University centre gets go ahead
THE University of Birmingham is to build a new centre for chemistry and environmental science research despite fears about parking around its Edgbaston campus.
The plan forms phase one of its Molecular Science project on the site of the now-demolished Munrow Sports Centre, at its Edgbaston campus.
The council’s planning committee backed the plans for the building, which will accommodate 500 to 600 people.
But Councillor Gareth Moore (Con) and Councillor Lou Robson (Lab) echoed a concern about car parking raised by local councillor Deirdre Alden (Con).
The report said 407 of the 677 spaces currently at the site would be removed, but spaces lost would be relocated into an approved multi-storey car park at Vincent Drive/Pritchatts Road.
Cllr Moore said: “I appreciate there are plans in relation to the parking issues at the university but I don’t think reducing the number of car parking spaces is the answer.
“I do think the university has a duty to find ways to maximise the offering we provide.
“Considering all the applications we have considered, this is actually a net reduction with the loss of this temporary site.
“I am concerned we are not going in the right direction on this and it’s going to cause problems for the future.”
Cllr Robson said: “Another application where any problems around it will relate to parking.
“We all had a site visit to that area when we were looking at a previous application and we have seen the traffic.
“That would always be a concern for people in the area and people who have to drive around it for the hospital and so on.”
A council planning officer said the issue of car parking at the university is part of a “wider strategy, discussion and debate”.
The officer added “it is not envisaged there is going to be a significant increase in demand” for parking in respect of new staff in the area.
The new building is set to include specialist labs for areas such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), mass spectrometry and chromatography as well as teaching spaces and offices.