1 Context This public exhibition is being held to present NEW proposals for the development of the Brassington Ave site in Sutton Coldfield town centre. NEW Come and see proposals for We would very much welcome your feedback on proposals please feel free to speak to the team present or fill in (or take away) a questionnaire Who owns the site? The site is owned by City Lofts (Brassington) Ltd, care of Allsop as fixed charge receivers. What about the previous residential-led scheme? Due to the current economic climate, the previous scheme planned for the site is now not viable. Other potential new uses have been explored, eg. where there is demand in the town, what is physically possible due to the site s constraints and what is now deliverable. What is now proposed? A medium sized supermarket with a café, street level car park and other local improvements. PARK ROAD GERRARD GARDENS GERRARD GARDENS The exhibition is part of a wider public consultation to inform the development of an OUTLINE planning application for the site to be submitted in early spring. Please note that these proposals are only in outline; further design detail will need to be submitted for planning to Birmingham City Council at a later date before full planning permission to build is granted. (See Board 9). FAWDRY CLOSE Why a supermarket? Studies show that Sutton Coldfield residents predominantly do their main food shopping at distant superstores; this proposal would not only enhance the town centre s retail offer for residents but also bring back local spending to the town centre. THE MALL BRASSINGTON AVENUE Details of PUBLIC EXHIBITION overleaf > Consultation promotional flyer Who owns the site? The site is owned by City Lofts (Brassington) Ltd, care of Allsop as fixed charge receivers. Why is the site being developed? The site is part of Sutton Coldfield town centre and is allocated by Birmingham City Council for development. As it is a designated commercial site, it is felt to be a valuable asset to the town centre and therefore leaving the site undeveloped is not an option. What is on the site now? The site is currently a vacant development site with hoarding around the perimeter which has lain dormant for over ten years or more. park road gerrard gardens the mall brassington avenue What happened to the previous plans proposed? The previous residential-led scheme FAWDRY CLOSE City Lofts, the previous owner, went into receivership in 2008. Their proposal was for the creation of a mixed-use development comprising 295 apartments, a restaurant, 3 retail shops, 2 bars/ cafes/restaurants, health and fitness club and associated multideck parking (405 spaces). There was also a bridge link into The Mall originally proposed but this was removed in the final design as it was not viable. gerrard gardens The previous scheme gained consent but was unpopular due to its height, density and traffic impact. Due to the current economic climate, the previous scheme is not viable at the current time but the planning permission remains live. The development site within the red boundary
2 Site options When a team was appointed to develop proposals for the site, it first considered: 1 Whether the scheme with planning consent was still possible NOT NOW VIABLE. What are the constraints of the site? 2 What the physical constraints of the site would allow ie. its location and character. 3 What the town centre is missing and what it needs to add to its offer. 4 What market demand there is for different uses. 1 WESTERN SUN 5 What uses were considered for the site? Leisure A cinema and/or restaurants would not create value on the site and there is already one provided at the top of town. 4 2 culvert 4 6 3 sewers 5 4 EASTERN SUN Residential Discussions with housebuilders demonstrated that demand in the area is now for traditional housing stock. Offices Little demand was evident, supported by a number of unlet premises across the town. Birmingham Road cinema Hotel use this would create too much development on the site and conflict with other uses that would need to be provided for viability reasons. Non-food this is a struggling sector evident in the number of companies falling into receivership; the only buoyant subsector is discount sector (ie. pound shops) which is unviable on new schemes. 1. Network Rail: NR owns the land on the western boundary which means that they need to approve all design for the site for the planning submission 2. Underground river (culvert): this runs across the site at a depth of only 0.5-1.0m and its redirection would be prohibitively expensive this means significant excavation (eg. the sinking of Brassington Ave) is not possible 3. Two main sewers: these run west to east and are buried at a depth of only 1-1.5m and are 1m in diameter; like the river, these cannot be moved cost effectively 4. Three main roads: the site is bounded by three roads which means a real challenge for linkages 5. Difference in land levels: across the site the land levels vary by 5m which means earth removal and levelling is a considerable cost and vehicular access from Manor Road is not viable 6. Long and thin site: affects design in terms of access routes and layout of buildings and car parking
