Town Centre, Phase
1.
(Update
18-02-13)
The main buildings under construction are
Sainsbury’s 85,000 sq ft store, Premier Inn 75 bedroom and
Beefeater Grill. Sainsbury’s are on Longbridge Lane and the new
High Street, with the other two behind Bournville College. These
buildings will be handed over April/May by the builder, but will
not be opening till late autumn.
Along with the main three players, there are also 20 other shop
units varying in size. Over 80% of these units are already pre-let
or under offer. Six of these are small units on Longbridge Lane
between Sainsburys and the railway.
Small units on the left with Sainsbury’s
on the right.
Sainsbury's Longbridge Lane - High Street
PARK
POINT
Park Point is the new high quality
flexible office space, with a total floor space of 16,529 sq ft.
Units are available from 1,442 sq ft upwards. Its position gives a
view over Austin Park.
Longbridge Lane Park and
Ride
Longbridge Lane
Planning application has been submitted to
Birmingham Planning by Centro to build a Park and Ride on the land
that was formally had eight semi-detached houses. It will
accommodate 103 cars including 5 places for the
disabled.
River
Rea - Austin Park
The work on diverting the River Rea and
the area which will be called Austin Park is progressing well and
will be open at the same time as the New Town Centre.
Town Centre Phase 2
Planning
application has just been submitted to Birmingham City Planning for
Longbridge Town Centre Phase 2. This will include the
following.
A) 135,000 sq ft anchor retail store.
B) 400 space decked car park
C) 300 space car park.
D) Associated access, landscaping and
infrastructure.
It is expected that this will create up to
another 200 jobs.
Other plans in the pipeline
are.
Longbridge Station is to get a face
lift.
The line to Bromsgrove to be electrified, allowing people to have a
direct route to Longbridge.
Longbridge is served by excellent public
transport links, with Longbridge Train Station just a short walking
distance and over 350 buses per day passing the site. Birmingham
city centre is eight miles away and the M5 (junction 4) and M42
(junction 2) motorways are three miles away
Lickey
Road Improvements
Work has already started on Lickey Road.
This is the area up from the Island that was tarmac area, for the
trams and buses. The area by St Columba’s Primary School will have
a designated area for the parents to park. The area from the
car-park to the Island will now be grassed.
South
Experimental
The last part of the original factory has
finally been demolished to make way for more houses on the Lickey
Road.
Lickey Road looking
towards the Drawing Office
_________________
Update 15 November
2012
Development on Lickey Road
- Phase 2
Planning application has been submitted to
Birmingham Planning to extend the housing development called 'Park
View' Northwards along Lickey Road. This is the area which covered
the following buildings in 2000, Materials Lab located on the test
hill, a double workshop which was built in the early 60s, with the
rear one used for the development of the Austin Maxi and 3litre.
The front workshop was the Press Garage, this came under the
umbrella of the Publicity Department and at the time prepared all
the Models in the BMC range from Mini to the 4litre R which were
loaned to the Motoring journalists to test.
South Experimental Department was on the Lickey Road. Two bays of
this building were refurnished around 1998 when the Medical Block
was moved from 'K' gate in the BMW era to make way for the New
Mini, Body in White Shop, which never happened.
View from the Drawing Office, towards the New Bournville
College.
On the left is the South Experimental with the Materials Lab
Press Garage and Prototype Build (1963 to 68 approx.) on the
right
Looking towards the South Experimental
Right with the New Houses on the Left
View from Lickey Road
19 August 2012
Latest plans for the Town
Centre and Austin Park
The main changes to the Town Centre are that provision has been
allocated for a new
130,000 sq ft retail unit. Future phase to include Employment,
Leisure, & Community Facilities.
Austin
Park revised plans
Changes have now been proposed for the
Austin Park. This is because in the original overall plan for the
redevelopment of the Longbridge site, the Railway Bridge (A38) was
also to be demolished, but this has now been abandoned. So the
course of the River Rea under the bridge will remain as it is.
These changes will make the Park larger but a different shape (see
5 March update showing original scheme). This will improved
pedestrian access to the Town Centre and College from the Rubery
area as they will be able to walk under the bridge on what was the
bed of the railway lines, see below. You will see from the above
plan that the revised plan will allow for further development on
the Bristol Road by Bournville College.
______________________
The Factory (Youth
Centre)
This will be officially
opened in September
Sports Facilities
______________________
Town
Centre
Sainsbury's - corner of
Longbridge Lane and High Street
View looking up the High Street
View of the new shops in Longbridge Lane
(between Sainsbury's and the railway line)
View of the new Premier Inn
In the foreground the New Restaurant (Beefeater) and Offices at the
rear.
______________
Changes
planned for the Longbridge Station Area
Longbridge Public Realm
Improvements (Longbridge Lane)
The Longbridge Area Action Plan (LAAP)
identifies public realm and traffic management measures required on
Longbridge Lane to support the new town centre development and link
this with the Sunbury Road shops and Longbridge Rail Station. The
project proposal reflects a key request originally made by the
local community.
The proposals include:
• . . . public transport elements including
additional bus stops, facilities for short term station drop-off
parking and . . . . .
'ring and ride'
services.
• . . . widened footways and higher quality paving
materials.
• . . . improved pedestrian routes and crossing
facilities.
• . . . new public square, lighting, planting,
landscaping and forecourt improvements.
These proposals aim to:
• . .
. improve the
experience of arrival at Longbridge
• . . . help secure the future of the Sunbury Road
shops by providing a better link with the new town centre.
• . .
. improve road safety
and the public realm for the benefit of pedestrians, cyclists and
public transport users.
• . .
. encourage sustainable
travel options to reduce congestion in the immediate area
You will see that the main difference in
the road layout, is that the dual carriageway will go to a single
carriageway before the Railway Station, when approaching from the
Bristol Road. At the moment it goes to a single carriageway after
the Station. The main reasons for the change is that it will give
more space for the buses to stop, also Taxis and cars will have
space to drop or pick passengers close to the
station.
View
1
View
2
View
3
View
4
______________________
Update 5 March 2012
Town
Centre
The next phase of the
Longbridge development is the Sainsbury's store along with other
shops in the High Street and Longbridge Lane.
Site of the new Sainsbury's store
View looking down the High Street towards
Sainsbury's
Austin
Park
Work will commence on the
Austin Park later this year
View looking from the Bristol Road
Work on the new bed of the River Rea
Phase
Two
Office
Accommodation, Restaurant, Hotel (75 Bed) & Shops will be built
on the temporary car park in phase 1.
View looking up the High Street
75 Bed Premier Inn Hotel & Beefeater Grill Restaurant on the
right
View from Bournville
College
View from the South
Update 24 Jan
2012
Youth
Centre
This is due to open in June
Rear
Side
Front - Longbridge
Lane
Nearing completion
______________________
South
Works
At the moment work is going
on to clean up and level the site.
This is where the Austin Park will become
a reality.
______________________
Park
View
Lickey Road - Lowhill
lane
______________________
East Works
Development
At the moment it's all
about remediation work to transform this industrial site, into a
housing development.
