• Direct high speed London-Oxford connection to launch on 12 December (Chiltern Railways)
• Journey time of 60 mins will “make Oxford an even better proposition for commuters” (Property Frontiers)
• 100,000 new homes required across Oxfordshire by 2031 (Oxfordshire Growth Board)

Oxford-based property expert Ray Withers, CEO of Property Frontiers, has expressed anticipation of an immediate lift in house prices in the city, in light of the news that the new direct high speed rail line between Oxford and London Marylebone will be open and operational from 12 December.

Withers explains,

“The new line will provide an enormous boost to both cities. Everyone in the Oxford area will benefit from improved connectivity and less congestion, and I expect property values in the centre to get an immediate lift as Oxford will be more accessible for those who work near Marylebone/West end.

“We’ve already seen a dramatic upswing in property prices in places like Kidlington near to Oxford Parkway, the most recent station to open on this line and although Oxford has been voted one of the most expensive places to live, I think this will bolster prices further.

“This project promises to make Oxford an even better proposition for commuters and businesses with close links to the capital, but it will also hugely open up central Oxford and the Cotswolds to Londoners to take advantage of the culture and natural beauty on offer here.”

The direct high speed connection between Oxford and London has been eagerly awaited. The railway line took some £320 million to complete and included the opening of Oxford Parkway station in October 2015. The final track installations needed to enable the direct connection to London sought to convert an old branch line into a 100 mph mainline. With the work complete, Chiltern Railway services has been able to timetable the first trains for 12 December, just in time for Oxford’s residents to pop into the capital for a spot of Christmas shopping.

With a journey time of just 60 minutes and two trains per hour, the newly opened line will certainly be an early Christmas present for those living in Oxford and working in London, providing them with an alternative to the oft-congested M40 and A40. The A40 stretch between London and Oxford topped Ultimate Directory’s list of the UK’s busiest roads, alongside the M25. By relieving some of the pressure on the road network, the new train line is tipped to provide a further boost to Oxford’s credentials as a commuter city for the capital (in addition to the city’s own countless charms).

Housing in Oxford is something of a contentious issue. Nobody seems to disagree with the fact that more houses are needed. Oxford City Council’s growth strategy states that 24,000-32,000 new homes are needed between 2011 and 2031, while the Oxfordshire Growth Board has stated that 100,000 new homes are required across the county as a whole in that timescale.

The controversy arises when it comes to planning precisely where to locate those new homes. 14,300 of the new homes needed in Oxford have been assigned to be built in the local authorities surrounding the city, as Oxford itself is struggling to find the space to meet demand thanks to its large swathes of protected land and the need to protect its internationally recognised skyline of ‘dreaming spires,’ as christened by the Victorian poet Matthew Arnold.

The new train line is set to create even more demand for homes in Oxford, with the city expected to return to property hotspot status as a result. House prices in the city have already risen by 27.5% in the past five years, according to Zoopla. With the new train line opening towards the end of this year, homeowners in the city can reasonably expect to look forward to another substantial boost.

For more information, contact Property Frontiers by visiting www.propertyfrontiers.com or calling the team on +44 1865 202 700.

• Birmingham investing in the future and maximising the potential of HS2 (PM Theresa May)
• Midlands economy has expanded 30% since the recession (Midlands Engine)
• Midlands’ devolution set to benefit residents and investors alike (Property Frontiers) 

Birmingham, the UK’s second largest city economy, is going back to its roots and investing in a bright new future. Just as the Industrial Revolution saw the city reshape itself to meet changing times, the creation of the new Midlands Engine is combining with the Northern Powerhouse initiative to boost Birmingham’s credentials and push through a raft of exciting new projects.

Similar to the Northern Powerhouse initiative, the Midlands Engine has been created by the government to boost economic growth across the Midlands. Sir John Peace, the first Midlands Engine chairman, the region’s economy has expanded 30% since the recession and deserves Whitehall’s backing when it comes to shaping a new national industrial strategy as the Brexit process gets underway.

Still almost in incubator stage compared with the Northern Powerhouse, the Midlands Engine is already beginning to draw together the Midlands’ diverse local authorities, local enterprise partnerships and 11.5 million population in order to build a post-Brexit future that serves the region as a whole.

