Date set for demolition of city’s old Wholesale Markets
THE end of Birmingham’s famous Wholesale Markets site is drawing nearer after a programme of demolition works was outlined by Birmingham City Council.
Members of the authority’s planning committee are meeting this week and are due to approve the project which will set the ball rolling on one of the UK’s largest city centre regeneration schemes.
The site, next to Bullring shopping centre in Pershore Street, is set to house ‘Birmingham Smithfield’ – a £500 million, 34-acre redevelopment which could eventually comprise around 2,000 new homes and 3.2 million sq ft of floorspace for commercial and cultural uses.
According to a report prepared for the planning committee meeting, demolition work on the majority of the “utilitarian” buildings is expected to start in March and last for six months.
Due to the densely built-up area around the Wholesale Markets, dem- olition will have to be carried out progressively rather than through explosions.
The buildings set to come down include the principal markets building, the meat and fish building, cold store and the warehouses flanking Barford within include together area.
Following demolition, the site would be cleared and the existing Street. the site cafés, with Smaller buildings to be demolished banks and offices a waste compactor boundary walls retained and some reduced in height.
The Manor House council offices are to remain open during and after the demolition.
The pub on the corner of Barford Street, formerly the Mercat, and the two multi-storey car parks in Moat Lane and Pershore Street are not included within the demolition programme.
Traders will relocate to a new, purpose-built wholesale markets site at The Hub in Witton which is currently under construction and due for completion by the end of 2016.
The markets sit on the site of Birmingham’s original Medieval manor house and moat which was demolished in 1815.