Hartwell Plc is bringing forward proposals to unlock a major regeneration opportunity at a key gateway into the creative quarter of Digbeth in Birmingham.
A public consultation has been completed to offer the local community an opportunity to comment on the plans and subsequently a planning application has been submitted to Birmingham City Council.
Digbeth has become a thriving and vibrant part of Birmingham, with the potential for even further growth into a unique global centre for company start-ups, creativity, crafts and arts, innovative high-tech businesses, television and film industry, and social enterprises in the coming years – with the BBC’s multi-million-pound commitment to the area and the Smithfield Masterplan a sign of this intent.
Located at the heart of Digbeth, the plans for Phoenix Yard respond to this ambition by transforming an outdated and under-utilised brownfield site to deliver a major mixed-use scheme.
The £100m proposals seek to respond to Digbeth’s recognised potential and its ongoing transformation into a thriving and vibrant creative quarter by delivering a mixed-use scheme with the potential to accommodate employment opportunities, media and education space, new homes, retail uses, and high-quality landscaping, as part of another significant investment into the area.
The proposals for this new Digbeth mixed-use scheme have been sensitively developed to pay homage to the site’s industrial history as an ironworks, reflected in name – Phoenix Yard – and through thoughtful and careful design.
This has been combined with ambitious sustainability targets including BREEAM ‘Excellent’, WELL, WiredScore Platinum, SmartScore certifications and a Biodiversity Net Gain aimed for across the site.
By re-imagining this outdated and under-utilised industrial site, the plans will create a new active destination which is built with Digbeth’s bright future in mind.
Following extensive and positive pre-application discussions with Birmingham City Council, we have been hearing the views of the local community on the proposals.
A public consultation closed on 31st March 2025. Thank you to everyone who took part.
