Infastructure & Future Developments
Birmingham and the West Midlands has long been a favourite for event organisers thanks to its central UK location and event infrastructure. It has close proximity to London and 90% of the UK population lives within a four hour drive time. The West Midlands attracts the highest proportion of business visits to any UK region, at 42%, and hosts the largest proportion of exhibition visits.
Served by Birmingham Airport, the UK’s fastest-growing airport, local connectivity is being enhanced by a £5.1 billion investment to expand rail, tram and bus rapid transit systems.
The West Midlands is booming with several regeneration and development projects changing the face of the region. These include Birmingham Smithfield, the integrated transport hub at Wolverhampton Interchange, Birmingham Curzon, Paradise, £125m Jewellery Quarter redevelopment, West Midlands Metro tram extensions and the revamped Cathedral Lanes restaurant quarter in Coventry. These are set to further cement the West Midlands’ reputation as a dynamic, thriving and creative region, which is forging a positive future.
The £1.6 billion development of UK Central in Solihull will also welcome a new HS2 Interchange Station – cementing the West Midlands’ reputation as a dynamic, thriving and creative region.
Birmingham Airport – which flies directly to more than 150 destinations and 49 countries – has recently started construction on a £30 million departure lounge extension, increasing available space by 45 per cent. The extension is part of a wider 15-year £500 million masterplan that will increase capacity, redevelop the site and improve the passenger experience.
Did you know?
- 90% of the UK is accessible within a four-hour travel time
- We have the largest bus network outside London
- The UK’s first 5G testing hub represents a £50m investment into future mobility and connectivity
- High Speed 2 to connect to London in 38 minutes by 2026 and provide quicker links to Manchester (41 minutes) and Leeds (57 minutes) by 2033
- We are rolling out 100% superfast broadband coverage
- Constructing Europe’s longest Bus Rapid Transit network with 125km of dedicated and enforced bus lanes
- The West Midlands has the UK’s largest smartcard transport scheme outside London