Birmingham council has secured the removal of toxic chemicals from a site in the middle of the city’s key regeneration zone, paving the way for work to begin on a string of projects.

The council and American company MacDermid have been in dispute over the storage of chemicals at a metal finishing plant in the Eastside area. But they have now reached an agreement restricting the size and type of substances that can be stored and reducing the development exclusion zone from 500 m to 200 m. The council will compensate MacDermid for the restrictions and help it move to a more suitable site.