What about us? Commonwealth Games bid leaves Black Country with 'crumbs'
Birmingham’s bid for the 2022 Commonwealth Games would leave the Black Country with nothing but ‘scraps on the table’ as NO events are planned for Wolverhampton, Walsall or Dudley.
Only Sandwell has been mentioned in the list of venues, with a proposed £24 million leisure centre lined up to host swimming and diving events if the bid is approved.
It is not known exactly how much Birmingham’s bid is costing, but it is understood to be less than the £700m that rival city Liverpool is said to be spending.
The Games could result in a £390m economic windfall for the city.
The previous Games in Glasgow generated a total of £740m for Scotland, attracting 690,000 additional visitors and creating thousands of new jobs.
Venues across the Black Country ready-made to host events include The Hawthorns, Sandwell Valley Park, Dudley Castle, Aldersley Stadium, Molineux, the Dell stadium and the Halesowen Velodrome.
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West Midlands mayor Andy Street said hosting the Games would benefit the entire region – but none of these venues have been named as potential sites to host events, with the vast majority inside Birmingham’s boundaries.
Other than Sandwell the only events planned for outside the city itself would be the Ricoh Arena in Coventry and the NEC and Genting Arena, which technically come under Solihull.
Mike Bird, opposition leader on Walsall Council, said: “The fact of the matter is anything is better than nothing but once again the Black Country gets the scraps left on the table by Birmingham.”
Dudley Council’s UKIP leader, Paul Brothwood, added: “The lack of investment in sports has been across the whole Black Country and has left a sad legacy.
COMMENT: Come on Brum, play the Game
“It’s something we have to work on. Birmingham has that many transport problems and I think this again shows the nonsense of the West Midlands Combined Authority.
"They’re supposed to be sharing things out but it seems like they want to take it all in Birmingham. We need to get a share of the cake in the Black Country too.”
Councillor Roger Lawrence, leader of Wolverhampton council, said he believed there could be positive opportunities from the Games, adding: “There will be benefits from people staying here during the games and who will be spending money here. We are working closely with Birmingham on this and would expect to get some benefits.”
Councillor Ian Ward, deputy leader of Birmingham City Council and Birmingham 2022 Steering Group chair, insisted the Games would bring benefits for the Black Country and all venues had not yet been revealed.
“The venues and facilities used for a Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games would be concentrated on the host city but some will be at sites across the wider West Midlands, including the Black Country,” he said.
“As we are in a competitive process, we have not yet revealed all details of all venues, but will be making further announcements in the near future.
"Beyond physical locations, there will also be much for the Black Country to gain in terms of job opportunities, cultural celebration events, contracts for firms to supply what is needed for a successful games and volunteering opportunities for the people of the region.
“This wide array of benefits is why the Birmingham 2022 bid has the unanimous support of the councils within the West Midlands Combined Authority.”
Mr Street added: “Although the bid says Birmingham, and we are very proud of that, this is a truly regional bid with the support of the combined authority. The Black Country benefit from being on the doorstep of this will be a significant boost for tourism and business.”
The bidding process
The future of Birmingham’s Commonwealth Games push depends on the decision of a group of experts who will decide whether it will be put forward as the UK’s bid.
The group from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport visited rival Liverpool last week to assess its package, and were in the West Midlands yesterday.
Initially the battle is to see whether Liverpool or Birmingham will be nominated as the UK’s choice to hold the Games.
The chosen entry will then go up against bids from other Commonwealth nations – which are expected to be Canada, Australia and Malaysia – to decide where the 2022 Games will be held.
It is thought an English city is the safest bet to win the competition. A final decision on the Games’ location is expected before the end of the year.
If Birmingham does win the Games, it would be hosting two major events within four years with the World Indoor Athletics Championships coming to the city next year.
Meanwhile the first Birmingham International Marathon will take place in October this year.
