New Masterplan and Levelling-Up Fund bid to transform Edgbaston Stadium and surrounding community

Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Birmingham City Council have formally launched a bid to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for a new Masterplan to transform Edgbaston Stadium and support the surrounding community.

The “Edgbaston Stadium and Community Masterplan” will create a mixed-use destination with cricket and community at its core, realising the legacy of the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The renewed stadium would combine elite sport, conferencing and events with community assets in order to improve health and social care, education, employment and social cohesion in the area.

Community is at the heart of the Masterplan, with proposals including a new stadium-based multi-use community hub with the potential for an NHS walk-in centre, as well as a second community hub at the former Police Station site in Quinton. The Edgbaston piazza will provide a venue for community markets, open-air screenings and more, as well as becoming a natural home for other cultural events like Eid and Diwali celebrations.

Masterplan partners include Compass Group UK & Ireland, who will be investing in Learning, Development and Apprenticeship Centres that will help develop much-needed digital, catering, and hospitality skills, which will boost local employment opportunities and create a local skills base that will help attract further investment to the region.

The new Masterplan and its associated redevelopment will also set a standard for sustainable travel and accessibility, with new dedicated cycling and walking routes linking communities in Balsall Heath, Sparkbrook and Highgate to the stadium, Midlands Arts Centre and Cannon Hill Park, as well as improving walking and cycling links with the city centre.

An on-site hotel is also being considered, linked to the redevelopment of the existing Raglan and Priory stands, which will serve the stadium’s growing conference and events business, as well as providing accommodation during major sporting events. The new stands will also increase capacity, accessibility and the overall customer experience at the stadium. Building on the success of the Birmingham Bears and Birmingham Phoenix brands, the proposed redevelopment will help to make sport and its associated health and wellbeing benefits more visible and connected to the local community.

Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s Chief Executive, Stuart Cain said:

“We are thrilled to announce the launch of our Stadium and Community Masterplan and its associated funding bid. They will transform Edgbaston Stadium into a truly mixed-use community destination.

Edgbaston is one of the world’s best-loved cricket grounds, having been the backdrop for great sporting drama for nearly 140 years. These proposals help realise the legacy of the recently-concluded Commonwealth Games, creating a welcoming place for our whole community to enjoy.”

Councillor Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council said:

“Birmingham City Council is delighted to work with Warwickshire County Cricket Club and Edgbaston MP Preet Gill to submit this Levelling-Up Fund bid to the Government in Westminster.

This Masterplan presents a unique opportunity to bring the local community and a Birmingham icon together to improve health and employment outcomes for thousands of people and the City Council is determined to put the people of Edgbaston right at the heart of the levelling up agenda.

This bid is one of five we have put forward. Each of them has an indisputable case for delivery. These proposals, once properly funded, will combine to have a transformative economic and social impact right across our city."