BBC plans major investment in region - report

The BBC is expected to announce a major expansion of its presence in the West Midlands this morning.

Reports suggest there are expected to be substantial investments in new production facilities in Digbeth and other parts of the West Midlands plus drama production in the region, as well as training and skills provision.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is already developing a film and television centre called Mercian Studios in Digbeth.

The expected announcement follows years of spending cuts which ran down the BBC 's facilities in the Midlands while concentrating investment in London and Greater Manchester.

But business leaders in the region today welcomed the plans.

Henrietta Brealey, chief strategy officer at Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC), said: “The eyes of the region are on the BBC this morning as we await a much-anticipated announcement on relocating to the regions.

“Birmingham is young, creative, diverse - a melting pot of talent and ambition at the heart of the nation. It 's a natural choice for investment and we look forward to that being recognised later today. ”

Among campaigners for the BBC to step up its presence in Birmingham and the West Midlands was GBCC president Steve Allen, head of the Mills & Reeve LLP Birmingham office.

In his Birmingham Post column he criticised the BBC for reduced investment in the region and seemingly ignoring the Midlands in its national news bulletins, focusing on “London, Scotland and the North ”.

He wrote: “As for us in the Midlands, network television spend was a woeful 2.8 per cent. Jobs have also been lost at their local Mailbox HQ.

“It appears therefore that we are unrepresented in every way by our national broadcaster. This cannot be a situation that is allowed to continue. So come on BBC...it 's time to wake up and smell the coffee.

“I 'm not the only one who feels this way. There are approximately 5.3 license fee payers in the West Midlands alone. Ignore us at your peril. ”

Mr Allen received a robust response from BBC Midlands and the GBCC hosted the BBC 's head in the region, Stuart Thomas, for a private roundtable discussion on the broadcaster 's vision for the region.

The BBC annual report for 2019-20, showed the broadcaster spent 49 per cent of its network television programming spend in London.

It spent 9.8 per cent in the south of England outside of London, 14 per cent in the North and 2.8 per cent in the Midlands. The Midlands figure was higher than in previous years, and the BBC spent just 1.5 per cent of its programming budget in the Midlands in 2016.

The former Pebble Mill studio in Edgbaston, once a major BBC centre, was demolished and jobs were lost at the BBC's Birmingham base in the Mailbox.

Regional politicians, including West Midlands mayor Andy Street and MPs, have also been putting pressure on the BBC to invest in the region.

Pictured: The BBC's base at the Mailbox in Birmingham