Future Master Plan
Reactivating underestimated buildings and areas that deliver for their local community and our investors. Digbeth is returning to its former glory, and there’s more to come. Much more.
This is just the beginning
Digbeth has come a long way since Oval’s stewardship began in 2017. It’s an area that’s constantly evolving, shifting and looking ahead with great positivity.
The Masterplan
At Oval we want to make sure The Digbeth Estate remains the go-to place for creative individuals and businesses. We will continue to restore the area in a bid to offer new models of working and living.
Transport
The upcoming HS2 station at Curzon Street in Digbeth will create high-speed rail links to Leeds, Manchester, and London (a trip to Central London will take just 49 minutes). The West Midlands Metro Birmingham Eastside tram extension will link Curzon Street to the city centre, with a stop on Digbeth High Street (just a few steps from the Custard Factory).
The Custard Factory Extension
To future-proof the Custard Factory - ensuring it can react to the ongoing shifts in how people want to work - a rooftop extension will be added. This will create a terrace garden and openplan offices (for single or multiple tenants) with far- reaching cityscape views. Wellbeing, productivity, and technology will be central to how we design and manage the space.
The Viaduct
The disused Brunel Duddeston Viaduct, built in the 1800s, has been a prominent yet undiscovered asset of Digbeth. We want to bring it to life again, transforming it into Viaduct Park. This will be a public sky park and walking route, punctuated by seating areas, access points, and look-out platforms.
This is the place businesses come to grow and thrive, with the focus on creative, versatile spaces.
The Digbeth Estate’s diverse community of independent, corporate, big, small, past, and present make this a place like no other.
A place to have fun. Both day and night A place to make your best work, discover new ideas, and create new stories.
Come have a look around…
Occupier profiles
“Digbeth is such a vibrant and evolving area of Birmingham. It’s a perfect match for the fast-paced creative problem-solving we undertake in Huel’s engineering team.
The area is still a hidden gem, despite all it has to offer, and it’s only going to get better and better.”
Chris Traverse
Engineering Director at Huel
“I started 670grams here because I just loved the vibe and feel of The Digbeth Estate. The artwork felt different and I wanted to bring a different experience to Digbeth.”
Kray Treadwell
Chef Patron at 670grams
“The Digbeth Estate is the perfect spot for a Birmingham-based media company. It’s definitely established its own character and we’re always pleased to show off the area’s colourful and quirky aspects to our visitors. It’s also given us access to many great filming locations over the years, right on our doorstep.”
Danielle McGirr
Unit Production Manager at North One Television
“I’ve set up several businesses throughout the UK, but have found Birmingham to be the best location for a startup. The Digbeth Estate is a thriving hub for innovation, financial services, and local authority support. All of this is invaluable during the growth stages of any company.”
Melissa Snover
CEO and Founder of Rem3dy Health
“We did a huge amount of research before setting up the College, and Digbeth was clearly the most creative area in Birmingham. It’s important that we’re well-connected with the music venues in the city, and where better than The Digbeth Estate which literally has music on every corner.”
Antony Greaves
College Principal at BIMM Institute Birmingham
Custard Factory
It all started with Alfred Bird inventing his world-famous Bird’s instant Custard right here in B9. Carrying on the trend of invention, today the Custard Factory is home to creative studios, tech companies, media agencies, makers, creators and a host of incredible independents — here, everyone sparks off each other. The Custard Factory also hosts fairs, festivals, gigs, and corporate and private events.
Custard Factory
300 – 12,000 sq ft
The Bond
The Bond is Birmingham’s freshest creative hub, with a focus on TV, film, media and tech. It’s an outstanding contemporary urban space, skilfully reimagined from a landmark industrial building in Digbeth. A place where minds meet, ideas detonate, and compelling collaborations forge.
The Bond
2,000 - 8,000 sq ft
Greenhouse
Located opposite the Custard Factory, is well suited for incubators, accelerators and small businesses. Half the spaces across the 7-storey building offer a private balcony.
This seven-storey building overlooks the central square on one side and the famous Old Crown pub on the other.
Greenhouse
170 - 750 sq ft
Tubeworks
Centred in the heart of Digbeth, the former tube works factory is now the home to workspaces which are filled with charm and character, having been converted to offices between 1992-1998.
Tubeworks
500 – 1,500 sq ft
Floodgate Factories
Once a carpark and before that a factory complex, Floodgate Factories offers large, flexible roof-lit open-plan floorplates. Suitable for single occupation or bringing collectives together.
Floodgate Factories
2,500 - 8,000 sq ft