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February 2017
Today is a highly significant day for the country and in particular, our region as the first phase of the £55.7bn HS2 mega-project has been granted royal assent, launching the opportunity for construction to begin on the rail link from London to Birmingham.
As an organisation that is passionate about Birmingham, it is hugely encouraging to see a positive news story with a focus on the city. Working in the built environment, we are particularly excited to see the future townscape benefits of the creation of a new station in the heart of the city, together with the wider impact on the surrounding area, both physically and economically.
Katie Kershaw was a guest on BBC Five Live’s ‘Wake up to Money’ (click here for podcast) and BBC WM’s breakfast show this morning, and this evening, we will also feature on ITV news discussing HS2 and its potential benefits to Birmingham and its economy.
Even before HS2 has begun to be delivered, our business has already benefitted from the project. We were approached last year by Birmingham City University whose city centre campus is adjacent to HS2 to work collaboratively with staff, students and partner organisations to determine a holistic vision for the surrounding area. Together we created plans for the Knowledge Hub where the many, varied knowledge-based organisations located within the area unite to create a cohesive environment with a focus on exciting, world-class spaces.
The proposals were launched at MIPIM last year, and received significant press coverage, which has opened us up to new clients and major high profile projects. Key aspects of the project are now beginning to be developed in greater detail, including the government funded STEAMhouse scheme at Typhoo Wharf Digbeth, providing business incubator space. The high level of interest generated in the area means that there is also more opportunity for innovative research in the future, which is being led by Birmingham City University.
In the coming years, we are also anticipating greater future opportunity for direct engagement with the HS2 supply chain for built environment practices like ours, now that royal assent has been granted. Once delivered, the enhanced connectivity provided by HS2 will provide faster connections to London, Europe and further down the line, the north; making our business more accessible, more quickly to a greater range of potential customers and ultimately supporting our plans for growth.
Furthermore, we anticipate that the enhanced image of Birmingham and its attractiveness as a place both to invest and to work, will make it easier to attract and retain staff in creative industries like ours where historically, many would have felt the need to relocate to London. That simply won’t be the case anymore.
We are also already seeing a substantial upturn in the number of London and foreign investors looking at development sites and opportunities to relocate their operations here, with the arrival of HS2 being one of a number of key reasons for their interest.
Quite simply, it is a great time to be in Birmingham.
National Urban Design Awards
The Knowledge Hub masterplan has resulted in our business being shortlisted for a national award. The Urban Design Group is the UK’s national body for urban design and celebrates best practice through its annual awards. With hopes of making Birmingham proud and bringing home the prize for their city, the Node team is looking for support. The winner will be decided by public vote, accessible here. Voting closes at Midnight on Friday 24th February 2017. The winning scheme will be announced at the National Urban Design Awards, held on Thursday March 2nd, 2017.
Nigel Wakefield, managing director of Node, said: “The opportunity provided by our partnership with Birmingham City University and the Urban Design Group in shortlisting our project has been incredible, as it has raised Node’s profile significantly and assisted in delivering our ambitious growth plan, which will continue to add revenue and jobs to the region.”
