Capital Links
It’s official: Business is booming in Birmingham. And things are set to get even better as links to London are strengthened over coming years.
The Midlands’ first city is already one of the UK’s biggest financial centres outside London and plans to link the two cities via high-speed rail by 2026 have already prompted a sharp uptake from commuters looking to cut the costs of capital living.
But there is more in store for Birmingham than life as another London commuter belt.
Investment Central
Massive levels of public and private investment drive a flourishing jobs market, which in turn pushes housing demand from Birmingham’s overwhelmingly young population.
Big players like HSBC and Deutsche Bank have joined the growing number of financial institutions which recognise the city’s enormous potential as an investment powerhouse and are keen to tap into the city’s extraordinary wealth of talented young things.
The government is also committed. Its Midlands Engine initiative aims to create some 300,000 jobs in the region by attracting £34 billion of skills and infrastructure investment over coming years. To this end, the government has already earmarked £250 million for regional development.
Cultural Powerhouse
It’s not just as a financial leviathan that Birmingham is forging a reputation to reckon with – its cultural offerings are almost as diverse as the population itself. The city boasts the highest number of Michelin Star restaurants outside the M25 and a theatre scene that is the envy of the West End.