Birmingham City Council has unveiled the second stage of its vision for the £17bn Big City Plan.
The second stage of the BCP maps out the city’s development for the next 20 years, outlining specific areas where the council plans to focus its resources.
The document highlights key individual projects, schemes and infrastructure.
As part of the initiative, the city core will be expanded by a further 25% creating 50,000 new jobs.
Key messages from the 92 page document include:
Over 1.5m sq m of new office, retail, leisure and cultural space
Key areas of transformation based around the redeveloped New Street Station include: Westside, the Snow Hill district, Eastern core expansion and the Southern Gateway
Seven other city centre districts will be the focus of regeneration in the city including: the city core; Eastside, Southside and Highgate; the Jewellery Quarter; Westside and Ladywood; Digbeth and the Gunsmiths’ Quarter.
Over 5,000 new homes
65,000 sq m of new and improved public spaces and 28,000 metres of enhanced walking and cycling routes
The Big City Plan has been informed by three separate strategies developed by the council: a city centre transport strategy and vision, in conjunction with the city centre’s three business improvement districts; a design strategy, including retail design for the city centre and a strategy on pedestrian movement and flow, and signage.
The BCP will be supported by supplementary planning documents, to enable the change of land use and to assist development activities.
Cllr Whitby said: “The Big City Plan provides a clear blueprint for investors, residents and businesses alike about how the city is to be developed into the future.
“Having a clear vision and strategy is essential to securing future funding and creating confidence in developers, investors and occupiers in the future success and prosperity of the city centre.”
Whitby added that a “strong partnership approach” will be central to the delivery of the masterplan between the private and public sectors.
This second stage of the BCP follows the launch of the initial “vision” for the initiative in February 2007.
The new city centre masterplan emerged from the recommendations of ‘The Birmingham City Centre Masterplan: The Visioning Study’ produced by Professor Michael Parkinson CBE.
lisa.pilkington@estatesgazette.com
To access all EGi news stories and commercial property data sign up for a free trial today, or visit the subscription options page to find out more.
