Birmingham City Council has granted planning permission for HS2’s Washwood Heath Depot, which will be built north-east of Birmingham city centre.
The depot will be used to maintain, service and store HS2 trains when not in use.
The site will include a Maintenance Building, the Network Integrated Control Centre (NICC) and a Cleaners and Drivers Building.
The NICC will be located centrally within the Washwood Heath depot site and will oversee the entire HS2 network.
“We’re pleased that Birmingham City Council’s planning committee has approved our plans for the HS2 depot at Washwood Heath, marking a significant milestone for HS2 in the Midlands.
“Over 550 jobs will be created by the Depot’s operations in a range of disciplines including facilities management, fleet management, production, depot drivers and cleaning. We’re working closely with Birmingham City Council and other stakeholders to maximise these job opportunities for people in the local area.”
The buildings have been designed to provide a high level of controlled, natural lighting.
They will be accessible to pedestrians and cyclists, and will provide facilities to charge electric vehicles.
“Good functional design has been a vital part of developing the plans for the Depot, including ensuring this new large-scale facility contributes to improving a significant area on the outskirts of Birmingham, and streamlining operations for the railway. Our design team have worked closely with the Council to make sure we deliver the right design for the local area, which we can all be proud of.”
