Do Sainsbury’s Selly Oak Plans Ignore National and Local Guidelines?

Sainsbury’s and their partners Land Securities have submitted a new outline plan for their proposed redevelopment of waste land in Selly Oak. The  Worcester & Birmingham canal runs alongside this and is in dire need of enhancement as this stretch lets down the rest of the canal which elsewhere provides a picturesque approach to Birmingham centre for the multitude of visiting narrow boaters.

However, their new plans are much diluted in community benefits and are very unpopular with some.

Read more and see what you think.

City Centre Cycling Strategy – public input

Birmingham City Council Transportation have just started the development of a City Centre Cycling Strategy, to look at the role cycling can play in the city centre within the (Middle) Ring Road, and including crossing points of the Ring Road. They want to identify priority routes for cyclists – which can include roads, public squares, towpaths, etc. They are asking for the opinions of cyclists and those who would like to cycle. Either ideas for good routes, or details of hazardous areas, would be welcome. Any matter relevant to city centre cycling can be included.

Please email comments to cycling@birmingham.gov.uk and put City Centre Cycling Strategy in the subject line, preferably by  Friday 19th October if possible.

(Many thanks to one of our readers, Stefan, for alerting us to this council request).

Karen Caine

New Residential Planning Application

A planned residential development affects the vicinity differs in style to existing apartment developments.

This is planning application 2012/04442/PA relating to the construction on unused land bounded by Sherborne Street and Grosvenor Street West of 35×3 bedroom town houses.

My initial thoughts are that this is high density housing on what is described as a low value site (hardly!) within the planning application.

The public consultation period ends on 2 August 2012.

To save you time and effort click here to see the outline planning permission application and you can make your comments there. At the bottom of the application you can click on the more detailed items. However, to see the list of related documents click here.
For an overview of the site click here.
But the elevation of the site and how it would appear from the roads is shown here and here.

Geoff Caine

NIA Refurbishment – Public Consultation in ICC Atrium

There is a small exhibition of the refurbishment proposals taking place today, Friday 18th, until 6pm and tomorrow 10am to 4pm.

People are on hand to answer your queries.

There is a questionnaire which seeks your views on the plans.

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The timescale for the refurbishment is:

• Planning Application submission Summer 2012
• Planning Decision around the end of October 2012

If permission granted….

• Work commencing December 2012
• Work completed December 2014

A website will be updated with the material on show next week.

Geoff Caine

An Arena Central Development gets Planning Permission

Holiday Inn Express on the left – Crown Plaza on the right seen from Holiday Street
Reproduced from planning Application

At last the Arena Central site opposite the new Library might be given a kick-start!

Plans for a 210 bedroom Hotel complex submitted by company Centre Island Birmingham have been given planning permission. The planning Committee Meeting on Thursday 17 May passed the application with the usual precautionary conditions.

The 14 story building will house a health club and spa at ground level with a Holiday Inn Express hotel above. The new hotel will be linked via an atrium to the existing Crown Plaza hotel which the company owns. Development could start in the middle of 2013 with the hotel opening at the start of 2015.

The building is essentially situated in Holiday Street and will not involve demolition of the other buildings on the Arena Central site.

This will be just one of the new buildings in the Arena Central Complex, development of which stalled 3 years ago, due to changing requirements in the real estate market. Other developments planned for the site will be a public square, and office buildings including the proposed V building of 51 storeys.

Centre Island Birmingham will own the whole site and hence this first redevelopment may well kick-start the rest of the development site.

The planning application is 2012/01429/PA.

Geoff Caine