Lendlease revises £1.9bn Birmingham Smithfield plans

Birmingham City Council and Lendlease are to revise their plans for the £1.9bn Smithfield development. The joint venture has launched a series of public information events before planning to submit an application later this year. The previous plans for the Smithfield project proposed 3,000 homes – including build-to-rent, for-sale and affordable – and 1.7m sq ft of commercial space, that its developers hope will be home to companies large and small. Some 1,000 trees will green the city centre site, and a new home for the city’s historic markets will be built with a new plaza, Festival Square, which will be able to hold 8,000 people. Revised proposals for the site include the city’s Bull Ring markets being relocated to form a centrepiece for the city centre and also include a rooftop garden, dining hall and new market square. The markets were previously located above the buried historic Moat and Manor House site. To respond to an objection from Historic England’s to the original planning application, the markets has been moved north to avoid the buried archaeology and split into two buildings: Plot 5A located between the Church and Moat and Manor House site, and Plot 7A to the west off Upper Smithfield Walk. The number of homes has increased from 405 to 429 in Plot 1D, as the housing mix was readjusted to address the pending changes to fire safety legislation that will require a second staircase to be installed in residential buildings. The plans also deliver a workspace campus of over 1m sq ft, ranging from grade-A workspace to flexible creative space and maker space. In addition, the plans being submitted for approval include a new events and gathering space, Manor Square. The entertainment venue was previously named Festival Square and has been relocated to sit above the historic Moat and Manor House. It has also been designed to avoid disturbance of buried archaeology. The capacity of the square to accommodate people attending events and festivals in the square remains unchanged at approximately 6,500 to 7,000 people. The locations of the new leisure and cultural facilities have also been altered. The new designs have been proposed since Birmingham City Council’s declaration of effective bankruptcy last month. Industry players at the time believed that the development would inevitably face delays, although several have kept faith in the project’s long-term future. Colin Murphy, Lendlease project lead on Smithfield Birmingham said: “We are holding public meetings and making information about the proposed changes available online as early as we possibly can before submitting the changes to the planning application, as we’re fully committed to building trust and a strong relationship with local communities in Birmingham. “Their perspectives are essential as we look to take this scheme forward.” See more planning information for Birmingham>> To send feedback, e-mail akanksha.soni@eg.co.uk or tweet @AkankshaEG or @EGPropertyNews Image © Lendlease