The roads will be named after the various Aircraft that were built
at Longbridge along with the Aero engines and Austin Champ.
Examples:
Aero
Way - Hurricane Avenue - Champ Road - Stirling Street - Mercury
Avenue
______________________
Bournville
College
(4 October
2011)
The College has been open for just two weeks.
Below are more views not seen from Longbridge Lane
View looking down the High Street to
Longbridge Lane
(Sainsbury's store will be on the
right)
Rear View
Glulams
Conference Centre
Exterior
View
Interior View
Looking down on the reception
area
Library (This view is looking towards Longbridge
Station)
This view is looking back towards the
Library
View of Innovation Centre and Building Two
One of three Motor Vehicle workshops (Note MG on ramp)
There is also one Motor Cycle workshop
Its time for a Snack at the
Zest
Fact and Figures on the
College
The overall internal floor
space of the campus is the equivalent of 20 Olympic sized swimming
pools.
As many as 318 people per day have been working on-site since the
project began in November 2010.
More than 32,747 m2 of plasterboard have been used in the new
College, equivalent in area to three Premiership football
pitches.
34 Glulam beams have been used in the Learning and Resource Centre,
each weighing 5.5 tonnes and measuring 26 metres in length.
Over 3,200 m of fabric have been used in the college. This is the
same length as 45 Boeing 747 Jumbo Jets.
If all IP network cables used at the new campus were joined
together, they could go around the world three times.
There are 736 internal doors in the college. When these are stood
end-to-end this
the lowest amount of waste generated and recycled during the
project was 97% and the highest 100%
There are 4,000 chairs in the College which is equivalent to the
amount of seats found on 10 Virgin Pendolino
trains
Longbridge Redevelopment Update
5 September 2011
Bournville
College
Enrolment
Week
1 Longbridge Lane,
Longbridge, Birmingham B31 2AJ
Bournville College’s £66m new campus in
Longbridge will consolidate the College’s existing three campuses
to serve 15,000 students. It will span more than four acres and
become a stepping stone towards the further regeneration of
Longbridge. Bournville’s new location, modern spacious premises and
conference centre will enable the College to introduce new courses
such as motor vehicle maintenance as well as featuring excellent
training facilities for hairdressing, beauty, catering,
construction and sport. The new campus, will be one of Europe’s
most modern further education facilities, training the next
generation of workers who will power the growth of the British
economy and beyond in the 21st century.
‘This is about putting education absolutely in the centre of
enterprise and then using the traditions of Birmingham to inspire
and grow. If you have knowledge and business link together, you
will grow wealth, you will go further down the innovative path and
actually, you will create more and more jobs...That is how
important innovation is.’
Lord Digby Jones
Sunset brings a new look to
the College
Instant trees are now
appearing
My-Place Youth Centre
This new multi-million
pound youth centre will provide a wide range of innovative and
much-needed services for 13-19 year olds in the Longbridge area.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for those living in the south-west
of the city and an important cornerstone of regeneration for the
Longbridge area.”
The centre opening in March 2012 will provide arts space, a sports
hall, conference rooms, an ICT suite, music and media centre,
workshop area and outdoor games.
View from the Austin Social
Club
View looking down Devon Way
towards Longbridge Lane
Park View
Lickey Road -
Lowhill Lane
This will be the entrance
into the development from Lowhill Lane.
This new development comprising of 115,
houses and apartments is making good progress, with the Show House
opening on the 3 September in Lowhill Lane.
A two and four bedroom show home will be available to view. Prices
for the first release of homes range from £114,995 for a
two-bedroom apartment and from £154,995 for the houses, which
include a selection of two, three and four-bedroom designs.
Park View is the first housing development in the UK by St Modwen
Homes and is being delivered in partnership with the government’s
Home and Communities Agency (HCA). The 10 Houses available through
HomeBuy Direct will see the government and St Modwen Homes lend up
to a total of 30 per cent of the purchase price for eligible buyers
with a household income of less than £60,000.
The deposit required to purchase a HomeBuy Direct home is a minimum
of five per cent, giving first time buyers who may otherwise be
unable to access the housing ladder the chance to own their own
property. The HomrBuy Direct properties are priced from £110,250
for a 70 per cent share in a 762 square foot two-bedroom terrace
house.
A 928 sq ft three-bedroom terrace house is priced from £129,500 for
a 70 per cent share. Potential purchasers are encouraged to make
contact with the sales team as soon as possible as demand is likely
to be extremely high for these limited numbered properties. St
Modwen has invested more than £75 million at Longbridge since
acquiring the site in 2003.
_________________
Longbridge Redevelopment
23 July 2011
Town Centre gets the Green
Light
View towards the Town
Centre looking from the Bristol Road
Birmingham City Council
have unanimous approved the planning application for the new £70
million Longbridge town centre, which will create over 1,000
jobs.
The new Longbridge town centre will be delivered in three phases,
with an 85,000 sq ft (50,000 sq ft net sales area) Sainsbury’s
store, car park, two acre urban park and elements of the new high
street delivered in the first phase. Phases two and three will
comprise an 80-bed hotel, 40 apartments, further retail space and
car parking, with a total of 80,000 sq ft of retail space and
restaurants being delivered in addition to the Sainsbury’s
store.
The new two acre Austin
Park will lead to the opening up of the River Rea for the first
time in 100 years. The Longbridge town centre development will also
create new access roads and continued local road improvements for
the £1 billion flagship regeneration scheme.
Bill Oliver, chief executive of St. Modwen, said: “We are delighted
to have received planning permission for the new town centre at
Longbridge. With Sainsbury’s already signed up to take the
foodstore and many discussions taking place with other potential
retailers and occupiers, we will now look to commence construction
of the first phase before the end of the year.”
Cllr Timothy Huxtable, Cabinet Member for Transportation and
Regeneration said: “Once complete, Longbridge town centre will
establish a new heart for the local community and a focal point for
the overall £1 billion regeneration of the former MG Rover works.
The development will provide an important economic boost to the
area and create a diverse range of employment opportunities,
potentially creating over 1,000 jobs.”
Michael Adenmosun, Regional Development Executive for Sainsbury's
Supermarket Ltd commented: "The regeneration of Longbridge and the
landmark town centre scheme will transform the area and breathe a
new lease of life into Longbridge. Sainsbury's is proud to be part
of this vision and make a difference to this community."
The £66 million Bournville College, which is situated within the
Longbridge town centre site, is nearing the end of its construction
programme and will welcome its first students in September 2011.
Elsewhere at Longbridge, the first two office buildings to be
completed at theTechnology Park are virtually fully let.
Construction work is underway at Park View, the first new
residential scheme at Longbridge, which will deliver 115 houses and
apartments. A planning application is currently being prepared for
up to 750 homes and a a new park at Longbridge East, while planning
permission was recently granted for a new ‘myplace’ youth centre
for 13-19 year olds, which will be developed with Birmingham City
Council.