As the region’s leading city, Birmingham is set to enjoy a brighter future as a result of the Midlands Engine. An upgrade to improve the city’s tram system forms part of Sir John Peace’s plans, while foreign direct investment is also pouring in.

Birmingham has some significant regeneration projects planned, with the £900 million investment in the Curzon Street Station area topping the list. The scheme will prepare the area for the arrival of the new HS2 railway network, as part of the Curzon Investment Plan, which will see work take place over the coming three decades, including the creation of several new neighbourhoods.

Prime Minister Theresa May comments,

“I’m delighted that Greater Birmingham is making this investment in the future, working to maximise the potential of HS2 by investing in jobs and housing – and encouraging more business investment.”

At the same time, the chief executives of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, Marketing Birmingham, Birmingham Airport, MPs and educational leaders have combined forces to petition the Prime Minister to focus on the expansion of Birmingham Airport rather than simply choosing between an extra runway at Gatwick or an extra runway at Heathrow.

Along with travel infrastructure development that is designed to revolutionise the city, Birmingham is focusing on redesigning its neighbourhoods. The vast Birmingham Smithfield project will see the creation of a fantastic, 21^st century market area that will inspire a new generation of traders to honour the city’s ancient retail tradition.

Housing projects are also underway across the city, with investment blending government funds with those of domestic and overseas investors. As an important part of the Midlands Engine, Birmingham is set to benefit from the £1.1 billion promised by Whitehall for the West Midlands Combined Authority as part of the Midlands’ devolution process. The first £36.5 million has just been transferred.

Meanwhile overseas investors are also keen to take an interest. Developments like The Divine Collection, which offers standout buy-to-let apartments in a top location in Digbeth, one of Birmingham’s most popular areas, have attracted keen interest from foreign investors looking for a healthy investment prospect in the UK housing sector.

Ray Withers, CEO of Property Frontiers, which is presenting the Divine Collection to the market from £165,000, comments,

“The benefits of the Midlands Engine will be widespread. This is an exciting initiative that can both follow in the footsteps of the Northern Powerhouse and learn from that process in order to be even more effective. The devolution of the Midlands is creating excellent opportunities for those who live there and for those who invest there.”

For more information about investing in Birmingham’s Divine Collection, contact Property Frontiers or call +44 1865 202 700.

• Birmingham population grew 9.5% in past decade (Census data)
• Country Garden to invest £2 billion in Birmingham projects
• UK is most popular destination in Europe for FDI (Department for International Trade)
• HS2 and Birmingham Smithfield redevelopment are key opportunities (Property Frontiers)

As the youngest city in Europe, with 50% of its population under the age of 30, Birmingham is a city full of drive, ambition and entrepreneurialism. This is already clear from the city’s booming life science, creative and tech industries. Now, Birmingham is lining up to show the rest of Britain’s cities how to future-proof against the coming economic uncertainty when the UK finally begins the formal process of leaving the EU.

Birmingham’s attractions as a place to live and work mean that its population is booming. According to Census data, the city’s population grew by nearly 100,000 in the decade to 2015, equating to a 9.5% increase. With people continuing to be drawn to the city, planners believe that 80,000 new housing units will be required by 2030. Birmingham City Council leader John Clancy has taken matters in hand and has just spent a week courting investors in China and Hong Kong.

The trade mission has yielded impressive results, with Chinese property developer Country Garden pledging to invest £2 billion in Birmingham’s economy over the coming years. Housing stock and projects related to the HS2 railway have been identified as top priorities.

Councillor Clancy sees Chinese interest in Birmingham as a key means by which the city will secure its economy (so far as possible) to weather the Brexit storm. He comments,

“There may be a downturn next year, or the year after, there might even be a recession and I want to ensure, like London did last time, that we come out of the recession ahead of the rest.

“For that, we need to have the capital ready to come in and projects ready to go.”

Britain’s uncoupling from the EU may be a painful process for the country’s economy, but investment from overseas can help to soften the blow. Pre-Brexit vote figures from the Department for International Trade have shown that the UK is the most popular destination in Europe for foreign direct investment, with the 2015/16 financial year seeing 2,213 inward investment projects secured, an 11% rise on 2014/15. It is Birmingham’s hope that the continuation of such investment will ease the Brexit process.

