Stadium land set to include nature site under plan

Land where Birmingham City FC are planning to build their new stadium is set to be home to a new nature conservation site.

Blues have ambitions to transform the 48-acre Wheels Park site and the wider Sports Quarter project in the area, including transport links, a training centre, women's stadium, arena and a mixed-use development with housing.

The council, run by a minority coalition including the Liberal Democrats and Green Party, is proposing a number of new nature conservation sites and extending current ones across the city.

A Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation (SLINC) was proposed for part of the Wheels Park land in the east of the city, the authority said.

A spokesperson said surveys on habitats and notable or protected species were carried out in 2021 at the site.

A report, ahead of a cabinet meeting later this week, recommended 14 new conservation sites and extensions to six existing ones.

An assessment concluded that a small area of grassland on the western side of the Wheels Park area, along with woodland next to it and scrub habitats, should be designated as a SLINC, a spokesperson said.

That was because of the presence of "relatively scarce grassland supporting locally uncommon plant species", they added.

The report highlighted how close the habitats in the grassland, woods and scrub area where to nearby corridors of other habitats along railway lines and canals "which form part of the city's strategic nature network".

The council's deputy leader, Green councillor Julien Pritchard, said protecting nature and green spaces was "crucial for our city's environment and helps in the fight against climate change".

A new draft Birmingham local plan sets out how the council can shape the future of the city, support economic development, address housing need and attract investment.

"The ambition is for international leisure and entertainment attractions to provide further anchors to the Sports Quarter, offering a broad spectrum of events and experiences," the plan set out.

Earlier this year, West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker launched a Mayoral Development Corporation to "significantly speed up" the £11bn regeneration of east Birmingham.

Parker said at the time that the initiative would combine a range of powers including the acquiring land and business tax incentives.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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