Prior to submission of the detailed planning application for the
town centre, there was widespread community support for the
development plans, with over 600 people attending the public
consultation event. St. Modwen has continuously welcomed the input
of local people, recognising the need for the regeneration to
engender a sense of pride in the area. Creating a choice of retail,
leisure and residential space that adequately meets the needs of
Longbridge is helping to highlight the area as a thriving
innovative community with a positive future.
The 468 acre Longbridge site is being transformed by St. Modwen and
Advantage West Midlands as part of the £1 billion regeneration of
the former MG Rover works, delivering a sustainable community with
the creation of 10,000 new jobs and up to 2,000 new
homes.
MyPlace Youth Centre
A new multi-million pound
youth centre was approved earlier in the year, and work has now
started. This is another key project for the redevelopment of
Longbridge, despite Birmingham’s youth service facing major
cuts.
A development agreement has now been signed between
Birmingham-based St Modwen and the City Council for the new £5
million youth centre.
Developers say the ‘MyPlace’ centre will provide a wide range of
innovative and much-needed services for 13-19 year olds in the
Longbridge area, which will be finished in March 2012.
The development of the centre has been made possible through a
grant from the Government’s myplace programme, a Big Lottery Fund
scheme to invest in facilities for young people across the
UK.
The location of the site was selected for its proximity to the new
£66 million Bournville College campus, Longbridge rail station and
new Longbridge town centre.
Mike Murray, senior development surveyor for St Modwen, said: “It
is excellent news that funding and planning permission are now in
place for the new Longbridge youth centre.
“The facility will play an important part in the long-term social,
cultural and economic improvement of the area, as there is
currently no statutory youth provision.”
Coun Les Lawrence, Cabinet member for children, young people and
families for Birmingham City Council, said: “This is a very
exciting project and I am delighted that the deal with St Modwen
has been signed. The young people who will be using the centre have
been fully involved in its design and development.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for those living in the south-west
of the city and an important cornerstone of regeneration for the
Longbridge area.”
The centre will provide arts space, a sports hall, conference
rooms, an ICT suite, music and media centre, workshop area and
outdoor games.
The Centre is located between Devon Way and what was an entrance to
the Austin Social Club off Longbridge Lane.
View from the Austin Social
Club
09 July 2011
23 July
2011
28 July
2011
_________________
Longbridge
Redevelopment
23 May 2011
Bournville College
Topping Out Ceremony
Left to right: Peter
Millett (Shepherd Construction), Norman Cave (Bournville
College),
John Dodds (St Modwen), Howard Saycell (Bournville
College)
Inside the new
college
Learning
Resource Centre (LRC)
Located in the very heart of the College,
this fantastic facility will offer over 300 computers with the
latest software, thousands of books on all subjects, e-learning
materials, journals and magazines, internet access and expert staff
to help you with your research, assignments and coursework.
The
Street
Linking the Learning Resources Centre to the main building is 'The
Street', the place where everything happens. This is going to be
the hub of the College, with a refectory and a deli bar, as well as
a Starbucks cafe and a W H Smith shop. Our contemporary restaurant
will seat over 70 covers and offer a more formal dining
experience.
Sports
Facilities
Our fitness suite
will accommodate up to 70 fitness stations and will be equipped
with a sauna and a steam room. The extensive sports hall will have
courts suiyable for basketball, netball and badminton as well as
facilities for 5-a-side football.
Conference
Centre
This golden cladded part of our campus doesn't fail to make a
statement. The Conference Centre will offer outstanding resources
in order to provide an excellent platform for any event.
Hair
& Beauty Saloons
Spreading over two floors, our salons will feature all the latest
industry standard equipment. You can enjoy relaxing therapies,
makeovers or having your hair styled in the latest
fashion.
____________
As
part of the North Works development the River Rea has been
re-routed
Showing the old culvert
been broken up
Showing the new
culvert
Longbridge East
Development
At
the moment this development of the East Works site is going through
the first planning stage through public consultation. When the
results of this has been collated, planning application will be
lodged with Bromsgrove District Council
This picture shows the area
of East Works to be used in the first phase of the housing
development
View looking up Parsonage
Drive towards what was 'V' Gate
A view showing the various
types of houses
______________________
The housing development
taking place on what was the General Office Block, Lickey Road -
Lowhill Lane
Corner of Lickey Road and
Lowhill Lane
Lowhill
Lane
______________________
Longbridge Town
Centre
Sainsbury's to build a new
store
Left to right: Mike
Murray (St Modwen), Michael Adenmosun (Sainsbury’s) and Mark
Watkins (St Modwen)
Up to 400 jobs are set to
be created after Sainsbury’s announced plans to open a new store as
part of the Longbridge regeneration project. Located off Longbridge
Lane, adjacent to Longbridge train station, the 85,000 sq ft
Sainsbury’s store will become the retail anchor for the proposed
£70 million Longbridge town centre, which includes a total of
165,000 sq ft of retail space – amounting to 24 new shops and
restaurants.
A planning application for the new building and a 475 car parking
places has been submitted to Birmingham City Council and subject to
consent, construction will start this summer with the store
expected to open in early 2013.
“The new store is set to
boost the local economy with the creation of hundreds of jobs
across a range of skill sets; and as there has never been a food
store of this size located within Longbridge, we expect the new
Sainsbury’s will enable the community to enjoy the convenience of
being able to shop locally, rather than having to travel out of the
area. This in itself has wide-ranging economic and environmental
benefits for Longbridge.”
Mr Murray continued: “The new store is set to
boost the local economy with the creation of hundreds of jobs
across a range of skill sets; and as there has never been a
foodstore of this size located within Longbridge, we expect the new
Sainsbury’s will enable the community to enjoy the convenience of
being able to shop locally, rather than having to travel out of the
area. This in itself has wide-ranging economic and environmental
benefits for Longbridge.
”Mr Murray continued: “The store will act as a cornerstone for the
retail phase of the town centre, and we anticipate high levels of
interest in the remaining retail and leisure space from other
potential occupiers following this announcement. To have now
secured Sainsbury’s and to have the new Bournville College under
construction on the town centre site prove that St. Modwen is
forging ahead with the delivery of an extremely important phase of
this landmark regeneration scheme, and we continue to move towards
the goal of creating up to 10,000 jobs at Longbridge.”
Michael Adenmosun, Sainsbury’s Regional Development Executive,
said: “We are pleased to confirm our plans for a new foodstore in
Longbridge. The proposed store will create new jobs for local
people and bring great food at fair prices to the community of
Longbridge. We are looking forward to playing a part in the area’s
future economic growth and working with St. Modwen, the community
and its representatives to deliver the store.”
______________________
Longbridge
Redevelopment
6th March
2011
This view is looking up
Longbridge Lane towards the Bristol Road
It shows the new road for Bournville College and Town
Centre
The plans for the Town Centre have been
presented to Birmingham Council. It is excepted that this should
get approval around about June. There have been a few changes to
the plans that were shown to the public in November. One of the
changes is that the proposed Austin Centre will not be built on
this first phase. I for one believe that more thought needs to go
into deciding what we would all like an Austin Centre to provide.
