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Birmingham City Council planners have given the go-ahead for the BBC’s new 84K SF home at the former Typhoo Tea factory in Digbeth.
The move coincides with new creative development at the nearby Custard Factory and a former HP Sauce plant.
The Tea Factory at Bordesley Street, which was built in the 1920s and stood empty for decades, will be developed by Stoford, which has a wider masterplan for the area.
Stoford Director Gerald Ludlow said the Bordesley Street landmark represents the first phase of a wider masterplan for the surrounding area, including 800K SF of predominantly office and residential floorspace on a 10-acre site around a canal basin. Glen Howells Architects, Turley, Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Growth Company, all worked on the plan.
The Tea Factory will be one of Birmingham’s first net-zero carbon in construction office buildings and is on target to achieve a BREEAM rating of ‘outstanding’ and an energy performance certificate of ‘A’.
When complete it will house several BBC editorial teams including The Archers, BBC Asian Network, BBC Newsbeat, BBC Radio WM and Midlands Today.
“Having a new home for the BBC in Birmingham is all part of our commitment to do more in the Midlands, and breathing life into this wonderful factory will help turbocharge the whole of Digbeth into the city’s creative heart,” BBC Head of Midlands Stuart Thomas said.
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The BBC approval comes as a second major Digbeth creative media scheme moves forward.
A new 55K SF creative content hub has been launched in the former HP Sauce Factory. The Bond building, Fazeley Street, has had an £18M makeover and is now aimed at digital businesses and production companies, Business Live reported.
Landlord Oval Real Estate acquired the site in 2018 and has been working on ambitious plans for the 42-acre Custard Factory portfolio ever since. The proposals could stretch to a 2.2M SF commercial expansion of the Custard Factory’s mix of workspace, along with 1,850 homes.
All3Media, the production company behind shows Fifth Gear and Great British Menu will become an anchor tenant later this spring.
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