Pictures show plans for Birmingham's ex-Smithfield market

The photos show how the site will connect to other parts of the city

Pictures have been released showing the £1.9bn plans to transform a former wholesale market site in Birmingham.

The Smithfield site in Digbeth was previously used to host basketball, wheelchair basketball and beach volleyball at the Commonwealth Games.

Plans include office space, markets, a roof garden, shops, a pub, and two public squares that connect parts of the city.

Work is expected to begin this year and be completed by 2034.

Up to 3,000 residential units are also expected to be created

Plans for Festival Square and Market Square will form a new connection between the Bullring shopping centre, Digbeth and the Chinese Quarter.

Up to 3,000 residential units are also expected to be created, according to the planning application, but it is not yet clear how many will be listed as affordable, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Plans for a roof garden in the area show a variety of different plants

Other work in Digbeth, including major roadworks for the extension of the tramline that have been in place for about 16 months, have been subject to complaints with some traders blaming them for a drop in business.

BBC Birmingham also announced in August it would be moving from The Mailbox to Digbeth's former Typhoo Tea factory in 2026.

Ian Ward, leader of Birmingham City Council, said the Smithfield plan represented an opportunity to create more than 8,000 jobs.

"This is a bold, ambitious city - a city with a vision - and Birmingham Smithfield embodies our ambition," he added.

Counil leader Ian Ward said the plans were "bold" and showed "ambition"

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