So any ideas would be most welcome, but please be realistic with
your plans as it will need funding to operate.
View from the road bridge
towards Northfield, College on the right
The road works are progressing on the Bristol Road and Longbridge
Lane which have to be ready for the opening of the Bournville
College in August. Part of this work is to construct a new culvert
which will carry the River Rea when it is diverted from its current
route.
Bournville
College
View showing the other side
of Bournville College
Note the single colour, light grey
Youth Centre Longbridge
Lane
A start on the Youth Centre is likely to
take place in June. This building will be situated on North Car
park, close to the Austin Social Club.
See article 1st November 2010
Housing Development Lickey
Road
Foundations for the Housing
on Lickey Road - Lowhill Lane
On the Lickey Road where the GOB used to stand, work on clearing
the site is now complete. This development is for 115 properties,
with the show house opening in June/July.
_______________________________
Proposals for the
Longbridge Town
Centre
4th November
2010
New Superstore on the
left --------
Bournville
College on the right.
View looking down Longbridge Lane.
MASTER PLAN
After this public consultation, the views expressed will be taken
into consideration before the planning application will be
submitted to Birmingham Planning Department later in the
year.
The planning application
will include:
165,000 sq ft of retail
space which amounts to 24 new shops
and restaurants, including a 85,000 sq ft
foodstore
Community space including
four acres of public parkland
and the Austin Centre - a community
facility.
Work to bring the River Rea
out of culvert and run through the new park
Hotel and 40 apartments
Approximately 650 car
parking spaces
AUSTIN___PARK
The new four acre Austin
Park will be a natural focus for the new town centre. The
landscaped park will be enhanced by the opening up and realignment
of the River Rea and will provide a new open space to be enjoyed by
those living, working or visiting the area.
AUSTIN___CENTRE
The Austin Centre will
provide a new community facility for Longbridge in the new town
centre. It will be situated on the floor above the proposed new
retail units and opposite the hotel. With restaurant, shops and
apartments this will provide a new flexible community space for the
area.
Ground Floor
You will notice on the
ground floor an Exhibition space, it is hoped to use this space to
show the history of "The Austin"
First Floor
Second Floor
Looking from Devon Way across Longbridge Lane into the
Town Centre Development
A Night View
Looking up Longbridge Lane from the Station
__________________
1st November
2010
Plans for a Youth Centre
are Revealed
It will be built on a plot
called 5 Devon Way
The Youth Centre will include the
following areas;
Foyer / Social Space / Reception /Office
Sports Hall; 5’a’side football, badminton, basketball and
netball.
Associated changing rooms
IT Suite for 12 workstations
2 Group / Meeting Room for 20 person each 2 Small Interview
Rooms
Music Room / Recording Studio
Community theatre incorporating Dance Studio
Multi Use Games Area (MUGA).
The centre hall will primarily function as a sports facility;
but will occasionally cater for performances with stage
facilities.
The name for the youth centre has still not been confirmed, but may
be 'My Place' or 'Factory'
__________________
Longbridge
Redevelopment.
2nd October 2010
It was in April 2009 that
the Longbridge Area Action Plan was adopted, after a long drawn out
planning process. With
the new government's changes to planning policy and significant
cuts on the way, are likely to have an impact on the future pace of
development at Longbridge.
Birmingham City Council (BCC), in
partnership with Bromsgrove District Council (BDC), Worcestershire
County Council (WCC) prepared the Longbridge Area Action Plan
(AAP), together in consultation with Advantage West Midlands and
the principal landowner St Modwen Properties PLC, to secure the
comprehensive regeneration of the Longbridge area, following the
closure of the MG Rover plant in 2005.
Until the Comprehensive Spending Review is made public in mid
October, it is not clear what extent the cuts and re-prioritising
that will be needed, although it is inevitable that funding cuts
will impact on the delivery of Longbridge development.
The Longbridge Delivery Board (LDB) was reconvened in September and
will now meet quarterly to oversee the delivery of the Longbridge
AAP. The role of the Board is to provide strategic direction,
leadership and focus on implementation of major projects and to
ensure these projects contribute to the vision and aims of the
AAP.
In order to secure the partnership arrangements between BCC, BDC
and WCC in respect to the management and delivery of the AAP, a
Memorandum of Understanding has been prepared and will go to BCC
Cabinet on 18th October. Political approval is also being sought at
BDC and WCC.
Longbridge Town Centre (North and South areas)
Meetings are being held with BCC and St.
Modwen to progress the design development and planning application
for the new Longbridge town centre. The initial designs have been
presented to the City’s Design Review Panel, Director of
Regeneration and the Development Officers Group.
The proposed 5 year phased development will comprise a supermarket,
a diverse retail offering, hotel, along with the Austin Centre and
a new urban park.
St. Modwen has expressed their intention to submit a detailed
planning application before the end of this
year.
2 Devon Way (The building next to the Innovation Centre)
St Modwen wished the building to be
reclassified for unrestricted office use. This planing change has
now been approved. So internal changes to the first floor will now
be section off into smaller units, this will allow three companies
to move out of the Innovation Centre into Building Two. This will
free up space in the Innovation Centre for small companies to set
up, and hopefully when they grow move into 2 Devon
Way.
Bristol
Road / Longbridge Lane Infrastructure Work
The fate of the £12 million Regional
Infrastructure Fund (RIF) application will not be known until after
the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review in mid October,
although it is recognised that RIF will likely be cancelled in
favour of the Regional Growth Fund (RGF).
BCC is currently reviewing priority projects that could be
submitted as part of the RGF bid in November. The A38 improvements
may be one of the Council’s projects that will be submitted. The
government has stated it will approve bids in February 2011 and
these projects must be deliverable between 2011/12 and
2012/13.
Work on the first phase of widening Longbridge Lane and the
junction with the Bristol Road has now started. This
£7 million
programme of road works is funded by St Modwen on the A38 (Bristol Road
South) and Longbridge Lane.to improve the flow of traffic when the
Bournville College opens in September 2011. The work will be spread
over 15 months in various phases, this long time scale is needed
because of the various utilities services that pass through this
junction.
For a larger view click on the link below (PDF)
Use the Back button to return to the website
Longbridge--Roads
Bournville College
The development, which started on site in
November 2009, forms part of the new Longbridge town centre and
will open in September 2011, following an 88 week construction
period.
The College remains dedicated to meeting the needs of South West
Birmingham communities and the local business community. Curriculum
areas being considered for expansion into are construction and
motor vehicle.
Lickey
Road Housing
The Lickey Road housing development was
going to be funded under the last government national Kickstart 2
scheme. Now funding has now sourced and approved by the Homes &
Communities Agency (HCA).
The scheme will comprise of 115 homes, made up of 71 Sale-Rent, 10
HomeBuy Direct and 34 Affordable Housing (Low Cost Home Ownership
& Social rent). The contract was signed in August between
Waterloo Housing Society as the Registered Provider. Then in
September, HCA and St. Modwen signed the funding agreement for
£3.66 million. Work on preparing the site will start very soon,
with the first phase finished in the summer 2011with St Modwen the
contractor. The whole development is scheduled for completion in
June 2012.
