£52m Levelling Up win for baths, Dudley Road and Wheels site

Birmingham has won more than £52 million from the government's Levelling Up Fund for three major projects, including the restoration of Moseley Road Baths. But a bid to regenerate Erdington High Street has been turned down.

Three of the city council's four bids were successful, the government announced on 27 October.

The winning projects

The largest award, £19.9 million, will pay for major improvements to the A457 Dudley Road. The scheme aims to reduce congestion, encourage walking and cycling, provide better facilities for public transport users and improve links to new housing developments along the route, where more than 2,000 homes are being built.

A further £17.1 million will go towards cleaning up the former Birmingham Wheels site at Bordesley Park, to act as a catalyst for regenerating the area and help create up to 3,000 jobs.

And £15.5 million will fund the next phase of restoring the Grade II* listed Edwardian swimming baths on Moseley Road, together with the neighbouring Balsall Heath Library.

Erdington left out

The government chose not to fund the council's bid to redevelop Erdington High Street.

Council leader Ian Ward welcomed the three successful bids. "As part of our commitment to genuinely levelling up for the people and communities of Birmingham, we're securing investment and funding to create jobs and opportunities and I'm delighted that we can now progress three of these four important projects," he said.

"The remediation of the Wheels Site, ongoing restoration of Moseley Road Baths and A457 Dudley Road Improvements will make a big difference to some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country and we will work hard to ensure our communities reap the rewards."

"It is disappointing that the Government has chosen not to support the people of Erdington, but we will continue to push for funding and investment to ensure that all our communities can benefit from the levelling-up agenda."

What is the Levelling Up Fund?

The £4.8 billion fund was set up by the government to pay for local infrastructure that improves everyday life, such as regenerating town centres and high streets, local transport projects and cultural and heritage assets. The first round of winners was announced alongside the Budget.

The baths

Moseley Road Baths, which opened in 1907, is one of the most important historic swimming pools in the country, and the oldest Grade II* listed swimming pool still in use in Britain. It was saved from closure by a long community campaign, and is now run by a charity with support from a coalition including the council, Historic England, the National Trust and the World Monuments Fund.

The Wheels site

The Birmingham Wheels site in Bordesley was for many years home to a motor sports and leisure venue. Clearing and cleaning up the land is seen as the first step towards bringing new businesses and jobs to one of the poorest parts of east Birmingham.

Work on all three projects is expected to begin over the next few years, with the council now working on detailed plans.