Fears Digbeth faces cultural wipeout if rail expansion goes ahead

For fans of music and arts in Birmingham, Digbeth is area which inspires a lot of positive feelings as the graffiti-covered old industrial heartland that is home to the city's main music, nightclub and art scene.

But Digbeth is facing an uncertain future.

Nightclubs and community venues in the area are warning that a major railway project could lead to a "complete cultural wipe out" of the bohemian district..

Dozens of independent music venues and community spaces could be demolished if a huge redevelopment project, the £1.75bn Midlands Rail Hub between Birmingham Moor Street and Bordesley stations, goes ahead.

"Pretty much every venue and cultural space" in Digbeth would close under the current plans, according to Dan Ickowitz-Seidler, co-owner of nightclub XOYO Birmingham.

Those behind the project, the Midlands Rail Hub Alliance, have tried to reassure Digbeth's many fans, saying they see how the plans could affect businesses and promise a further consultation as the project develops.

The plans were a "real shock", Ickowitz-Seidler said, adding they were "blindsided" after finding out about the scheme from a post on X.

There appeared to be little consideration for properties based along Lower Trinity Street, he said, which houses popular venues such as Luna Springs, Mama Roux's and Club Colette.

"We all were completely shocked of just how this had all come out of the blue," he said.

"There was talk about redeveloping Digbeth for quite a long time, but that was different plans, and that was still incorporating the nightlife and all the culture that happens there.

"This very much kind of blindsided us and came out the blue."

That would see sections of the existing Bordesley Viaduct, which runs through Digbeth and into Moor Street, widened, with two new railway platforms built.

These changes would cut congestion and transfer a number of services to Moor Street from New Street, Network Rail said, reducing congestion at that station.

But some firms said their premises would be demolished if the scheme goes ahead and they would have to close by 2030.

The railway plans were good for the city, Ickowitz-Seidler added, but said there should be a compromise to save the venues so "they don't have to be destroyed".

"We're not saying that the work shouldn't happen," he explained.

"But I'm hoping that an alternative can be found that the works can happen in some way and the venues can also be saved."

He warned that without changes to the plans: "It's highly likely that all these venues will become just parts of history and no longer here".

"Digbeth has grown organically over many years to become this cultural hub." he added.

"I think it's the heart of nightlife and the heart of kind of musical, music culture in Birmingham."

Digbeth has played host to a number of artists over the years, including Walsall-born Jorja Smith and Brit Award-winning artist Little Simz, as well as Patrick Topping, Pawsa and DJ Jamie Jones.

In a joint statement on Instagram, clubs Mama Roux's and Club Colette, which is also the birthplace of popular street food pioneers Digbeth Dining Club , said the street was a "launchpad for UK culture" and was facing "total cultural erasure".

"We don't just host nights out. we actively invest directly in local musicians, performers and grassroots talent every single week," the venues said.

Digbeth was home to the "most concentrated area of independent music venues," Benjy Hill, Mama's operations manager, said.

The area was a "mix of everything", he added, with dance and electronic music, live music acts, cabaret and jazz nights.

It was a misconception that Digbeth was "just a place full of nightclubs", Hill said, adding the creative spaces were "super important", against competition like London and Manchester.

Referring to previous HS2 works, for the high speed line, he said major infrastructure projects had "stripped the heart out" of the area, arguing that venues could struggle to operate during any disruption, even if their buildings were not demolished.

"You're not going to be able to operate with all that work going on around you," he explained.

"If the area becomes really disjointed during the works, it's not going to be a nightlife area because for a nightlife area to thrive, you need everything kind of working together."

Venue owners were generally in favour of a railway extension if it brought more people to the area, Hill stressed, but affected venues would need to be relocated together.

"We need to be rehoused collectively or something like that," he said.

"If we found a new home but XOYO were two miles away further, it just wouldn't work."

Digbeth is also home to the The Night Owl music venue and The Warehouse, used by Birmingham Friends of the Earth.

Shannon Davies, from The Night Owl, previously described how the venue had played an important role in the city's cultural scene and had hosted weddings.

"Whether we are flattened, used as a construction site, or impossible to get to, we won't survive it," she said.

Better Streets for Birmingham, whose monthly meeting takes place at The Warehouse on Allison Street, said the Midlands Rail Hub plan was of "vital importance to the future of rail travel in the city and wider region".

"New Street Station is full. The proposals currently being consulted on will create rail capacity," they said in a statement.

But a spokesperson emphasised that the plans could be amended.

"We would also stress that we think the plans can be better shaped to avoid loss of buildings," they said.

"So [we] encourage businesses and organisations to engage with the consultation on the basis that plans can still be shaped towards a better mutual outcome."

A consultation on the proposed upgrades came to an end on Friday.

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