Cofton
& East Works
Unit 3 Cofton Centre
This is a new unit built on
what was the Just In Time centre off Grovely Lane. It covers 27,093
sq ft which includes 1,335 sq ft of offices along with three
loading bays. This has now been let and will occupied in the next
few weeks.
Bromsgrove Development – East Works
The Outline
planning application in Bromsgrove for East Works will provide
around 750 dwellings, a small scale retail centre, community
facilities and a new public park. Discussions between both the
District Council and County Council have resolved nearly all
planning matters relating to this application to bring it in line
with the policies in the Longbridge Area Action
Plan.
_____________________
16 August 2010
Bournville College
Update
On the above view you can
see the sloping roof taking place
__________________
5th April 2010
Bournville College
In the foreground is the
steelwork for the College Conference Centre which is at the Bristol
Road end of the development.
Here we see the pouring of cement into the
shuttering, to create an external staircase that is situated in a
Zen Garden which has a Reflective Pool. Then as you go up the
stairs you will be able to connect with a bridge at each
level.
The College building is split into two parts. with the part nearest
to Longbridge Lane will be two stories high,
Front Building and
at the back
Main Building is
five stories high.
On the ground
floor area of Front and Main building is a Conference Centre,
Business Centre, Sports Hall, Motor Vehicle Workshops, Hair and
Beauty, Construction.
First
Floor (Front) will
be for Language Studies.
First Floor (Main)
Contains the following Departments, Life Skills, Arts and Crafts,
Horticulture, Catering, Library
Beauty Treatments, Construction, Seminar Rooms.
Third Floor (Main)
Houseing Pre Vocational Studies along with Social Care.
Fourth
Floor (Main) For
the Administration Staff, Humanities and Business Studies.
Fifth
Floor (Main)
Mainly for Senior Staff at the Bristol Road end, with the rest
housing the Plant and Service machinery.
_____________________________________
22nd March 2010
Bournville College
The Large Cranes have arrived
____________________
Land that housed the GOB and Methods Buildings.
A revised plan for the development of
houses etc on the Lickey Road- Lowhill Lane area have been
submitted to the Birmingham Planning Department.
The site has been cleared of all its previous built structures and
buildings. The planning application proposals put forward for the
redevelopment of the entire site to a scheme comprising 140 new
dwellings, together with new vehicular and pedestrian access
points, parking and landscaping.
The scheme comprises a mix of dwelling sizes and types but
predominantly includes typical family housing and a small number of
flats. Access to the site is provided from two points along Lickey
Road and also from a single point on Lowhill Lane. Parking is
included within the development to meet the needs of the new
properties. Landscaping forms an integral part of the development
with new areas of public realm and the extensive and dense
landscape buffer to the rear of the site maintained and
enhanced.
The proposals provide for the following dwelling mix and
tenure:
99 Private dwellings comprising 20 x 4 bed houses, 40 x 3 bed
houses, 39 x 2 bed dwellings comprising.
41 Affordable dwellings comprising 12 apartments and 27
houses.
Making a total of 140 dwellings
Plan of the Proposed Development
____________________
29th November 2009
Improvements to Bristol
Road & Longbridge Lane
Starting early in 2010
St Modwen is investing £4
million to improve Longbridge Lane from it junction with the A38
(Bristol Road) up to the junction with Tessall Lane. Birmingham
Cith Council has already granted St. Modwen planning permission for
this work.
We are now developing the
detail proposals with Birmingham City Council for the following
highways improvements.
A.
Widening
Longbridge Lane to four lanes on the West bound carriageways at its
junction with the A38 (Bristol Road South).
B.
Providing three
lanes on the Longbridge Lane East bound and West bound carriageways
to provide filter lanes at Devon Way.
C.
Creating a new
signal controlled junction at Devon Way.
D.
Creating a new
access road to Bournville College campus opposite Devon Way.
E.
New/upgrated
signal controlled pedestrian crossings at the new Devon Way
crossroads.
Longbridge Lane junction with A38 and on the A38 in front of the
Innovation Centre building.
F.
Upgraded
facilities on both sides of the carriageways for pedestrians.
G.
Tessall Lane
remains unaffected.
Also a new entrance will be constructed into the Old West Works
site, opposite the Innovation Centre
The work which will be constructed in various phases starting early
in 2010, within a time span of 70 weeks.
Click on this link for the road plan.
Longbridge-Lane-Improvements
PDF
xxxxxxx ___________________
15th November
2009
At last the construction
company Shepherd has moved onto the site.
The aim is to
have the Bournville College finished and ready for the start of the
new academic year in September 2011.
___________________
There had been a station at
Longbridge on the main line (where the current Station is today),
but this was closed in 1849, long before Herbert Austin had
arrived, the nearest one still open was Northfield a few miles
away.
26th September
2009
Bournville
College
Given the
green
light, with
funding now in place
Broadway Malyan’s
At the present time
Bournville College which has its main college located on the
Bristol Road Northfield also has two other colleges, one in
Longbridge (Old West Works canteen) and at Kings Norton. With
funding now in place, work can now start, with the contractor
Shepherd Construction Ltd expected to start work in October. The
aim is to have the Bournville College finished and ready for the
start of the new academic year in September 2011. This is a very
tight schedule, and will be the largest construction taking place
in the West Midlands other than the QE
Hospital.
The architect firm for the
project is Broadway Malyan’s Birmingham office. Driving the project
forward is Lead Architect Salim Hussain who commented: “The new
Bournville College marks one of the first phases of the biggest
regeneration scheme in the region, so it is incredibly rewarding to
have the opportunity to implement the concept design through the
build stage. The state of the art premises which will see over
15,000 students in both further and higher education.
“We will be working with the entire project and development team to
ensure the delivery of a first rate building that will set a new
standard for education facilities in the UK. The iconic designs for
the college make a clear statement of intent with regard to St.
Modwen’s regeneration of the former MG Rover works, whilst also
highlighting the renaissance of south-west
Birmingham.”
Google Earth map and St.
Modwen's plans
The six storey building
will be located on Longbridge North and will anchor the new town
centre at the heart of St. Modwen’s regeneration of the 468 acre
former MG Rover works. The prominent location on the junction of
the A38 Bristol Road South and Longbridge Lane and in close
proximity to Longbridge train station means it is imperative that
the college design is reflective of the new vision for the
area.
Mike Murray, senior
development manager for St. Modwen, said: “With Broadway Malyan on
board as detailed architects and now with funding in place the new
Bournville College can now take a major step forward in providing a
new high quality education facility at Longbridge. Not only will
the new Bournville College shape Birmingham’s learning environment,
it will also form the first phase of the new Longbridge Town Centre
and therefore represents a milestone in a new future for
Longbridge.”
The new Bournville College
will be housed in one building comprising of multiple distinct
blocks, interlinking around the central spine building where, at
the heart, a double height atrium will act as an ambient space for
all of the students to come together and interact with each
other.
