INTRODUCTION
This prospectus sets out the shared vision for the regeneration of Warwick Bar, one of the most important development opportunities in Birmingham, and the largest untapped regeneration opportunity directly adjacent to HS2, anywhere in the UK.
Warwick Bar consists of over 9 hectares of mostly undeveloped land in the heart of the UK’s second city, owned by Homes England. Only 5 minutes’ walk from the future HS2 Curzon Street Station, the site was formerly at the centre of the UK’s canal and early railway network.
Today, Warwick Bar benefits from significant built and natural assets including nearly 1km of canal and river frontage, alongside historic bridges and canal warehouses. Sitting between the dynamic, creative Digbeth and the Knowledge Quarter of Aston University and Birmingham City University, there is the opportunity for a vibrant new neighbourhood delivering thousands of high quality homes alongside exciting creative, cultural and media uses.
The regeneration of Warwick Bar will play a key role in the future of this part of Birmingham, connecting east to west and north to south, delivering thousands of homes and significant media and creative commercial space, benefiting from and amplifying wider regeneration.
Homes England will bring this opportunity forward in a two phase disposal strategy between autumn 2025 and spring / summer 2026. Undertaking procurement at this time ensures that development can capitalise on the arrival of HS2 at Curzon Street Station as well as the maturing residential market and creative cluster in Digbeth.
Phase 1 will see the procurement of a delivery partner to develop the Fazeley Street parcel, which is circa 1.1 hectares and has key frontage onto Fazeley Street and the Grand Union Canal. Already home to MasterChef at Banana Warehouse and Grand Union at Junction Works, a strong creative offering is emerging on site adjacent to the BBC West Midlands HQ at the Tea Factory, The Bond and the Custard Factory.
Phase 2 encompasses the remaining land parcels totalling circa 8 hectares. With extensive canal and river frontage, as well as prominent heritage assets including the Duddeston Viaduct, where Birmingham City Council aspires to a new Sky Park, Warwick Bar will become a new residential-led mixed-use neighbourhood supporting new homes, workspaces and the creative industries.
As a public sector organisation, Homes England will undertake an open competitive procurement process in line with the Procurement Act 2023 for both phases. The procurement documents will include a comprehensive development brief that interested parties will respond to as part of the procurement process. Extensive due diligence has been undertaken, including analysis of site constraints, and this will be shared alongside the development brief.
2027
Phase 1 Phase 2
→ The Fellows Morton and Clayton building on Fazeley Street
WARWICK BAR
Warwick Bar consists of 9 hectares of brownfield land owned by Homes England. The River Rea and the historic canal network run through the centre. It is subdivided into five sites – Fazeley Street, SITA, Montague Street, Belmont Passage and Great Barr Street. Fazeley Street will form Phase 1.
SITA
MONTAGUE STREET
GREAT BARR STREET
PHASE 2
BELMONT PASSAGE
FAZELEY STREET
PHASE 1
THE OPPORTUNITY
Warwick Bar is a key opportunity in Digbeth’s ongoing transformation. The site sits in a unique position, leveraging the connectivity of HS2, the proximity to a growing city centre, the creativity and heritage of Digbeth, and the skills in the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, connecting this to the emerging regeneration to the east.
THE OPPORTUNITY
CONNECTED
Warwick Bar is the largest untapped regeneration opportunity directly adjacent to HS2 anywhere in the UK. With access to the HS2 Eastern Concourse in 5 minutes, the door to door journey time to central London will be under an hour. The site is within a short walk of the city centre, including Birmingham Moor Street and New Street stations, and has direct access to the Middleway ring road.
The completion of HS2 is a major opportunity and a catalyst for growth. This and the Eastside Extension of the Birmingham metro provide improved multi-modal access to the wider city region and to London from Digbeth. The Digbeth Active Travel and High Streets initiative is already improving walking and cycling routes across the area.
The main campus of Birmingham City University and the BBC’s new home at the Typhoo Tea Factory are less than five minutes away on foot, with Aston University and the heart of Digbeth at the Custard Factory only ten minutes away.
HOMES AND REGENERATION
CREATIVE CULTURE
Birmingham’s reputation as a centre for economic growth outside of the capital continues to strengthen. Developers are responding to the opportunity by bringing forward residential and commercial projects across the city.
House prices in Birmingham are growing at a faster rate than those in London and rental growth for Birmingham’s new build flats is the highest amongst the biggest UK cities outside of London.
In Digbeth, independent businesses, bars and restaurants alongside digital, tech and creative start ups have created a bustling and vibrant atmosphere day and night.
With multiple projects already delivered, breaking ground and in the pipeline, Digbeth’s creativity, cultural heritage, and new residential neighbourhoods are accelerating the regeneration of this and surrounding areas.
Perfectly located within Digbeth’s creative economy, the area surrounding Warwick Bar is undergoing significant transformation, including at the Custard Factory, BBC Studios, The Bond, and Junction Works, all of which contribute to an exciting future for one of the UK’s most creative urban quarters.
Digbeth is already the cultural capital of Birmingham. It is home to a well-established community of arts and cultural organisations, start-ups, and education and skills organisations that will be key to Digbeth’s creative cluster as it matures over coming years.
Digbeth’s fast growing creative cluster is attracting creative entrepreneurs, content creators and new talent to this leisure, tech and creative destination within the city centre.
THE OPPORTUNITY
MARTINEAU GALLERIES
OVAL MASTERPLAN
EASTSIDE CITY PARK
BULLRING
SMITHFIELD MASTERPLAN
HS2 CURZON STREET
MOOR STREET STATION
TYPHOO MASTERPLAN
BBC: TEA FACTORY
BIRMINGHAM CITY UNI
BEORMA QUARTER
FACTORY
WARWICK BAR
GARRISON CIRCUS
OUR VISION
Warwick Bar will be a new urban city centre neighbourhood - a residential-led mixed use quarter centred around new waterside public realm that delivers thousands of new homes and supports the growth of the Digbeth creative quarter, with a particular focus on media production. Indicative illustration.
THE WILD RIVER REA
SKY PARK CONNECTION
A naturalised River Rea Connection to the Sky Park at Great Barr Street