Ground-breaking work starts towards building a new future for the BBC in the Midlands

Construction has started on the BBC’s future landmark home ‘The Tea Factory’ marking the beginning of a new era for production and the creative industries in the Midlands.

The 100-year-old industrial building - which has been unused for decades - will be brought back to life in spectacular fashion and become the BBC’s greenest building.

The development by Stoford will see the site transformed into a state of the art broadcasting centre in one of the country’s most talked about up-and-coming creative districts: Digbeth, Birmingham.

The BBC’s move is a significant catalyst in a masterplan to regenerate Digbeth and enables other developments to follow.

It is also a major boost to the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) goal, in partnership with industry body Create Central, to build on the region’s existing creative and cultural talent and take it to the next level, helping to drive investment, growth and thousands of new jobs in the creative sector.

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the WMCA, joined BBC Director-General Tim Davie at the Tea Factory construction site today and welcomed the announcement of a brand new commission for BBC One Daytime and iPlayer to be made from Double Act’s new regional hub in Birmingham. Ex-SAS leader Billy Billingham will be following Britain’s elite enforcement teams and police forces up and down the country in 15x30 series SAS: Catching the Criminals.

Left to right - Cllr John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council; Matt Burgin, Joint MD of Stoford; Nick Owen, BBC Midlands Today; Tim Davie, BBC Director-General; Hayley Valentine, Head of BBC Midlands; Kaylee Golding, BBC Radio 1xtra; Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands

The BBC is also investing to support the relocation of independent production companies including Spun Gold TV who will move out of London to a new Digbeth-based production office bringing BBC Daytime format Garden Rescue with them.

Digbeth Loc. Studios - a flagship location for premier film and TV production situated close to The Tea Factory, is also home to a purpose-built studio currently being constructed to play host to the BBC’s flagship food entertainment show, MasterChef, made by Shine TV (part of Banijay UK). As part of the exciting plans for the area, MasterChef will begin production from its new Digbeth home from Autumn 2024.

The relocation of the hit primetime series, with all four of its formats, will bring 130 new jobs to Birmingham and contribute 65 hours of peak time TV from the city. Birmingham will be Banijay’s UK’s largest production base out of London and also includes their scripted partnership with Steven Knight, Kudos Knight, based in Digbeth. Clear Cut have established a new post production facility.

The BBC continues to boost drama production in the region with BBC Studios productions, Sister Boniface Mysteries, Father Brown and huge primetime hit Silent Witness relocating later this year. Other upcoming scripted commissions include Steven Knight’s This Town, Guz Khan’s hit comedy Man Like Mobeen and CBBC drama Phoenix Rise which is made in Coventry – with more to come.

In 2021, as part of the BBC’s Across the UK strategy, the BBC signed an Memorandum of Understanding with Create Central and the WMCA promising to bring more primetime broadcast brands to the area. Since then (as well as MasterChef and Silent Witness) the BBC has relocated shows for BBC 1Xtra, the whole of BBC Newsbeat; and the BBC Asian Network begins it move to the city in the next few months, bringing over 65 new jobs with it. The teams will join The Archers, BBC Midlands Today and BBC Radio WM at The Tea Factory on completion.

The Mayor said: “Since Tim Davie and I sat down to agree our Memorandum of Understanding back in 2021, the relationship between the BBC and our region has been steadily progressing. This latest announcement marks a major step forward in the wider story of the resurgence of the creative industries in the West Midlands.

“The Tea Factory has been years in the making and the spades now in the ground will help supercharge the regeneration already underway in Digbeth. I will continue to play my part in ensuring our region’s relationship with the BBC continues to blossom and I look forward to even more investment to come in the months and years ahead.”

To future proof its commitment to the region, the BBC is providing opportunities to boost talent and skills. Working with BBC Studios, Tiger Aspect and WMCA/Create Central in the West Midlands there will be 24 new, entry-level opportunities for future TV production talent in the region. 

There are 15 junior drama opportunities with WMCA/Create Central on BBC Studios productions Father Brown and Sister Boniface Mysteries, while five West Midlands based trainees (three of which will be HETV Skills Fund trainees) will be recruited to work on the 28^th series of Silent Witness filming in London – the scheme has been designed to pave the way for the title being made in the Midlands. The next series of hit comedy Man Like Mobeen - which is filmed in and around Birmingham - will also be looking for four trainees after running successful schemes previously.

BBC Writers and Create Central are also joining forces along with other West Midlands’ leading creative organisations to launch a scheme to launch the next generation of scripted talent from the region. Write Across Birmingham and the Black Country, supported by Sir Lenny Henry and Kit De Waal, will provide up to 12 aspiring writers with a crucial insight into writing for TV. The scheme is a proven formula and entry point for some of the most exciting writers in UK drama.

Tim Davie, BBC Director-General, said: “This is a significant step, not just for the BBC, but for invigorating the wider creative industries in the Midlands. We are transforming The Tea Factory into a world-class state of the art production facility which will benefit the region for generations to come.

“Digbeth will deliver world-class programmes, be a centre for excellence and bring investment and new opportunities to one of the most vibrant parts of the country.”

Increasing the BBC’s employment in the region, additional commissioning spend and infrastructure investment into the new HQ boosts the BBC’s overall economic contribution in the West Midlands region.

Data shows BBC services and activity in the West Midlands currently generate an estimated £305 million a year for the local economy and this will grow as the BBC expands its presence and investment.

Final work on The Tea Factory is anticipated to be completed in 2027. Commissioning new content and moving TV programmes and network radio programmes to Birmingham is part of the BBC’s Across the UK strategy, getting closer to audiences to better reflect, represent and serve all parts of the UK.

Hayley Valentine, Head of BBC Midlands, said: “Our new home in Digbeth will be an outstanding creative, productive and sustainable space where our teams can come together to do their best work.

"We are working with partners across the region, creating a new talent pipeline, making great programmes and delivering fantastic services, so we are confident that Digbeth is a future epicentre for TV, film, radio and much more.”

Cllr John Cotton, Leader of Birmingham City Council, added: "The council has worked closely with the BBC, Stoford and The Gooch Estate, providing vital funding through the Enterprise Zone, to get this exciting project to this stage and I'm delighted that building work is now underway.

"The Tea Factory will further cement Digbeth's growing reputation as a hub for media and creativity and the rebirth of this historic site will a catalyst for the wider regeneration and development, creating jobs and opportunities for the people of Birmingham."

Patrick Holland, CEO Banijay UK, said: “Banijay UK has been making shows in Birmingham for a while with Man Like Mobeen, Peaky Blinders and more recently This Town rooted in the city.

"Bringing MasterChef, one of the biggest entertainment brands on television, to Birmingham and establishing scripted partnership Kudos Knight to bring local talent and stories to the fore, really cements our commitment to the region.

"Working closely with the BBC and creative partners in the city we are investing in local talent and training and will continue the build our creative pipeline in Birmingham.”