This will make the Perry Barr venue, already the home of UK Athletics, the largest, permanent athletics track in the country, and it is also intended to be used for other sports, concerts and conferences.
There are some concerns about its legacy use, though, as UKA has already committed to hold most of its major events at the London Stadium every summer.
On the other hand, Liverpool’s plan to spend a significant amount of public money on a temporary track was always going to be a tough sell, despite the fact the stadium will be paid for privately and the city’s bid made imaginative use of its other venues, including Aintree, Anfield and Goodison Park.
There had, in fact, been some questions about Everton’s ability to remove the track in time for the start of the 2022/23 football season, but that was forgetting the availability of a decent alternative in Goodison Park.
Apart from redeveloping the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham’s plan also makes good use of its existing world-class venues, such as the National Exhibition Centre and Villa Park, while the building of a much-needed swimming pool in Sandwell will now be accelerated.