BBC ditches Mailbox for Digbeth
BBC Midlands is moving its headquarters from Birmingham’s Mailbox to a new purpose-built broadcast centre at the former Typhoo Tea Factory site in the city.
The decision has been taken as part of the BBC’s Across the UK strategy to transform its impact across the Midlands. The new cutting-edge centre, which will cost less to run than the Mailbox site, will also support delivery of the corporation’s net zero commitments.
The broadcaster has been based at the Mailbox since 2004 and occupies around 70,000 sq ft. Its lease on the space expires in 2026. The BBC is Mailbox’s biggest tenant in terms of rental income, paying £2.1m per annum, representing 23% of total rent, according to Mailbox REIT documents.
BBC Midlands is moving its headquarters from Birmingham’s Mailbox to a new purpose-built broadcast centre at the former Typhoo Tea Factory site in the city.
The decision has been taken as part of the BBC’s Across the UK strategy to transform its impact across the Midlands. The new cutting-edge centre, which will cost less to run than the Mailbox site, will also support delivery of the corporation’s net zero commitments.
The broadcaster has been based at the Mailbox since 2004 and occupies around 70,000 sq ft. Its lease on the space expires in 2026. The BBC is Mailbox’s biggest tenant in terms of rental income, paying £2.1m per annum, representing 23% of total rent, according to Mailbox REIT documents.
As the anchor tenant of the tea factory redevelopment, the BBC said it would act as a catalyst for the wider creative regeneration of the Digbeth creative quarter, helping to attract additional investment and production to the Midlands.
All of the teams based at The Mailbox, including Newsbeat and the Asian Network, which relocates to the city later this year, will move to the new fully accessible centre.
Digbeth Loc Studios, the future home of the BBC’s flagship food entertainment strand MasterChef, will be adjacent to the BBC’s new home.
EG revealed in February that Homes England has secured a deal to bring MasterChef to Digbeth Loc’s Warwick Bar site.
Tim Davie, BBC director-general, said: “This is another important day for the region. We said we would do more in the Midlands and we are delivering.
“The new broadcast centre in Digbeth will give our teams the best facilities and technology to serve audiences for decades to come. Moving our Birmingham headquarters to Digbeth is going to help build the creative success of the region – drawing new investment and production to the Midlands – and sits at the heart of the BBC’s Across The UK plans to deliver significant increases in editorial spend and decision-making outside London.”
Stuart Thomas, head of BBC Midlands, added: “This is the perfect home for the BBC in the Midlands, a building steeped in history now waiting to come back to life in one of the most up and coming, creative districts in the country.
“The reimagined former Typhoo factory will be far more visible for our audience, in a greener, more accessible and more flexible space. We can’t wait to take up residence there, continuing to build on what we do best, making the news and programmes in the Midlands that we all really care about.”
West Midlands mayor Andy Street said the BBC’s plans would be a catalyst for the wider regeneration of Digbeth in becoming a global creative quarter and would act as a magnet for young creative talent right in the region.
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Image © BBC
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