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Birmingham-born Tommy Nagra has been appointed as the new head of business development for BBC in the city.

Mr Nagra, the current head of television, Religion & Ethics at the Corporation’s Salford HQ, will commence his new role in January.

He will be working closely with teams across the Birmingham Mailbox site, the broadcasting industry and BBC, to help build its presence in the city and bring more business to the area.

Mr Nagra began his career at BBC Pebble Mill in the early 1990s before leaving to join Birmingham-based Maverick Television as senior executive producer in 2005.

For many years he was a non-executive director of Screen WM, before leaving to join the BBC in the North. He recently brought Songs Of Praise Gospel Choir of the Year to Birmingham.

He said: “It’s great to be heading home. Birmingham remains a special place for me having worked there for many years. I’m looking forward to working with colleagues and partners in the city to help build Birmingham’s incredible potential and ambitions for the future.”

The appointment was announced by BBC North Director Peter Salmon as part of ‘Project England’, which he is running for the BBC’s Board of Management, looking at new ideas to further develop the three biggest English BBC bases, Salford, Birmingham and Bristol.

He said: “Salford’s loss is very much Birmingham’s gain. Tommy is a passionate advocate for Birmingham and can’t wait to get started in his new role which he will do brilliantly alongside teams already there with new BBC head of region David Jennings. I think they will make a formidable partnership - just what the city needs as its own exciting plans take shape.''

Birmingham has recently been featured heavily on network television with projects such as By Any Means and the acclaimed drama series Peaky Blinders, which has nearly doubled the BBC Two º£½ÇÊÓƵ average share in the Midlands.

The city is the home of key BBC output from Doctors, The Archers, and the Asian Network to local and regional news and current affairs and is the HQ for BBC English Regions. Period spy thriller The Game is currently in production in Birmingham, and the first batch of BBC Technology apprentices recently joined Birmingham City University in a renewal of training activity in the city.