3 Why a supermarket? Does Sutton Coldfield need a supermarket? As part of the review of potential new uses for the site, the idea of a supermarket was also considered because a Birmingham Retail Needs Assessment * found that There is only small-scale top up convenience shopping in the town centre (eg. Waitrose, M&S and Aldi) There are no medium sized supermarkets in the town centre where people can do their main shop Sutton Coldfield residents do their main food shop at distant superstores and recommended that: Spend should be local rather than in competing centres across Birmingham and the West Midlands Shops in the town should enhance Sutton Coldfield town centre s retail offer to encourage local spend Sutton Coldfield should be a priority for additional food store provision *The study was carried out by Roger Tym & Partners (in Oct 2009) on commission by Birmingham City Council to help them to plan future retail development in the town centre. Whilst the study was undertaken in 2009, the town centre still has no medium supermarket offer so spend continues elsewhere. Will it be a big building? A medium sized supermarket was also chosen for the site as it would allow low density, low scale, development on the site (see board 5) as opposed to the previously high, dense scheme which was unpopular locally. Concerns about the previous scheme related to an imposing wall of development creating an uninviting canyon affect along Brassington Ave. The new scheme would also provide (compared to the previous scheme) a lower impact in terms of traffic movements on local roads. (See boards 6 & 7). WALSALL Aldridge New Oscott Mere Green SUTTON COLDFIELD Brassington Avenue Site MANOR ROAD PARK ROAD BRASSINGTON AVENUE QUEEN ST How will the proposed development bring business into the town centre or into The Mall? The town s existing food provision is predominantly servicing the lower end (Aldi) and upper end (M&S and Waitrose). Due to the lack of middle market food store provision in the town centre as a whole, the site will act as a draw to shoppers to encourage them to visit Sutton Coldfield town centre by enhancing the existing retail offer. A supermarket would also bring approximately 100 new jobs to the town centre. SUTTON COLDFIELD VICTORIA ROAD Is there a supermarket operator signed already? Waitrose, Aldi and M&S in Sutton Coldfield centre are small, convenience top-up shopping stores. The proposed new supermarket would be around double the size of the town s Aldi store. Sutton Coldfield residents travel to do their main food shop outside of the town Castle Vale Minworth Not at present although the majority of food retailers have expressed interest in principle. A planning approval will enhance market interest so we expect to be in a position to negotiate with multiple operators at that time.
4 Proposals: Uses and Layout Dotted line denotes staff facilities on mezzanine level 31,000ft² (2900m²) food store including cafe, back of house and staff facilities Existing trees WESTERN SUN Car park providing 169 no. spaces in total Manor Road Glazed Cafe frontage helps to break down massing of food store Pedestrian stairs and ramp Cycle Parking Park Road Existing pedestrian crossing Service yard with full 26m turning circle EASTERN SUN Soft landscaping around edges of car park New pedestrian crossing to improve safety and link to The Mall and Lower Parade The supermarket is located to the south with a street level car park running north over the remainder of the site with a café located adjacent Brassington Ave. This layout allows for the best access to the Manor Road roundabout, creates more life, activity and interest along Brassington Ave and is the most efficient use of the site given its challenging linear shape. This layout is also the most suitable to ensure an appropriate size of servicing yard can be provided ie. to ensure all turning can be undertaken on site instead of onto Brassington Ave. The store will target the sustainable measure for BREEAM * of very good which is above Birmingham City Council s current requirements. *Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method A new glazed café is proposed looking out onto Brassington Ave
5 Proposals: Views and Landscaping Proposed new planting of trees and bushes How high will the building be? The planning application is in OUTLINE only and will propose a building height of between 9 to 13m. As there is no operator yet signed for the scheme, this will provide greater flexibility as the major food retailers have differing height requirements on this footprint of building. Will the building impact visually on residents? With its town centre location, the site has very little overlooking by residential property: To the North - railway station land To the East - The Mall Building line along Manor Road with maximum height stepped back Park Road view with proposed new landscaping Brassington Ave view To the West - the railway line, landscaping and differing land levels provide a visual buffer to residential properties Building line along Manor Road with lower height Roundabout view To the South - the development site is much lower than Manor Road and is also significantly lower than the few residential blocks at the end of Caversham Place which look down onto Manor Road. However, the proposals provide for the building to be stepped back from Manor Road if the maximum height (13m) is required by the operator (see image above). How will the Brassington Ave experience be improved? Brassington Ave, bordered on one side by this derelict site and on the other by the back of The Mall, is currently a bleak and uninviting environment. Proposals for this development look to make this area more pleasant by: Planting over 20 trees on the site s edge to soften the harsh urban feel Opening up attractive views of the railway embankment Landscaping proposed Providing further quality green landscaping adjacent to the building and car park Providing a glazed café overlooking Brassington Ave to create more life, activity and interest along the road and better safety through overlooking Creating a safe new pedestrian crossing where people most want to cross to access The Mall Proposing a much lower scale, much less dense development than was previously given planning consent on this site.
