John Lewis has won consent to open its largest store outside of London at Birmingham’s £600m redevelopment of New Street Station.
Plans for the £100m store, dubbed locally as the “glass doughnut”, which will anchor the redevelopment of the station and the Pallasades shopping centre, were subject to a legal challenge from rival neighbouring store House of Fraser and a second objection by Argos. House of Fraser is based in Corporation Street and had lodged an objection to the 250,000 sq ft store with the city’s planning committee.
The city’s development plan states that major new retail development should take place at either Martineau Galleries close to the High Street or the Bullring. HoF claimed the council would breach the plan if plans for the John Lewis store went ahead at New Street.
Argos took its objections to the scheme to the high court. It claimed that Birmingham city council was acting unfairly by allowing the John Lewis store to be built at New Street. Argos’s existing store at The Pallasades will now be demolished to make way for the development of New Street. Argos’s claim was dismissed.
Plans were originally submitted in March.
Work on the store is expected to start soon, with completion scheduled for 2014.
Estates Gazette revealed that John Lewis was planning to open in Birmingham in August 2010.
lisa.pilkington@estatesgazette.com
