Work has started on a new £53 million Build to Rent (BtR) project in Birmingham.

Up to 220 new residential homes and 7,500 sq ft of ground floor commercial space will be built in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, along with a new public square. Completion is scheduled for 2019.

The Newhall Square project is being developed by Spitfire Urbane and forward-funded by Legal & General. It is the first step into the BtR sector for, Spitfire which recently announced the launch of Spitfire Urbane after winning Housebuilder of the Year at the Insider Midlands Residential Property Awards 2017.

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony on Thursday, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said: "I am delighted to have been invited to celebrate the start of a project which will help to make such a positive change to Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.

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"Not only will it create much-needed new homes in the city centre, but it will also revitalise a number of listed buildings, helping to ensure Birmingham's rich history continues to play an integral role in its bright future. It is also wonderful to see local businesses, such as Spitfire and IM Properties, continuing to invest in the region, recognising the fantastic opportunities here."

David Jervis, Managing Director of Spitfire, said: "We were delighted to be joined by Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, to officially mark the start of work on site at Newhall Square, which is a key milestone in an important project for Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter."

Mark Jones, Director for Multi-room at build contractor Winvic, said: "Our team and I have been working with Spitfire over the last year, using our experience to develop the design for this high quality, urban living scheme. We are delighted to commence work on site and we and look forward to delivering this project in 2019."

(LM)