6 Transport challenges and solutions New Brassington Ave Pelican crossing proposed When considering solutions for transport and access to the site and beyond plus local traffic management, the following was taken into consideration: How traffic uses the slip road down from The Mall car park Traffic using Manor Road roundabout and Park Road/Clifton Road roundabout Capacity of 5 local junctions Approved entrance and exit routes for the previous scheme which BCC approved Existing pedestrian crossings and links into The Mall and the town centre (see board 8) The scope of research undertaken was agreed with the Highway Authority and a full Transport Assessment will be provided with the planning application. Studies included: traffic/queue surveys; personal-injury accident review; and junction analysis. How will entrance and access be managed? Currently two options are being considered for entrance and access management for this site (based on consideration of the above 5 points): Clifton Road roundabout one of the junctions considered re impact Option 1 PRIORITY JUNCTION AS EXISTING Key differing features of this approach are: Road lanes laid out as they are now ie. cars directed into the middle lane to provide an inside lane slip road for cars exiting The Mall car park onto Brassington Ave Cars turning into the supermarket site would need to slow down in the inside lane of Brassington Ave to turn left into the site Cars turning out from the supermarket onto Brassington Ave would need to wait for a gap in the traffic and join the inside lane traffic - but then be re-directed into the middle lane. The Mall car park slip road onto Brassington Ave Exiting zebra crossing across Brassington Ave BRASSINGTON AVE Common features across both options are: New Brassington Ave pelican crossing from Park Road to link into The Mall s entrance ramp at the side of United Reformed Church and café: - With a widened island, dropped kerbs and tactile paving for the visually impaired - To respond to the natural desire line of pedestrians ie. provide a safe crossing where people naturally want to cross a road To promote sustainable modes of transport, provision of a 3m wide shared foot and cycleway: - Connecting into Birmingham North cycle route running from Manor Road and the existing crossing, north to the site s access and along Brassington Ave and beyond - Linking up with cycle parking at the front of the supermarket. NB The council will also be upgrading the Manor Road crossing into a Toucan to allow cyclists to ride across
7 Transport challenges and solutions Option 2 NEW SLIP ROAD FOR SUPERMARKET SITE Key differing features of this approach are: Servicing management The service yard is big enough that delivery vehicles will not have to wait on Brassington Ave and turning can occur within the site. It is likely that servicing times will be part of the planning permission which will likely demand for off peak deliveries to ensure traffic flow along Brassington Ave is not disturbed. Dedicated supermarket entry and exit lane with new signing and road lining to maintain flow of traffic along Brassington Ave From the Manor Road roundabout, cars would be directed into the middle lane if NOT turning into the supermarket site allowing cars turning left into the site to slow down in their own slip lane Cars leaving the supermarket site would have a dedicated slip road for exiting and would merge in to flowing traffic on Brassington Ave The Mall car park exit slip lane would still be in operation and would link in well with the supermarket slip road However, this requires the removal of 14 out of 22 disabled parking bays behind The Mall on Brassington Ave. NB A usage count would be undertaken to determine utilisation of the parking bays. The above would require a Traffic Regulation Order if this were not approved/supported by Councillors, Option 1 would be pursued. Impact on local roads The previous residential-led scheme would have meant most traffic movements would occur at peak times however this scheme was approved at planning. With a supermarket proposal, traffic would be staggered throughout the day. The traffic impact from the supermarket scheme would be less than the City Lofts residential-led scheme which already has planning consent; assessment work is still on-going to determine this and this will be detailed in a supporting Transport Assessment. Car and cycle parking 169 car parking spaces are proposed which responds both to both levels required by Birmingham City Council s planning policy and also demands from supermarket operators. Approximately 20 (TBC) cycle parking spaces are provided which are located at the front of the store to link into the Birmingham North cycle route. Until an operator is signed for the supermarket, it is unknown how the car park will be managed but it is likely that there will be a time limit on free parking after which charges will be applied.