Broadway
Malyan’s
Broadway
Malyan’s
Positioned around the spine
will be a business centre and a Learning Resource Centre,
encapsulated by bold 1m deep timber frames that will the provide a
strong scale and rhythm to the central atrium space, which will be
top lit by a series of large wedge shaped roof-lights. Colour and
texture are used throughout the design to provide students with
inspired break out areas in which to study, away from the more
formalised arrangement of the classrooms.
Bold colours are also used on the exterior of the building in a
fractal pattern, helping to make the college a landmark of the
Longbridge development. With the River Rea being returned to an
open watercourse after being underground since the early 1900s, a
fully glazed tower has also been incorporated in the design to
overlook the river and facilitate interaction between the college
and its landscape.
Broadway Malyan’s accessible designs have been developed to ensure
the college will encourage the local community to use the
building’s facilities, with public access to areas within the
building including the sports hall, restaurant and hair &
beauty salons.
Sustainability is at the heart of St. Modwen’s regeneration of
Longbridge, and the college will be no exception. The building has
been designed to achieve a BREEAM rating of Excellent and hosts a
number of environmental design features. These include rainwater
harvesting for use in flushing toilets, earth tubes for ventilating
the dramatic double height Learning Resource Centre and an exposed
concrete frame to the Spine building to assist with night-time
cooling.
Norman Cave, principal of Bournville College, believes the design
of the building to be integral to the long-term success of the
facility. Norman said: “The brief was to create a landmark building
that represented the vision for Longbridge as well as providing an
educational facility that could meet the needs of businesses, local
community, adults and young learners. Fundamental to this was the
creation of an effective working partnership where design ideas
could meet the aspirations of the College. We believe that our
partnership has done just that and we look forward to providing a
21st Century educational facility to an area of the city which has
been severely affected by the demise of MG
Rover.”
___________________
20th May 2009
Longbridge Development Update
MG Motors UK Ltd have now
handed back to the Developer St. Modwen the following, Dalmuir
Building and also Number 2 Paint, which can be seen from the Lickey
Road. This will release more land for the future redevelopment of
the site.
Aerial view Google
Earth
No 2 Paint
Lickey Road
Rear view of No
2 Paint
Dalmuir
building viewed from the Railway
Side view of
Dalmuir building
___________________
North
Works
Picture taken
20-05-09
Birmingham City Council
Planning Department have passed the plans for the new Bournville
College. You will see from the above picture that the area of land
for the College has now been cleared and levelled. It is hoped that
work can start in a few months time when the funding is in
place.
To the right of the picture is what looks like a road, this is
actually where the River Rea passes through the site in a culvert.
Work will start on opening this culvert up in a few months time.
Hand in hand with this work which has already been started, is to
create along part of the River Rea as it passes through West Works
is to construct a flood plain. This will actually be a grassed
reservoir that will accommodate the excess water in the so called
1:100 Year Flood.
___________________
GREEN LIGHT FOR
Longbridge
Development
14th February 2009
Plans
which will lead to the creation of 10,000 new jobs and at least
1450 homes on the former MG Rover site at Longbridge have just been
given the green light by a government inspector.
Prepared jointly by Birmingham City and Bromsgrove District
Councils in partnership with Advantage West Midlands, St Modwen and
Worcestershire County Council. The Longbridge Area Action Plan
(LAAP) was submitted to Government last March ahead of a formal
Examination in Public held in October and December.
The plan provides a 15 year vision for 140 hectares of land on, and
surrounding, the former MG Rover car plant, which will see it
dramatically transformed into a prosperous mixed-use sustainable
community with a newly created and vibrant heart built around jobs,
communities and people.
As well as employment opportunities and homes the plan will also
deliver a new learning quarter, 25 hectare regional investment site
for high tech businesses, new urban parks, shopping centres and the
‘Austin Centre’ a proposed museum and community resource which will
celebrate the history and importance of the area’s automotive
legacy.
Approval of the Councils’ plan now gives St Modwen, the UK’s
leading regeneration specialist, the green light to forge ahead
with the £750 million regeneration.
In her report Government Inspector, Jill Kingaby said “In my view,
the proposals for the future economy of Longbridge are founded on
robust and credible evidence and will be effective, flexible and
deliverable.” “Overall, I conclude that the LAAP should enable the
economic transformation of Longbridge…developing a range of
employment opportunities across the site and establishing a
Regional Investment Site which is attractive to high profile
investors.”
“The sudden closure of the MG Rover plant was a devastating blow
for local people and the West Midland’s economy. These events
required an immediate and positive response from the councils….. in
these unusual circumstances, I consider that it is entirely
appropriate.”
The plan is the outcome of intensive consultation with the local
community and work with stakeholders. The Inspector welcomed the
collaborative work that had been carried out during preparation of
the plan from the earliest stages between the local authorities,
and major landowners together with transport bodies and other
interests. She stated, “The parties should be commended for their
approach.”
She also noted the commitment of all parties to implement the
development at Longbridge “It is clear from the hearing sessions
and written evidence that there has been continuing collaboration
between the landowner/developers and Councils, as well as with
infrastructure providers, directed at delivering the plan….
Evidence on the ground, in the form of clearance of the old MG
Rover sites and construction of new business premises at the
Innovation Centre and Cofton Centre, demonstrate that an “action”
plan is intended and not just a paper document”.
Mike Whitby Leader of Birmingham City Council said: “The Longbridge
Area Action Plan sets out an ambitious vision for the
transformation of the site in a way that will provide much needed
jobs, homes and community facilities for everyone who lives
there.
“Alongside New Street Station, the Library of Birmingham and
airport extension, this is yet another example of how through
partnership working we are bringing an ever increasing number of
major projects online in the region at a time when the economy
needs them most.”
Mick Laverty, Chief Executive at Advantage West Midlands, said:
“Longbridge is one of the most ambitious regeneration projects in
the West Midlands region, both in economic and social terms. And is
particularly significant given the site’s history as the MG Rover
car production plant.
“Today’s milestone offers the opportunity to close the MG Rover
chapter and instead look forward to a new era for Longbridge, an
era that that will bring new jobs, new businesses and create
prosperous new communities.
“It has taken a lot of hard
work to get to this stage. Delivering big complex projects like
Longbridge is difficult but it’s what we do at Advantage West
Midlands – and we will continue to work hard with Birmingham City
Council, St Modwen and Bromsgrove Council to make sure Longbridge
is a success.”
___________________
Planning
Application Submitted
for Bournville College
Google Earth
map and St. Modwen's plans
Artist Impression as viewed from the
ARROW shown on the aerial view above
___________________
North Works site as viewed
from the Bristol Road
(Feb 2009)
The 17-acre Longbridge
North site is bordered by the A38 Bristol Road South and Longbridge
Lane. Although the College will be the largest single building on
the site, there will be a town centre. This will included a major
food store, together with a variety of other retail and service
uses, employment space, hotels and leisure uses. This truly mixed
use scheme will also include a mixed range of 460 new homes and The
Austin Centre – a community building which will primarily be used
as a focal hub for a host of local groups, to also include a
museum.