Even before the Councillor’s visit to China and Hong Kong, Chinese interest in Birmingham investments was already high. Ray Withers, CEO of Property Frontiers, comments,

“Birmingham is a city packed with potential. It’s not just HS2 that’s drawing investors in. There are some fantastic regeneration projects underway, like the Birmingham Smithfield masterplan, which will see a vast area of the city centre brought up to date, creating a vibrant, modern area for Birmingham’s markets. Chinese investors are keen to be involved in the future of such a leading city and we’ve seen interest in everything from flats to football as part of this trend.”

Property Frontiers’ latest Birmingham development, The Divine Collection, has certainly piqued the interest of Chinese investors: so far 50% of Property Frontiers’ apartments in the building have been reserved by Chinese buyers. Priced from £165,000, the hand-picked selection of apartments offer buy-to-let investors the very best that the development has to offer. Residents will be able to enjoy the 483 sqm roof terrace with city views, as well as their beautifully finished individual apartments in the heart of Digbeth, Birmingham’s most on-trend location.

For more information about investing in Birmingham’s Divine Collection, contact Property Frontiers or call +44 1865 202 700.

• Liverpool and Birmingham among contenders to host Commonwealth Games in 2026
• Commonwealth Games added £100m to Glasgow’s economy in 2012 (Scottish Government)
• Second cities already winners in property investors’ eyes (Property Frontiers)

Now that the action-packed Rio 2016 Olympic Games has come to a close, thoughts are turning to the next major international sporting event – the Commonwealth Games. Gold Coast 2018, the 21^st Commonwealth Games, will take place in Queensland, on Australia’s eastern coast. Four years, later, Durban in South Africa will host the 2022 Games.

Now the competition is hotting up between cities around the world to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games and the UK is going for gold!

Seven cities are currently considering bidding to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games. Of those, four are located in the UK (a fifth UK city, Cardiff, was planning to bid but pulled out due to uncertainty around funding post-Brexit). Other than the UK, only Edmonton in Canada, Auckland in New Zealand and Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea have stepped forward as potential contenders.

The UK’s hunger to host the 2026 Games follows London’s highly successful hosting of the Olympic Games in 2012 and Glasgow’s superb hosting of the Commonwealth Games in 2014. Indeed, London is one of the cities bidding, along with Belfast, Birmingham and Liverpool.

Having seen the boost that London and Glasgow received from hosting the 2012 Olympic Games and 2014 Commonwealth Games, the bids from second tier cities like Birmingham and Liverpool make complete sense. The latest legacy report from the Scottish Government shows that £100m was added to Glasgow’s economy as a result of the experience, while official figures reveal that Scotland as a whole benefited from £282m worth of tourism.

Host cities continue to reap benefits for years to come. London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park has provided Londoners with a whole new way to enjoy their city, while the capital’s new and improved sporting venues have left a world-class sporting legacy for all to enjoy.

Meanwhile Manchester, which hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2002, continues to enjoy the long-term benefits of doing so. The Games left the city with a range of outstanding sporting venues and cemented its reputation as a leading global city for sport. The City of Manchester Stadium, which cost £112m to build and hosted athletics and rugby, now hosts major sporting events and pop and rock concerts. The £3.5m Regional Athletics Arena has become Manchester’s premier athletics facility. The £32m Manchester Aquatics Centre has given the general public access to Olympic standard pools, as well as hosting international swimming and diving competitions and being the home of British Paralympic Swimming.

Visitor numbers to Manchester were around 18 million people per year in 2002. By 2014 (the latest year for which figures are available) that number had risen to 115 million visitors, according to Marketing Manchester. It is no wonder, then, that both Birmingham and Liverpool are keen to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games.

Ray Withers, CEO of specialist international property investment company Property Frontiers, offers buy-to-let apartments for sale in both cities – the stunning Parker Street Residences in Liverpool (investment from £69,950) and the hand-picked Divine Collection in Birmingham (investment from £23,925). He comments,

“Birmingham and Liverpool would both make excellent venues for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. The cities are already known on the international stage and have the potential to deliver an outstanding sporting experience in 2026. The chosen host city will benefit from a lasting legacy, from the addition and expansion of world-class facilities to increased global exposure and rising tourism numbers.”

