Great connectivity is the key for this Redrow Homes development
Birmingham. The city whose economy is growing faster than the whole of France. The city with more canals than Venice. The youngest city in Europe. All of this is true. It’s also a city offering huge promise for off-plan property investment.
The UK’s second largest city, Birmingham has an enormous economic output of £23 billion. It’s the regional capital of the Midlands, and it’s an economic powerhouse. It is a mecca for shoppers and has the highest number of Michelin-starred restaurants in the UK outside of London. Families benefit from education establishments that produce results above the national average. The 2017 annual Quality of Living Survey (conducted by Mercer) ranks Birmingham as the third best place to live in the UK after London and Edinburgh. Visitor numbers to Birmingham have doubled in the last three years.
Birmingham is also benefiting from billions in investment, both governmental and private. It includes huge investment commitments from China and the Middle East. The whole fabric of the city and its suburbs are being transformed, helping to place the city in the top league of European cities ideal for investment.
But what about transport in and around Birmingham? In this article, you’ll learn about the incredible transport links in Birmingham, and why they encourage people to move here. You’ll also learn about the transport policy that should support property investment potential in Birmingham for decades to come. Finally, we’ll introduce you to a great Redrow development, which promises incredible investment potential.
Birmingham – at the heart of UK connectivity
Birmingham is a major transport hub and is at the heart of the road and railway network in the UK. 90% of the nation’s population is within four hours’ drive, making it an ideal centre for business. The already exceptional connectivity will be improved further with HS2. Journey times to London by rail will be slashed from 80 minutes to less than 50 minutes. It will provide options for inward and outward commuting, as well as improve the movement of goods.
Air: Airport expansion will help Birmingham take off
Located in the Borough of Solihull to the east of Birmingham, Birmingham Airport currently provides an access and exit point for 25 million passengers each year. It’s the seventh busiest airport in the UK, with flights to most European destinations as well as several long haul destinations. The airport is served by both rail and bus services.
Birmingham Airport will be the only high-speed connected airport in the UK in 2026 and expects unprecedented growth to follow. It is now expected that Birmingham Airport will be granted expansion plans to add a new runway, enabling it to more than double passenger numbers to 50 million by 2050.
Rail: high-speed transformation
Most intercity services to and from Birmingham arrive and leave from Birmingham New Street, where many lines from around the UK meet. This station has benefited from a £500 million redevelopment scheme, improving passenger facilities and capacity.
High-speed rail, in the guise of the HS2 infrastructure development, will transform what an already very well connected city is.
There will be two HS2 stations in Birmingham – Birmingham Interchange at Solihull and Birmingham International Airport – and a terminus at Curzon Street in the city. The first of these (Solihull) will enable throughput traffic to the north, while the terminus at Curzon Street will be sited next to Birmingham City Centre and become the city’s fourth central railway station.
With greater access to high-quality employees, graduates, innovators and manufacturers to the north and south as well as regionally, HS2 could be the driver that delivers the promise of England’s second city.
In and around the city of Birmingham, a network of services transports around 50 million passengers each year. The city has the highest proportion of rail commuters in the UK and outside of London. Most commuters travel in and out of New Street, including those on the Cross-City line, Chase line, and Coventry-Wolverhampton line. Three commuter routes, known collectively as The Snow Hill lines, run through Snow Hill and Moor Street station.
Midland Metro
A light rail tram system was introduced in Birmingham in 1999 and has since been extended across the city. Eventually, the system will serve most of Birmingham’s central areas and extend into the West Midlands.
Buses
More than three-quarters of public transport use in the West Midlands is by bus, with the largest operator being National Express. Services radiate out of Birmingham and the Birmingham Outer Circle bus service, which follows the A4040 Circular Road. Smaller operators augment the services of National Express.
Roads
Birmingham is probably the best road-connected city in the UK. All corners of the UK are accessible by road from the city. Motorways that extend here are:
- The M40, connecting Birmingham to London via Oxford.
- The M6, connecting Birmingham to London via the M1, and connecting Birmingham to the North West of England, and on to Scotland. Junction 6 of the M6 is the famous Spaghetti Junction.
- The M5 connects Birmingham to the South West of England.
- The M42 connects Birmingham to the East Midlands.
The M42, M5 and M6 form a pseudo ring road around the city.
Other major roads through Birmingham include:
- The A34 from Manchester to Winchester
- The A41 from London to Birkenhead
- The A47 to Great Yarmouth
Rowley Grange – a Redrow development perfect for the commuting resident
Rowley Grange is a hot-off-the-press development, ideal for property investors targeting the professional with a young family. It is only 20 minutes from the centre of Birmingham by a regular train, and close to the M5 for easy access to the rest of the country.
The development benefits from the convenience of local shops, and there are Asda and Sainsbury’s supermarkets a few minutes away in Oldbury.
Ofsted ‘Good’-rated schools – including Castle High, Ormiston Forge Academy, and Hillcrest School – are all nearby. For younger children, parents have the choice of Rowley Hall Primary, St James CE Primary, and Primrose Hill Primary.
With a good selection of local pubs and restaurants in the local community, other excellent evening entertainment in easy reach, and a range of sports and leisure facilities within a few minutes’ drive, Rowley Grange is perfectly placed for property investors to take advantage of early-stage off-plan property investment in Birmingham.
For investors in new build, Birmingham’s transport links place it firmly in the list of the best places to invest in property UK.
Contact one of the Gladfish team today on +44 (0)207 923 6100 – discover more about the amazing property investment opportunities in Birmingham, and be kept informed of off-plan and new build property investment opportunities in Birmingham as they get the green light.
Live with passion,
Brett Alegre-Wood
