West Midlands: 40% of England's filming spend, but where does the £100m come from?

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker confirmed a £100m package of investment in the region's creative industries on 9 October and opened a new Content Production Fund to applications.

The timing follows a striking set of figures. According to Filming in England, the West Midlands accounted for almost 40% of filming spend in England in the first quarter of 2026 — a £15.5m economic boost. Productions cited include the homecoming of Peaky Blinders, the relocation of Silent Witness, Bollywood blockbusters, and The Cadburys, a six-part drama about the chocolate-making family that has just wrapped filming.

The £100m is the part that needs care. It is not a single new cash pot. It brings together commitments from regional partners, including the BBC's pledge to increase its production spending in the West Midlands to £40m a year, alongside new funding to attract productions, build studio space and develop skills. A full line-by-line breakdown — how much is new money versus existing or partner commitments — is not given in the available evidence. Nor are the other regional partners named beyond the BBC, or their individual pledges.

Separately, the UK government awarded six mayoral regions, including the West Midlands, £25m each for creative industries under the Creative Places Growth Fund. How that sits alongside the £100m package is not spelled out in the material released.

The Content Production Fund is now open, but its eligibility criteria, administration and application deadlines are not detailed in the evidence available.

One caution on the headline number: the almost 40% share refers to a single quarter. The evidence does not establish a permanent national ranking beyond that period, and the sources describe the region as "fast becoming" a top filming location rather than as a settled one.

What is confirmed: a mayor, a fund open to applicants, a BBC spending pledge, and one quarter of unusually concentrated production spend. What is not: the exact composition of the £100m, the identity of most partners, and whether the money converts into durable jobs and studio capacity rather than a one-off spike. Those are the questions that will determine whether this is a cluster forming or a good quarter being packaged as one.