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.