This list of strategies largely relate to the economic, employment, spatial and environmental plans and strategies that have been created by Birmingham City Council or strongly influenced by them. It doesn’t cover service deliver plans and strategies on social services, education etc unless there is a clear link through.
It is often hard to really assess the strategic direction of Birmingham as there is no one place where you can get an overview; no one overarching strategy with a hierarchy of strategies. This is a small attempt to piece together the strategic wrap around the City. It concentrates on the economic, environmental and spatial aspects initially. It lists contact emails where I am aware who is leading on them. Please let me know if these are incorrect.
All items highlighted in red are new additions (i.e in the last few months)
Latest Additions
It has been many years since I looked at this website as I was getting my hands dirty at The Old Print Works. My day to day involvement there has finished so I thought I would look at this again. It will take time to update it
Climate Change
The above graph is from the Birmingham City Council’s Action Plan for Route To Zero (R20)
2022 Version R20 Action Plan 2022
Digbeth
Some documents I pulled together for a visit of Dutch colleagues to Digbeth. It is hard to get a good overview of the plans in Digbeth. Hence these links might help.
- I have included an HS2 plan from the City Council in 2015.
- The Future City Plan which covers the City Centre including Dibeth and is aspirational (not a formal plan) and not really very specific.
- Two documents from the Oval Estates planning application for the Custard Factory area (The Creative Area). (Environmental Statement Non Technical Summary and The Design and Access Statement) There are 293 documents in total in their planning application!
- An article by Community Architect Joe Holyoak on the Oval Scheme.
- The Smithfield Masterplan. This is the redevelopment of the old Wholesale Market. The site is largely clear now and is being used for temporary uses. The Council has chosen a development partner for this so whilst much of the Oval Scheme is aspirational/ long term, Smithfields will be progressing fairly shortly I believe. This is on the edges of Digbeth/The City Centre.
As of October 2021
West Midlands Combined Authority SEP – MAKING OUR MARK June 2016
The new Strategic Economic Plan for the West Midlands up to 2030. This sets out the context for the devolution agreement and explains how new powers and resources will deliver an ambitious vision for the region.
Download here
Website here
Statistical Analysis of Women in the Labour Market in Birmingham May 2015 download here
Birmingham Skills Investment Plan February 2016
Birmingham Skills Investment Plan
Appendix Birmingham Skills Supply and Demand
Background Statistics on Birmingham’s Economy produced by the Regional Observatory – January 2016
City Economic Briefing January 2016
West Midlands Combined Authority Devolution Deal November 2015
Download here
Draft West Midlands Combined Authority Negotiating Document (Sept 25th 2015)
Article in the Coventry Telegraph – here
Full document here
The Silk Reporton the Life Sciences Sector and its potential in Greater Birmingham supported by GBSLEP (July 2015)
Web page here (on the excellent Birmingham Science city site)
Down load here
ONS Report on English City Regions.July 2015 – Showing the up hill task that the West Midlands Combined Authority has. . (thanks to Tom Forth)
Midlands HS2 Growth Strategy – published by GBSLEP July 2015
download here
web page here
Movement for Growth The consultation draft of the West Midlands Strategic Transport Plan July 2015
Chamberlain Files Article here
West Midlands Combined Authority Statement of Intent July 2015
Website here and new WMCA website here
Document here
Key points
The WMCA has identified five early delivery priorities:
- Developing an overarching Strategic Plan for the West Midlands
- Access to a Finance and Collective Investment Vehicle
- Getting the transport offer right for the long term
- Creation of an economic policy and intelligence capacity
- A joint programme on skills
The WMCA proposes to establish three major new independent commissions to help shape the future of the Combined Authority. It will be seeking support from government to deliver these commissions. They are:
- The West Midlands Productivity Commission
- The West Midlands Land Commission
- The West Midlands Commission on Mental Health and Public Services
OVERARCHING STRATEGIES
Birmingham City Council Leaders Policy Statement June 2012
Web page including video of speech here
Download Policy Statement here
Birmingham City Council Leader’s Policy Statement July 2013
Web page here
Download Policy Statement here
Speech here
Birmingham City Council Leader’s Policy Statement July 2014
Press Release here
Download Policy Statement here
Speech here
Birmingham City Council Leader’s Policy Statement June 2015
