One of Europe’s biggest commercial developers looks set to receive the go-ahead for its plan to relocate Birmingham’s city centre wholesale markets.
Coleshill-based IM Properties, which lodged plans for the regeneration of 17-acres close to Witton railway station, wants to build a huge wholesale complex on almost six acres of the The Hub site. City planning officials have already recommended acceptance of the scheme.
The new market would cover 224,500 sq ft and offer facilities for 78 individual businesses operating around the clock. There would also be a pump house and parking for 450 vehicles, but the premises would not be open to the public.
When vacant the city’s historic wholesale market, adjacent to the Bullring, will be demolished and replaced over the next 10 years by the £500m Smithfield project. Already attracting UK and overseas investors, the 34-acre mixed-use scheme — incorporating the Bull Ring Markets and Moat Lane gyratory system — will include commercial, residential and leisure space.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, has previously described Smithfield scheme as a “once in a generation” opportunity. “Our plans for Birmingham Smithfield will create a vibrant new destination — adding to the city’s reputation as a top visitor destination and a great place to live and do business,” he added.
An official report to be presented to councillors at next week’s planning committee meeting claims IM’s “proposal would not give rise to any adverse parking or highway impact”.
Planners will also be told: “The proposed development would generally make use of external cladding that would reflect the general industrial appearance of the employment estate it would be located within.
“The scale and massing would also appear in keeping with its surrounds. In summary, no adverse visual impact is identified.”
IM Properties — one of the UK’s largest privately owned property companies with a £900m investment and development portfolio throughout Britain, Europe and the United States — has previously claimed its multi-million pound Hub scheme would save more than 600 market jobs.
Although it has yet to unveil detailed plans for the remaining 11 acres at the Nobel Way site, the developer says it wants to create at least 1.6m square feet of commercial and industrial space that could generate as many as 2,100 jobs.
CAPTION: An image of how Birmingham’s Smithfield site will look when completed.