One of the main features of the North development is that the River
Rea which has run in a culvert since North Works was built in
1916-17 will now be returned to an open watercourse and become a
key feature of Longbridge North. It will run through Austin Park at
the heart of the town centre, which will include cycle lanes,
footpaths, riverside seating and grass terraces.
Because the whole of the Longbridge site was used for
manufacturing. it is classed as a Brown site. This means that over
the years various chemicals that were used on site, would have
contaminated the ground. So thousands of tonnes of soil will be
remediated at Longbridge North - enough to fill more than 35
Olympic-sized swimming pools - and, following the removal of ground
contamination and concrete obstructions, the site will be re-graded
to enable infrastructure and building works to commence.
Mark Batchelor, construction manager for St. Modwen, said:
"Sustainability is very much at the heart of the regeneration of
Longbridge and more than 95 per cent of on-site material is being
recycled for future use in the project. Contaminated material will
be treated by Hawk and Celtic Ltd using ex-situ bioremediation,
which allows for the treated material to be re-used elsewhere in
the scheme. This reduces the need for importing and off site
disposal of material, thus decreasing traffic on the roads and
reducing the carbon emissions of the project.
"As well as the environment, the interests of the existing
community surrounding the 468 acre Longbridge site are of utmost
importance, with St. Modwen introducing measures that will keep
disturbance to an absolute minimum. Hawk's innovative new silent
breakers will drastically reduce noise disturbance and excessive
dust, a common problem during preparatory work, will be reduced
using Celtic Ltd's filtration kit.
"Around five million square feet of the vast Longbridge site has
already been cleared by St. Modwen. We are working closely with the
Environment Agency, Birmingham City Council and Bromsgrove District
Council to ensure this former industrial site is fully remediated,
allowing the area to be completely transformed into a prosperous
mixed-use town centre built around jobs, communities and
people."
______________________________________
Update on the Longbridge
Development.
28 October 2008
St Modwen have put in
planning application for the Old West Works and North Works with
Birmingham City Council. These plans are subject to change, because
at this point in time the whole Longbridge Area Action Plan is been
looked at by a Government Inspector. Until the Inspector has
delivered her report, which will be before Christmas, planning
permission cannot be granted.
___________________
Longbridge Redevelopment
25th May
2008
St Modwen and Advantage
West Midlands have announced expansion plans for its £100 million
Longbridge Technology Park.The UK’s leading regeneration specialist
has submitted planning applications for Three and Five Devon Way,
two buildings which together are set to deliver a further 40,000 sq
ft of Grade A research and technology space on the Longbridge
Technology Park, situated off the A38 Bristol Road South, is one of
the first phases of the £750 million mixed use Longbridge
scheme.
The first two completed office buildings, the Innovation Centre and
Two Devon Way, have received strong levels of interest from start
up to medium-sized technology based businesses, with suites
available from 200 sq ft upwards. As a result the Innovation Centre
is already more than 60 per cent let, having secured 30 lettings to
date. Situated adjacent to the existing buildings, the proposed
Three and Five Devon Way will comprise 25,000 sq ft and 15,000 sq
ft of office space respectively. Both buildings have been designed
to complement the Innovation Centre and Two Devon Way. Three Devon
Way is a three storey building and Five Devon Way has two
storeys.
Work is expected to start on the new buildings before the end of
2008.
_________________
Bournville College to Move
to Longbridge
More than 468 acres is set
to be transformed at Longbridge by St Modwen and Advantage West
Midlands. The pioneering vision for the area includes the creation
of 10,000 new jobs and thousands of new homes alongside a quality
public realm and an excellent public transport system, all of which
will establish Longbridge as a truly mixed use model of
sustainability.
Bournville College will relocate to new £84 million premises at
Longbridge it was announced, after the College entered into an
agreement with developer St Modwen. Work will start on the site
(North Works) earmarked for the development of Longbridge town
centre in mid 2009, with the purpose built 250,000 sq ft Bournville
College expected to be delivered by September 2011. Spanning 4.2
acres, the new educational facility will be located in a prime
position allowing easy access for students. The six storey
building, which is being designed by the Birmingham office of
international architectural practice Broadway Malyan, will be
prominently located on the junction of the A38 Bristol Road South
and Longbridge Lane and will have capacity for 15,000 students. The
new premises will bring together Bournville College’s existing
three campuses and will feature new state of the art facilities
including a learning resource centre, business school, construction
workshop, and leisure and sport facilities.
_________________
The Overall Plan
The planning applications,
representing £750 million of mixed use development, have been
submitted to Birmingham City Council and Bromsgrove District
Council. Covering Longbridge North, Longbridge West and Longbridge
East, together with improvements to the A38, the applications
respond to the Longbridge Area Action Plan (LAAP), which was
submitted to the Government in March 2008. The plan now has to go
forward to a Government Inspector where amendments may be made. The
plan then becomes a formal Development Plan Document (DPD), which
is then binding on all parties.
Spearheading the landmark regeneration of the former MG Rover
Works, joint landowners St Modwen and Advantage West Midlands have
sent out the strongest signal to-date that its vision of an
employment-led heart for the 468 acre Longbridge site is
significantly closer to becoming reality. It has also demonstrated
that this transformation will be driven by the principles of
sustainability, a new community and inclusiveness.
Bill Oliver, chief executive of St Modwen, said: "Longbridge is a
site with a world-renowned heritage and today we have moved this
area of the Midlands into a new and incredibly exciting era. The
potential Longbridge has to become a thriving economic hub and a
sustainable new residential community is now apparent; and it is
more than matched by the vision and confidence St Modwen and
Advantage West Midlands have in Longbridge as we enter this new
chapter in its history."Subject to planning approval, the next 15
years will see an additional 1.8 million sq ft of employment
opportunities for Longbridge, together with 1,980 new homes.
A new town centre just off the A38 Bristol Road South will form a
new heart for the community, and will be conveniently located
adjacent to the existing Longbridge train station.
Mick Laverty, Chief Executive of Advantage West Midlands, said:
"Today represents a major milestone for Longbridge. Having
consulted with the local community over recent years, all parties
involved in taking the project to its present stage are acutely
aware that there is a real sense of expectation and hope around a
brighter future of Longbridge."
"The submission of four major planning applications provides a
clear statement of intent, showing the scale and ambition of what
Advantage West Midlands and St Modwen expect to deliver over the
next 15 years, and highlighting the level of our commitment and
continued investment into Longbridge."
There will be a new learning quarter on the site earmarked for the
town centre, anchored by Bournville College which announced that it
will relocate to a new purpose-built £84 million educational
facility at Longbridge in 2011.
Landmark architecture will help to build a sense of place for
Longbridge and will act as a beacon for those entering and leaving
the area. Whereas landscaping and public realm will play a crucial
role in creating distinctive routes and spaces in and around
Longbridge, and will provide focal areas for recreation and
community interaction.
There will be a 4.2 acre Austin Park at the heart of the town
centre and an 11 acre Rea Park at Longbridge West. Longbridge East
will feature 11 acres of dedicated public open space, known as
Arrow Park at the core of what will be a new residential community.
