WEST WORCESTERSHIRE MP Dame Harriett Baldwin has welcomed a major investment in the region as the BBC develops a new creative base in Birmingham.
The BBC is developing a new Midlands headquarters to house 600 staff in Digbeth which is at the heart of the city’s creative quarter, relocating from The Mailbox next year.
The MP visited the new HQ to hear about the Corporation’s vision to invest in the creative industries and to offer more jobs to people living in and around Birmingham.
The Tea Factory is expected to open in 2027 but TV production companies are already using sites in the area to film the popular drama Peaky Blinders and Masterchef has moved its kitchens from London to the second city.
The MP was invited to tour the area as part of a cross-party Parliamentary group promoting the West Midlands economy.
Many West Worcestershire residents travel to the second city to work, study or shop on a regular basis and it is estimated that up to 35,000 county residents make the daily commute.
Dame Harriett said: “The BBC has impressive plans to invest in the creative industries locally and by developing this new hub, it will attract production companies to use facilities there offering job opportunities for people across the region.
“This goes hand in hand with the major re-development of Malvern Theatres which I am hoping will be beneficial bringing cash into the local economy and also to inspire a new generation of young people to follow a career in media and the arts.
“The BBC has committed to doubling the number of programmes commissioned in the West Midlands and I am confident this will be a springboard for more opportunities for people working in media and the arts”
