End of the road for 60s offices despite protests Council backs plans to demolish most of ring road landmark
THE battle to save a substantial slice of Birmingham’s modernist 1960s architecture has been lost as planners decided most of Smallbrook Queensway is to be swept away.
The Ringway Centre is to be redeveloped after a unanimous vote by councillors on the planning committee, who described the bridge over Hurst Street as “horrendous”.
The decision means the sweeping modernist offices which form the southern side of Smallbrook Queensway will be part-demolished and a 26-storey tower block built in a major £70 million redevelopment.
Part of the building nearest the Bullring will be reclad.
The redevelopment had been vehemently opposed by members of the Brutiful Birmingham group who campaigned to retain the last of the city’s distinctive post-war architecture. The group had called for the building to be listed and renovated instead.
But the council’s planning com- mittee was scathing of existing 1960s buildings.
Committee member Councillor Barry Henley (Lab, Brandwood) said: “I don’t like concrete. As soon as the atmosphere and rain gets to work it looks stained and dirty. I am happy that the Hurst Street bridge has to go because it’s awful.”
Councillor Gareth Moore (Cons, Erdington) said he had walked under the bridge on many occasions and could not wait to see it go.
“It’s horrendous. It’s a god-awful building, it has no architectural merit.
“Concrete is not suitable for these buildings.”
The committee had earlier heard from Mary Keating, of Brutiful Birmingham, who said that the building was on a local list of historic buildings and should be preserved.
“What is the value of locally listing if it is not taken seriously?” she said.
Planning officer Louise Robinson responded that the local list had no legal weight and added that Historic England had, as recently as last August, decided the Ringway Centre was not suitable for protection.
Speaking on behalf of developer CEG, Roger Tristain said that the office block was out of date.
“The existing buildings are unable to attract commercial and retail rent needed to sustain them,” he said.
Following the meeting, Iain MacSween, development manager at CEG, said: “The decision to approve these applications will enable the delivery of a vibrant, attractive development which will regenerate this prominent location creating new job opportunities, homes, retail and leisure space close to the city centre.
“It will also open up Hurst Street views and provide a new iconic, landmark building.”
The construction phase will see an estimated 500 jobs created and once open, the offices, bars and shops will create a further 1,100 permanent jobs.