University News Last updated 24 June 2014
New growth in the South East is fast becoming "unviable" and the Government needs to give dedicated backing to the West Midlands as a "super cluster" for the UK's fast growing creative industries, the leader of Birmingham City University has told MPs ahead of Birmingham Day in the House of Commons tomorrow.
Birmingham City University Vice-Chancellor, Professor Cliff Allan, backed the development of a HS2 high speed rail line between London and the West Midlands, insisting the South East would need the improved links to access Birmingham's burgeoning creative industries, part of an economic sector worth over £70 billion a year to the UK.
"Birmingham will benefit from using HS2 to get elsewhere quicker but I think of far greater impact will be how the rest of the UK will be able to access the creative capacity of this city.
"The time is fast approaching where further growth in the South East will become unviable – economically too exclusive and commercially too expensive.
"I believe we are seeing faint signs that politicians are starting to recognise the strengths of the West Midlands economy but it is only the beginning of a process and much more is needed."