Web Page here
Speech here
Download Policy Statement here
Council Plan
Web page here
Council Business Plan 2012+ web page here
Download here
Greater Birmingham European and International Strategy June 10th 2013
Committee Report (here)
Strategy (here)
1) GREATER BIRMINGHAM and SOLIHULL LOCAL ENTERPRISE PARTNERSHIP STRATEGIES
Contact: Officer: katie.trout@birmingham.gov.uk
GBSLEP Skills For Growth Action Plan July 2013
Web page (here)
Plan Download (here)
Summary download (here)
Apprenticeship Plan down load (here)
GBSLEP Strategy for Growth (May 2nd 2013)
Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP web page here
Download the strategy here
One Page Summary of Strategy for Growth Targets (here)
Achievements to date May 2013 here
Evidence Base for Strategy for Growth (here) (May 2013)
GBSLEP White Paper: Strategy for Growth (Draft for consultation)
Website: here
Download: here
GBSLEP Enterprise Zone
Enterprise Zone web page here
Enterprise Zone Prospectus January 2013 here
City Centre Enterprise Zone Investment Plan July 2014
Download here
Web page here
Update on Progress of City Centre Enterprise Zone and Economic Zones
April 2014 – Report to Birmingham Economy and Jobs Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Report here
Map here
Enterprise Zone Investment Plan June 2012 here (outdated)
Enterprise Zone Update Board Member Chris Webster July 2013 (here)
Contact: Officer: wahid.nazir@birmingham.gov.uk
Heseltine’s No Stone Unturned
GBSLEP’s web page on No Stone Unturned here
Heseltine’s No Stone Unturned here
The Treasury Response to No Stone Unturned here
The Greater Birmingham Project: The Path to Local Growth: Heseltine summary: here
The Greater Birmingham Project: The Path to Local Growth: here
Birmingham City Deal
City Deal web page: here
City Deal Full Document: here
City Deal Summary: here
GBSLEP Strategic Framework Spatial Plan (this has now been retitled the Spatial Plan for Recovery and Growth)
Contact: Officer: david.r.carter@birmingham.gov.uk
Web Page here
GBSLEP Spatial Plan for Recovery and Growth – September 2013
There is a consultation on this draft plan currently
Download here
GBSLEP Strategic Economic Plan (March 2014-April 2014)
Draft download from here March 2014
Final SEP here April 2013
GBSLEP Growth Deal here (July 2014)
Extra Growth Deal Funding here (January 2015)
GBSLEP DRAFT European Structural and Investment Fund Strategy October 7th 2013
Web page here
Download here
Final submission here (January 2014)
2) BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIES
Big City Plan:
Contact: Officer andrew.rounds@birmingham.gov.uk
Website here
Big City Plan download here
Draft City Centre Retail Strategy (September 2014)
Web Page here
Download here
Birmingham Connected: Birmingham’s Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan. 13th November 2014 White Paper download here
Review of potential Funding Sources download here
Web Page – with background and further downloads here
Consultation Draft Birmingham Mobility Action Plan (outdated)
Web Page here
My review post here
Review of the Impact of the A38 tunnels closure Summer 2013
Download here
Visions for Movement – City Centre Tranportation Strategy
Contact: Officer ann.osola@birmingham.gov.uk
Website here
Download here
Visions for Movement 2
Presentation here
Birmingham wide Visions Transport Strategy for Birmingham download here
A twenty year strategy prepared in 2001. Dated but still extant?
Intelligent Transportation Systems Strategy (Dec 2010)
Web Page here
Download here
Birmingham’s Cycling Strategy 2011-2015
Web Page here
Download here
Overview and Scrutiny Report. Changing Gear: Transforming Urban Movement through Cycling and Walking in Birmingham April 2013 here
Review on Birmingham Central Blog of this Review April 2013 here
(This report doesn’t formally bind the Council as it is a scrutiny report and not a cabinet or cabinet member report)
Birmingham’a £17m Cycle Revolution Bid to the DoT April 2013
Download main part of the application here
Web page here
There are a number of appendices that can be downloaded from the web page
Cycle Ambition – Second Phase – funding up to 2018 March 2015
Details here
HS2 Overview and scrutiny committees
Looking at how to maximise the local beneficial impact
download information here
New Pinch point Funding Schemes Tranche 2 May 31st 2013
Over £9m of investment planned for the following roundabouts on the ring road
- Bordesley Circus: A4540 Watery Lane Middleway / B4128 Coventry Road / A45 Small Heath Highway;
- Holloway Circus: A38 Suffolk Street Queensway / Smallbrook Queensway / A38 Bristol Street / B4127 Holloway Head;
- Haden Circus: A4540 Belgrave Middleway / A4540 Highgate Middleway / A4167 Highgate Road / A435 Haden way;
- Curzon Circle: A4540 Lawley Middleway / B4132 Vauxhall Road / Curzon Street; and
- Ashted Circus: A4540 Lawley Middleway / B4114 Jennens Road / A4540 Dartmouth Middleway / A47 Nechells Parkway.
