New strategy puts Birmingham at heart of levelling up

Birmingham City Council is urging the government to back a levelling-up strategy that could help 75,000 people into work, boosting the city’s economy by £9bn a year.

Working with PWC, the Council has produced a report analyzing the needs of Birmingham compared to the rest of the England and found that over 40% of Birmingham’s children live in relative poverty, with the city ranking as the third most deprived core city, after Liverpool and Manchester.

90% of wards in the city were also found to be more deprived than the national average, and the rate of unemployment is double the national average, with a decade’s gap in life expectancy between the poorest and most affluent areas.

Birmingham City Council’s strategy looks to address poor health, educational attainment, low skills and incomes, congestion and air pollution, while developing new homes and employment opportunities.

Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council, said: ‘Birmingham is a city of huge potential and we’re attracting the investment to make this a golden decade of opportunity for our people and communities. But this is also a city with challenges. A city where 40 per cent of children grow up in poverty. Where unemployment is double the national average. And where there is a ten-year gap in life expectancy between the poorest and most affluent areas.

‘Success for Birmingham must mean success for the people and communities of Birmingham, which is why we’re determined to work with the Government to ensure that Birmingham is at the very heart of the levelling-up agenda.

‘The potential prize is huge. Levelling up Birmingham so that economic activity, unemployment, and skills reach the national average, could put an extra 75,000 people into work, adding an estimated £9bn to the city economy. So, we’re determined to work with Government and with other partners to put our city and its people at the very heart of levelling-up.’

The new report, Prosperity and Opportunity for All: Birmingham’s Levelling Up Strategy, can be found here.

In related news, the developer and investor behind the £132m Bargate Quarter regeneration scheme in Southampton have announced the completion of funding for the project, with works starting immediately.

Photo by Danilo D’Agostino