Birmingham council has not granted consent for Land Securities’ 139,350 sq m (1.5m sq ft) Martineau Galleries shopping centre scheme. The council’s planning committee has deferred the application for outline consent because of concerns about the scheme’s design. Planning officers had recommended that the scheme be approved.
But Land Securities, which is working jointly with AMP Asset Management on the development, can take some comfort from the fact that the council rejected Hammerson’s objections to its scheme. Hammerson, which is redeveloping the Bull Ring shopping centre, had argued that the city could not cope with two large retail schemes.
Hammerson wants Land Securities’ scheme to be delayed for five years to give the Bull Ring time to establish itself. But the planning committee concluded that, in principle, there is enough demand to justify the development of the two schemes.
Stuart Stacey, chairman of the planning committee, said councillors’ concerns revolved around “physical, rather than retailing problems.” Stacey added that he wanted assurances that the amount of retail space planned could fit onto the site “in an acceptable form”.
Land Securities will now have to look at the scheme’s design and produce more detailed plans before returning to the council for a decision in a few months’ time.
EGi News 10/10/97