Two of Birmingham’s long forgotten rivers, the Rivers Rea (North
Works) and Arrow (East Works), will be opened up for the first time
in decades and will be a prominent feature at Longbridge and
Cofton.
2008
2012 ?
The above artist's
impression is looking from the Bristol Road towards the Shopping
area and Apartments, and in the foreground the opened up River
Rea.
Richard Burden, MP for Northfield (Lab), said: "In setting out
their vision for the transformation of Longbridge, I welcome St
Modwen and Advantage West Midlands’ emphasis on their long term
commitment to the delivery of a mixed use scheme that is a model of
sustainable regeneration – for the benefit of the local community,
the region and beyond. Along with others, I look forward to seeing
these planning applications and discussing the details of what is
being proposed so that the regeneration of this area can be as
successful as possible.
"The development straddles both Birmingham and Bromsgrove in
Worcestershire. Councillor Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City
Council and Councillor Roger Hollingworth, Leader of Bromsgrove
Council, said: "This is a hugely exciting project of immense
national importance; however the sensitively placed emphasis on
putting the heart back in the local community is absolutely the
right approach to putting Longbridge back on the map – as a place
where people want to live, work, visit and invest."
_________________
Longbridge Technology
Park
The first phase of the re-development of the Longbridge site has
been operational for a few months now.
But was Officially Opened on the 10th Dec 2008.
It all started in July 2005 when the Midland Bank on the Bristol
Road was demolished. The Austin Motor Company bankers were the
Midland Bank. In the early years and the company used to go into
Birmingham to the Main Branch to pick up the wages. Then because
security became a concern a branch office was built on the North
Car Park facing the Bristol Road. This meant that it was only a
short journey to the wages department in the General Office Block
on the Lickey Road. The only other building on the car park was the
Apprentice Club House (Hut). Most workers could not afford the cars
they were producing, so would travel to work by public transport,
cycle or walk.
One landmark as you approached the works from Northfield was a
Chevron Sign which changed many times over the
years.
Sign
1951
Demolition work starts
on the Midland Bank (HSBC)
Clearing the site
starts in July 2005
The first steel
work is erected
The steel work
at night
Steel work
finished
Aerial view in
February 2007
June 2007
New building against the old landscape
Corner of Bristol Road and Longbridge Lane
Reception
Desk
So North Car Park is now
the Technology Park which is accessed from Longbridge Lane via a
new road called Devon Way. The building on the corner is The
Innovation Centre, which offers flexible serviced busincess space.
the three storey building of 45,00 sq ft offers high quality office
building specifically designed to provide an environment to assist
and accommodate the development of young and new technology based
businesses. It is linked to the University of Birmingham which is
only a few miles away. The innovation Centre is able to tap into
the research been done at the University, by giving academics who
are working on new projects a place were they can have a base from
which to work.
So what
does the brochure say:
The building specification
includes the following
Comfort cooling, this is a system that cools the offices without
getting draughts.
Raised floors, so all telephone and computer cabling is out of
sight.
Two passenger lifts.
Male, female and disable toilets on each floor
Kitchen facilities
Shower facilities.
The office accommodation is
sub-divided into suites of various sizes to allow choice and
flexibility to all potential occupiers from new start-up companies
to established corporate technology based occupiers.
There are 23 Suites on the Ground Floor which range from 194 sq ft
to 576 sq ft. Also on the ground Floor is the main Reception area
along with Meeting and Conference Rooms which can be hired by the
hour, having all the necessary Audio Visual equipment to use along
with Broadband connection. There are two Kitchens and one Shower
room.
On the First Floor the suites range from 205 sq ft to 872 sq ft.
There are two Kitchens and one Shower room available.
This new building offers young companies to, as the saying goes to
put their toe in the water and have a go, as the tenure for a suite
is on flexible short term leases.
At the end of this year 40% of the units have been taken, with
about 100 people employed.
The other building in the aerial view is for let to a single
employer, and it is hoped to let this building around March-April
2008. It is called Building Two Devon Way.
There is now
development going on the Cofton Centre
The following are Press releases from St Modwen the
Developer.
Some of the Regeneration of the site will be done with Government
money channelled through Advantage West Midlands
ST MODWEN SEEKS TO CREATE MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT
LONGBRIDGE
24 April 2007
PRG Europe, the UK’s leading supplier of lighting and projection solutions to the entertainment and events industries, is currently fitting out the 157,000 sq ft former MG Rover parts distribution warehouse, and will move in December.
The redevelopment of the whole of The Cofton Centre site could eventually create more than 1,200 jobs.
| St Modwen Developments Ltd is seeking planning consent to develop a range of industrial units on the former car storage |
Prospect of hundreds of jobs as Longbridge Industrial Scheme begins
23 October 2007
| St Modwen Developments is seeking to
create up to 300 jobs by the development of nearly 75,000 sq ft of
manufacturing and distribution buildings in the £5.5 million first
phase of The Cofton Centre, Longbridge, construction of which is
now underway. Planning consent has been granted for a total of 285,000 sq ft of new industrial development on MG Rover¹s former car storage site off Groveley Lane , part of the 340-acre car plant which St Modwen is redeveloping. The first two speculatively built units of 47,502 sq ft and 27,072 sq ft are scheduled to be completed late Spring 2008. Mike Murray, of St Modwen, reported: ³We are receiving strong interest in the scheme and are talking to a number of occupiers who see Longbridge as being ideal for their business. When the whole of the Cofton Centre is completed we anticipate it will provide more than 1,200 jobs. |
UK’s third largest independant builder merchant firm to expand in Longbridge
15 November 2007
Builders¹ merchant E H Smith has invested in the regeneration of Longbridge through the acquisition from St Modwen Properties, the UK¹s leading regeneration specialist, of the former MG Sports and Racing Building at the Cofton Centre, Longbridge.
The 20,715 sq ft premises enables the Birmingham-based family firm - the UK¹s third largest independent builders¹ merchant - to expand and take on up to 20 new staff. The new EH Smith branch in Longbridge - the company¹s 11th operating location - is set to open Spring 2008 to supply a wide range of building materials and services to the surrounding area.
John Parker, managing director for E H Smith, which was established 85 years ago and now employs more than 600 people, said: EH Smith is delighted to be setting down roots in Longbridge and looks forward to becoming part of the community. The company fully embraces the growth and regeneration of the Longbridge area, wishing to play a part in the investment of this up-and-coming part of Birmingham.²
Phil Yates, the company¹s regional director, commented: ³This is an exciting time for EH Smith, further investing in the city that has been its home for so long. With the ongoing rejuvenation of the area, the community of Longbridge has a terrific future with many opportunities.²
Jonathan Green, development surveyor, St Modwen, said: ³We are delighted with this sale which further endorses the growing appeal of Longbridge to companies wishing to relocate and expand.
This phase of development will create the potential for an additional 300 jobs and it is anticipated that the Cofton Centre, when complete, will provide more than 1,200 jobs.