The Government has made the Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation (Establishment) Order 2026 (SI 2026/405), creating the Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation. The Order was made at 11.45 a.m. on 14 April 2026, laid before Parliament at 4.30 p.m. the same day, and comes into force on 11 May 2026. The statutory boundary is the land enclosed by the inside edge of the red line on the map referenced in Article 2; copies are available for inspection by appointment and are also published by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). (wmca.org.uk)
The legal basis is section 198 of the Localism Act 2011, as applied to combined authorities by article 13 and Schedule 4 of the West Midlands Combined Authority (Functions and Amendment) Order 2017. In the West Midlands, the Act is modified so that functions otherwise exercisable by the Mayor of London in relation to mayoral development corporations are, with appropriate substitutions, exercisable by the WMCA. The Combined Authority notified the Secretary of State of the designation of a mayoral development area and the name for the corporation before this Order was made. (legislation.gov.uk)
Governance follows Schedule 21 to the Localism Act 2011 as modified for the West Midlands. The WMCA, rather than a directly elected metro mayor acting alone, is responsible for appointments and associated constitutional matters. Membership requirements are adapted from London to require representation from each relevant district or county council whose area falls within the corporation’s boundary. Provisions on remuneration, committees and proceedings are similarly applied with references to the WMCA substituted for the London institutions. (legislation.gov.uk)
Planning control does not transfer automatically with establishment. Under Government guidance for mayoral development corporations in combined authorities, any planning functions for all or part of the area would require a further statutory instrument and the consent of the affected local planning authorities. Until such an order is made, existing local planning authorities continue to determine applications and lead plan‑making for land within the boundary. (gov.uk)
The corporation’s statutory object is to secure regeneration of its area. Subject to the modified Localism Act framework, an MDC may acquire, hold and dispose of land, provide financial assistance and, with the necessary consents, seek compulsory purchase powers for projects within its area. In the West Midlands model, certain consents sit with the WMCA and compulsory purchase orders remain subject to confirmation by the Secretary of State. (legislation.gov.uk)
Consent thresholds in the West Midlands are designed to secure local support. The 2017 Order requires, for example, that the exercise of key functions corresponding to designation and related matters obtains the consent of at least one WMCA member from each constituent council whose area contains land affected by the proposal. This formalises a role for constituent councils that mirrors the scrutiny and consent checks used in London. (legislation.gov.uk)
The WMCA has already taken preparatory decisions to stand up the corporation. On 13 March 2026 a delegated decision approved a Strategic Outline Business Case for the Birmingham East MDC and provisionally allocated up to £3 million from the WMCA’s earmarked reserve to support transition and first‑year operations, subject to a full business case expected later in 2026. (wmca.moderngov.co.uk)
For developers and landowners, immediate implications are procedural rather than operational. The corporation exists in law from 11 May 2026 but planning applications, pre‑application engagement and plan policies remain those of the relevant local planning authority unless and until planning functions are conferred by a separate order. Parties should check whether sites fall inside the red‑line area and monitor any subsequent instruments transferring functions. (gov.uk)
The area covered by the Order is defined solely by the deposited map. WMCA has published a digital version to support public understanding; however, the definitive legal boundary is the map referred to in Article 2 of the Order. Any discrepancy between online materials and the deposited map should be resolved by reference to the latter. (wmca.org.uk)
The Order is signed on behalf of the Secretary of State by the Parliamentary Under‑Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. The department confirms the ministerial role and portfolio on GOV.UK. The Explanatory Note to the Order states that no full impact assessment has been produced, as no significant impact is foreseen for the private, voluntary or public sectors. (gov.uk)