City venues fear future amid rail upgrade

Two well-known Digbeth community venues say they are worried about their future as plans for a major rail upgrade could see their buildings demolished within the decade.

The Night Owl music venue and The Warehouse, home to Birmingham Friends of the Earth, are among properties potentially affected by the £1.75bn Midlands Rail Hub project between Birmingham Moor Street and Bordesley stations.

The concerns come as Digbeth undergoes major regeneration, including the extension of the West Midlands Metro and the BBC's move into the former Typhoo Tea Factory.

Shannon Davies, who works in events and marketing at The Night Owl, said the venue played an important role in Birmingham's cultural scene.

"People are telling us how much of a safe space it is for them, how they value it as a third space, how they've built community and they've made friends.

"We've had weddings at the Night Owl.

"People have had life moments, I submitted my dissertation in the Night Owl, and it means a hell of a lot to people."

As part of plans for the Midlands Rail Hub, sections of the Bordesley Viaduct would be widened but some businesses in the area say as a result they will have to close by 2030 because their premises will have been demolished.

The Night Owl has hosted live music, club nights and community events for more than a decade, becoming a fixture of the city's independent nightlife.

Davies said the loss of the venue would leave a huge gap in the area.

"Whether we are flattened, used as a construction site, or impossible to get to, we won't survive it.

"All of us that work at the Night Owl are shocked, stressed, heartbroken by everything."

Karen Leach, chief executive of Birmingham Friends of the Earth, said The Warehouse was more than an office building, serving as a community space for environmental groups, charities and local organisations.

"It's not just our property, this building. So many different groups from the city meet in that building.

"We've just got this building into the perfect state to do what we need it to do, and now this comes along and derails us," Leach said.

She said uncertainty over the building's future had left organisations concerned about what could be lost if demolition goes ahead.

"We strongly support the rail proposals… but we don't think that this is the right way to do it."

The rail scheme is intended to increase capacity and improve services across the Midlands, with new infrastructure planned between Birmingham Moor Street and Bordesley.

A spokesperson for the Midlands Rail Hub Alliance said it recognised the potential impact on businesses and organisations in the area.

"Midlands Rail Hub is a major investment in the region's railway which will unlock access to opportunities, create jobs, boost economic growth, and enable new houses to be built, benefiting local people, businesses, and communities."

The spokesperson said further consultation would take place as the project developed, with efforts being made to balance improvements to the rail network with the needs of the local community.

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