Lendlease finally seals £1.9bn Birmingham Smithfield deal

Birmingham City Council has finally signed up Lendlease Europe for the £1.9bn redevelopment of Birmingham Smithfield into a new urban quarter.The council had hoped to form the development joint venture with Lendlease before the end of last year for a start in 2022, but this has slipped.The decision is a major milestone for a scheme which is one of the most significant development opportunities in the city and a key strand of plans to transform the centre.The 17 ha new urban quarter at Smithfield will include a new home for Birmingham’s historic Bull Ring Markets, leisure and cultural facilities and more than 2,000 homes around a new public square.The redevelopment of the area, which is twice the size of Brindleyplace, is expected to take 15 years to complete.Once a contract has been finalised and approved by both parties, work on a planning application for the scheme will be able to begin.