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Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby will today call on investors and banks at MIPIM 2009 to help turn on a £20 billion tap.

"We've got the plots, you've got the pots!" he will tell delegates at the official Welcome ceremony on Birmingham's stand at the global property conference in Cannes.

"Last year I was astonished when our officers totted up what was in the development pipeline in Birmingham and found that it came to £17 billion.

"And despite hard times in between, I am delighted to announce today that this has risen to a staggering £20 billion.

"But we need help to turn the tap on. Birmingham City Council cannot do this on its own and we need real partnership across regional, national and private sector organisations to help us bring forward developments that are currently in the pipeline."

He will emphasis the major role that the Big City Plan has to play in bringing forward development in Birmingham and preview the launch of Phase 2 of the Area Investment Prospectuses that is due to be unveiled at the ICC on Thursday, March 26.

"The Big City Plan has been the subject of the biggest consultation exercise ever undertaken in any European city and it represents real consensus among the citizens of Birmingham on how we will work together to redevelop our city.

"The Area Investment Prospectuses are a shop window with opportunities galore for developers and a wide range and size of projects that we want you to take on – and soon!" he will say.

"Bringing forward as many projects in Birmingham as we can in the next year is the best way possible of boosting our construction industry, protecting and creating jobs and supporting the local economy.

"We are pulling forward major schemes such as the New Street Gateway and the Central Library project and setting about delivering them. New Street Gateway is on course to be substantially completed by 2013. The latest milestone achieved is the Compulsory Purchase Order public inquiry which concludes this week.

"I will be unveiling design plans for the Library of Birmingham on April 2 – I guarantee they will take your breath away."

He will praise developers that have shown real commitment to the city and have cracked on despite the worst recession in living memory.

"Since we were last at MIPIM we have been able to announce major public sector contracts such as the £2.4 billion programme which will see the city-wide rebuilding or refurbishment of all 89 of its secondary schools by 2024."

The programme also includes the proposed creation of eight new Birmingham academies in the city.

He will also pay tribute to the courage of the teams behind new projects such as the Beorma Quarter, Connaught Square and Regal Tower which are set to change the cityscape substantially.

"In January this year, Birmingham joined with Bromsgrove and Advantage West Midlands to give the green light to the £1 billion redevelopment of Longbridge which will lead to the creation of over 10,000 new jobs and 2,000 homes."

A major new announcement that Birmingham has succeeded in persuading a bluechip professional organisation to commit to the city will be made at 12 noon French time.

Joining the City Council on Team Birmingham will be a number of leading local and national sponsors, all keen to be part of the city's marketing efforts, including Argent, Birmingham Development Company, Keepmoat, Targetfollow, St Modwen, Beorma, Amey, Hammerson and Rider Levett Bucknall.

Staged in Cannes every year, MIPIM is widely regarded as the world's premier international trade event for anybody involved in the global property, development and investment markets, and attracted more than 29,000 visitors last year.