NEC and Airport in Solihull offers the potential to add £4.1bn GVA to local economy and create 77,500 new jobs, with 775,000 square metres of development land and space for up to 4,000 homes.

Yesterday, it was proudly announced that Birmingham has been ranked as having the highest quality of life of any English city outside of the capital, by the global Mercer Quality of Living Report 2017.

READ: Midlands Engine – what’s really under the bonnet?

The survey places Birmingham jointly with Glasgow in 53rd out of 231 global destinations, ahead of “international hotspots” such as Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Miami and Dubai.

Mercer’s survey this year also includes an independent ‘City Infrastructure’ ranking, which places Birmingham jointly alongside Edinburgh and Glasgow, as the top UK cities outside London for the quality of their infrastructure.

In case you were wondering, Vienna, Austria came top. London comes in at 40, six places below Dublin. The UK capital is 6th in the City Infrastructure list, 38 places above Birmingham. Singapore tops this new table.

John Clancy, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said:

The fantastic quality of life in Birmingham is increasingly recognised, not just in this country but around the world. From our renowned Michelin-starred restaurants, to an unrivalled cultural offer with gems like the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and the Birmingham Royal Ballet, plus international sporting events, this city has something for everyone.

The number of foreign visitors has doubled in just three years, and we are the most popular destination for Londoners wishing to make a new life outside of the capital. Add to this, a business growth rate higher than all UK cities, an economic growth rate of 13.5% in the past five years, and 10,000 new homes planned for the city centre, and it is obvious that Birmingham is becoming a destination of choice.

Birmingham’s hotel sector has seen its most successful year in history, with hotel occupancy peaking at 99% and averaging at 75% during 2016. The Birmingham Perception Survey 2016 revealed Birmingham has witnessed the greatest improvement in perceptions of all major UK cities in the last 12 months. Data from Marketing Birmingham’s Regional Observatory also demonstrated the proportion of both international visitors and overnight visitors to the city have doubled in the last three years.

Neil Rami, Chief Executive of Marketing Birmingham, added:

Essential to the quality of life in Birmingham is advancements in the city’s infrastructure and transport. Birmingham witnessed a 10-fold increase in the construction of residential schemes last year, whilst office construction is at a 13 year high. Expansion plans for Birmingham Airport and the city’s Metro lines, and the major plans surrounding the city’s High Speed Two line, are improving Birmingham’s connectivity, making the city an even more attractive proposition.

READ: Government publishes long-awaited Midlands Engine Strategy.

Plans for one of the country’s biggest industrial developments, creating 10,000 jobs in Birmingham, have also been unveiled at the Midlands UK Pavilion.

Peddimore, in the north east of Birmingham, is expected to make a £350M contribution to the local economy. At 71 hectares and with the potential to accommodate around 265,000 square metres of new industrial floorspace, the site is said to be one of the most significant industrial opportunities in the UK. Birmingham city council has launched a Visioning Document for Peddimore at MIPIM.

Waheed Nazir, Strategic Director – Economy, Birmingham city Council, said:

Peddimore is a unique opportunity for a developer to partner with the City Council in delivering a major industrial development at the heart of the UK. We are already home to some of the UK’s major manufacturing and automotive companies, such as Jaguar Land Rover. The Peddimore development will allow us to capitalise on that position and create the opportunity for major international companies to invest and grow in Birmingham.

This is the first year that a Midlands-wide delegation is attending MIPIM, the global real estate show in Cannes, France based in a Midlands UK Pavilion.

Pic: @UKMidlands