Details here
Latest Thinking from Birmingham City Council on the Introduction of 20mph Zones. September 18th 2013
In summary the approach subject to consultation it to cover most residential roads and selected parts of A and B roads such as Kings Heath High Street
Download here
Proposals for 20mph areas here April 2014
Birmingham’s Low Carbon Transport Strategy 2011 (outdated)
Download here
Birmingham’s Carbon Roadmap November 2013
Download here
Background Papers can be found here
Economic Zones here
Economic Zone (including the Enterprise Zone) Update Report April 16th 2013 here
Original Presentation here
Updated Presentation here
Update on Progress of City Centre Enterprise Zone and Economic Zones
April 2014 – Report to Birmingham Economy and Jobs Overview and Scrutiny Committee
Report here
Map here
Economic Strategy 2005-2015 (outdated but extant?)
Website here
Download here
Manufacturing Strategy (outdated but extant?)
Download here
The Green Commission:
Work is going on to develop a number of more detailed proposals.
Contact: Politician: lisa.trickett@birmingham.gov.uk
Officer: jackie.homan@birmingham.gov.uk @greenbirmingham
Web Page here
The Green Commission Vision Statement: here
Audio Statement on the Vision Statement from Cllr James Mckay here
- Report on Birmingham’s CO2 Emissions Target Baseline here
- Report on National contribution to local carbon reduction here
- Birmingham Carbon Plan analysis here
Low Carbon Infrastructure (Mobility) Plan February 2015 here
The Smart City Commission: here and here
Smart City Road Map here
Smart City Blog here
#smartbrum
The Smart City Commission are inviting comments on the actions planned
Contact: Politician: lisa.trickett@birmingham.gov.uk
Officer: raj.mack@birmingham.gov.uk @digibrum
Birmingham’s Smart City Vision: here
Creative City Memorandum of Understanding
MOU here
Research Study here
Pitch to BBC for Innovation Hub
Web page here
download file here
Birmingham’s Development Plan
Contact Officer: Not known
Birmingham Plan 2031 – downloads here
Pre Submission statutory consultation document September 2013
Green Living Spaces Plan
Web page here
Draft :Green Living Spaces Plan download here
Final published version download here September 2013
Birmingham’s Conservation Strategy
Web Page here
Down load here
Birmingham’s Heritage Strategy
Download here
Birmingham’s Housing Strategies: Already all in one place
Web Page here
Fairbrum
Contact: Officer jackie.mould@birmingham.gov.uk
The White Paper, Making Birmingham an Inclusive City – here
Air Quality Action Plan 2011
Web page (here)
Download (here)
3) CENTRO TRANSPORT PLANNING
Planning former West Midlands County Council geographical area (not the same as the GBSLEP area). Although the LEP may become the Integrated Transport Authority. They have established a Strategic Transportation Group link here
Centro Local transport Plan Strategy 2011-2026 web page heredownload here
Centro ‘Towards a World Class Integrated Transport Network’ April 2013
Web Page here
Download Executive Summary here
Download Full document here
Download Presentation here
4) OTHER ORGANISATIONS
Inward Investment (Marketing Birmingham)
Contact officer wouter.schuitemaker@marketingbirmingham.com
Key sectors for Inward Investment Summary Report here
Sector Approach here
Birmingham and black Country Wildlife Trust
Nature Improvement areas
Web Page here
West Midlands Low Emissions Towns and Cities Programme (here)
An draft air quality strategy out for consultation in April 2013
5) SOURCES OF DATA
Economic Research and Analysis – Birmingham City Council
Contact: michael.swift@birmingham.gov.uk
Website here
General Economic Information
- Local Economic Assessment for Birmingham. Birmingham City Council December 2014 download here
- Local Economic Assessment August 2011 download here
- Birmingham Economic Profile June 2010 download here
- Monthly Economic Update download here
- High Growth Firms Study May 2011 here
There are various different sector profiles on this webpage.
Labour Market Statistics
- Unemployment Briefing ( 330KB PDF Monthly publication)
- Worklessness Briefing (270KB PDF Published biannually)
- Youth Unemployment Briefing (250KB PDF Occasional publication)
- Unemployment by Ethnicity Briefing (60KB XLS Published quarterly)
Birmingham City Council
Key Facts Download area here
Business Birmingham
Introduction page to a lot of useful facts here
The Regional Observatory
Background Statistics on Birmingham’s Economy produced by the Regional Observatory – August 2015
Background Statistics on Birmingham’s Economy produced by the Regional Observatory – April 2015
UrbanPivot 
Good grief ! What a plethora of strategies ! How on earth do you being about coherence and focus with so many disparate strategies ?
On the face if it, some form of rationalisation and/or structure is called for.
I guess that is one of the reasons why I have put them up to encourage the City Council firstly to do it itself and secondly to get them to think about rationalisation and thirdly to encourage them to have one document that pulls them together; that tells the world what is the main thrust of the strategic approach of the City Council.
A really useful list – but very daunting! It feels rather a long way from joined up thinking at the moment.
Yes I agree…it is crying out for an overview document – like but much better than Boris Johnson’s New Vision for London. A document that ties them together and gives them a structure and a hierarchy. A document that summarises the narrative of our collective strategies.