Hosting a sporting event of this nature also provides a city with the chance to breathe new life into entire areas. Both Liverpool and Birmingham have already enjoyed significant spending on regeneration in recent years. Liverpool city centre, where Parker Street Residences enjoys a prime location, has become an increasingly sought after residential area, with young professionals looking to enjoy the benefits of city centre life. In Birmingham, it is the area of Digbeth that has become home to the city’s hottest urban lifestyle, with tenants flocking to contemporary apartments like those in the Divine Collection.

For more information, contact Property Frontiers by visiting www.propertyfrontiers.com or calling the team on +44 1865 202 700.

• Birmingham house prices up 8.3% in past year (Hometrack)
• Digbeth creating a name for itself as ‘Birmingham’s Shoreditch’
• Brand new Divine Collection apartments available from £159,500 (Property Frontiers)

Digbeth, which is increasingly referred to as ‘Birmingham’s Shoreditch’, is an area on the up. Hip bars and arty coffee shops rub shoulders with independent stores and some of the funkiest clubs in the UK’s second city.

Young, creative professionals work in huge, converted warehouses where businesses ranging from performing arts companies to new media hubs feel right at home. Art meets culture meets creativity, all with a good-sized helping of retail therapy and top restaurants thrown in for good measure.

The architecture of Digbeth is reflective of the area’s creativity, with brightly coloured buildings and motivational murals creating a complex, stylish urban landscape that oozes contemporary appeal. The Custard Factory is the heart of the area’s creativity. Offering office space, shops, salons, venues for special events, films, fairs, festivals and an ‘art of the month’ initiative, the complex is packed with independent companies staffed by bright young things who work hard by day and play hard by night.

Many of those who work in Digbeth are keen to live in the area too and demand for high end, contemporary accommodation is on the up, according to Ray Withers, CEO of specialist international property investment company Property Frontiers. He comments,

“Digbeth is turning into Birmingham’s most stylish location and we’ve seen interest in rental accommodation pick up significantly there. There’s a really unique vibe to the area and always something going on. It’s so much more than a 9-5 destination, which is why so many professionals are looking to make it their home, as well as the place they work.”

In response to such keen interest, Property Frontiers has just launched The Divine Collection at St Anne’s Court, in the heart of Digbeth. The hand-picked selection of 30 apartments will offer sophisticated, elegant homes to just the kind of tenant looking for something a cut above the rest in Digbeth.

Investors in The Divine Collection apartments can look forward to strong demand from tenants, not just because of the excellent location, but also thanks to the spacious design, exclusive roof garden and luxurious fit-out. Prices begin at £159,500 for a one-bedroom apartment (investment from £47,850).

Birmingham is currently the eighth best performing city in the UK when it comes to house price growth, according to the June 2016 Hometrack UK Cities House Price Index, having enjoyed year on year growth of 8.3%. The fact that The Divine Collection is available at prices some 10% lower than neighbouring developments provides the apartments with excellent potential for capital growth over the build period (construction is already underway, with completion due in Q1 2018).

Another part of Digbeth’s appeal is the area’s location within Birmingham. Residents can reach the Bullring and Selfridges on foot in 10 minutes. City centre locations don’t get much more convenient and Digbeth is perfectly suited to those who want to live somewhere where they can have the best that Birmingham has to offer right on their doorstep.

Digbeth is also set to benefit from the huge redevelopment due to take place at Birmingham Smithfield, which adjoins Digbeth’s western border. One of the biggest single ownership redevelopment sites in the country, Birmingham Smithfield will see the city’s wholesale markets relocated to one unique, vibrant market district. The area will include a new public space (Market Square), a family leisure quarter, a vast market space and integration with Midland Metro.

Property Frontiers’ Ray Withers concludes,

“Digbeth these days feels like Deptford and Shoreditch used to – there’s a sense of excitement in the air, a feeling that the area is beginning to really define itself. It’s a great time to invest in property in an area, as many of those who bought homes in Lewisham and Hackney back when Deptford and Shoreditch were on the rise can attest. There are exciting times ahead for those who live, work and invest in Digbeth!”

For more information, contact Property Frontiers by visiting http://www.propertyfrontiers.com/ or calling the team on +44 1865 202 700.