Sector Focus


Property


Birmingham leads the way in recovery


Birmingham is outperforming the national average for post- pandemic economic recovery, according to property firm Avison Young’s new ‘UK Cities Recovery Index’. The index monitors the speed


and trajectory of post-Covid-19 economic activity in the UK, tracking key aspects of city life and the impact and rate of recovery across cities including Birmingham, London, Manchester and Liverpool. Birmingham’s current position


stands at 89.6, compared to the 85.8 national average, and above the likes of London, Manchester, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle. The best performing sector in Birmingham is residential, which currently outperforms all other cities in the recovery index. This data point recorded a near-high 129.8 on 27 September, greater than pre-lockdown levels. In addition, the commercial


activity sector index for Birmingham - which tracks industry activity, business sentiment and


Permission for new scheme


A residential development which will form part of a regeneration scheme in Edgbaston has received planning permission. The new development will


include 392 flats in three blocks. The complex will include a gym, work from home space, private dining facilities and guest suites for visitors. It will also include a landscaped courtyard area for residents. Glancy Nicholls Architects have been working with Court Collaboration and Calthorpe Estates to design the development, part of the £330 million New Garden Square scheme. Located on the Hagley Road


in Edgbaston, New Garden Square, once complete, will comprise a 10.7-acre mixed- use site with offices, shops, restaurants, bars and the newly approved residential development.


62 CHAMBERLINK November 2020


employment - is among the highest across the country. Carl Potter (pictured), managing


director for Avison Young in Birmingham, said: “It’s encouraging to see the recovery index indicators for Birmingham outperforming those of the UK at a national level. “Likewise, the city has the


strongest levels of residential activity, driven by a post-lockdown residential boom, which levelled off during the summer but picked up again in September. “Mirroring other large cities, including London and Manchester, Birmingham is lagging on the mobility and return to office sector indices. “A recent rise in Covid-19 cases


in the city and additional social distancing measures for the area, as well as the 10pm curfew on pubs and restaurants, is expected to slow recovery across these indices in the coming weeks. “While Birmingham is doing well,


this is against a backdrop of a significant slow-down for the


‘It’s encouraging to see the recovery index indicators for Birmingham outperforming those of the UK’


national recovery index after reaching a peak earlier in September, with further restrictions and rising rates of infection having a wholesale impact across city life. “Birmingham is home to a


vibrant leisure and nightlife economy, reliant on footfall and mobility of people. The city’s spike in cases, leading to local social distancing measures and pub and restaurant curfews, means we’re


likely to see the rate of recovery slow or regress in the short term at least. “As a large majority of


professional and financial services businesses are located within the city core, and therefore able to adapt and continue to remote work for a sustained period, we don’t expect Birmingham’s indicators for returning to the office to recover at pace.”


Harvey wins landmark contract


Henley-in-Arden based commercial decoration company Harvey UK has won a contract to carry out the decorating and finishing of Birmingham’s tallest residential tower block. Harvey UK will carry out all of the painting, decorating and


finishing work on 481 apartments in The Mercian, a 42-storey tower in Broad Street. The development is being built


by Sisk on behalf of Yorkshire- based Moda Living. The tower, on the site of the former Tramps nightclub, will


include shared lounges, health and sports facilities, a dining club and a 200-metre running track on the roof.


Harvey UK managing director


Tony Harvey said the new block would service the growing demand for city centre accommodation in Birmingham. “The Mercian is set to become an


iconic building in the heart of Birmingham and we are delighted to have secured this prestigious contract. It will have excellent facilities and will be finished to a very high standard,” he said. Established in 1966, Harvey UK is


a family-owned finishing and maintenance specialist, working on major projects in the industrial, education, health, local authority and residential sectors. With offices in Henley-in-Arden


and London, the group has a wide portfolio of blue-chip client projects including JLR, Muller, the NHS, Kier, Balfour Beatty, Skanska, Lendlease and the Royal Air Force.


Going up: an artist’s impression of the new tower block


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