8 Linking into the town centre The Mall turns its back onto Brassington Ave but as the site is within the town centre, it needs to contribute to the overall shopping offer of Sutton Coldfield and link into the town centre. The development has been considered in light of links into The Mall but also links across to the southern part of the town centre along Birmingham Road and east to the retail park. Diversion of Brassington Ave to be parallel to the railway track considered by the Council but dismissed due to engineering costs and disruption to The Mall car park with the relocation of the slip road Sinking/lowering of Brassington Ave not possible due to the underground river and 1m wide sewers (see board 2) Proposed link to the town centre A number of options have been considered for Brassington Ave to help improve pedestrian links: Bridge over Brassington Ave see below left Ramped access through The Mall see below Bridge over Brassington Ave Ramped access through The Mall Travel distance over 400m (1300ft) to town central point (outside Aldi) Pedestrian route through The Mall s car park Bridge 6.5m (20ft) above ground level 100 steps Road closures to Brassington Ave during construction On-going maintenance and security Additional payment to The Mall not quantified This option could cost in excess of 1m not viable Distance over 300m (980ft) to town central point (outside Aldi) 50m (170ft) long ramp required to connect varying levels Disruption to flow of traffic with increase from 2 crossing s to 4 in a very short distance Security risk to The Mall Loss of retail unit at The Mall Additional payment to The Mall and quantified On-going maintenance required additional costs This option could cost up to 1m not viable To improve pedestrian links, a new crossing is being proposed at Park Road which is where many people currently try to cross Brassington Ave to access The Mall up the existing pedestrian ramp. By providing a new crossing here, we are working with the natural pedestrian desire line to create a safer and more pleasant access route with dropped kerbs for wheel chair users. Pedestrian routes from the supermarket car park along Brassington Ave either north or south will also be more pleasant with tree planting and overlooking from the glazed café area. Key features of this proposed approach to links: Shorter travel distance than the bridge link Key linkage to important point in Town from the proposed car park: - Distance to Bus Stop 320m (1000ft) - Distance to town central point (outside Aldi) 230m (750ft) - Distance to M&S 290m (950ft) - Distance to House of Fraser 350m (1150ft).
9 Timescales and FAQs Feedback from the public consultation will help to inform the development of an OUTLINE planning application. When the application is submitted, Birmingham City Council (BCC) will carry out its own statutory public consultation. Frequently Asked Questions Further detail will need to be submitted for planning at a later date by a supermarket operator. The anticipated timetable is as follows: Actions How can I provide feedback? You can get involved in the public consultation as follows: Review the proposals and speak to the design team at one of the public events OR call GL Hearn to find out more (for those who can t attend the events) Fill out a questionnaire at one of the public events in February OR take away a questionnaire and send it back to GL Hearn via the FREEPOST address Provide your feedback to GL Hearn by email, post or direct on the telephone. Timescales Consultancy team appointed Autumn 2011 Public and stakeholder consultation December - February 2012 OUTLINE planning application submission Early spring 2012 BCC planning decision on outline application Summer 2012 Detailed planning submission and BCC approval Winter 2012/2013 Potential start on site by operator 2013 Contact details For further information please contact: Jo Sistern GL Hearn (public consultation advisors) 0844 225 0003 Jo_sistern@glhearn.com Will the proposed development support business in the Town centre or in The Mall? Yes. The town s existing food provision is predominantly servicing the lower end (Aldi) and upper end (M&S and Waitrose). Due to the lack of middle market food store provision in the town centre as a whole, the site will act as a draw to shoppers to encourage them to visit Sutton Coldfield town centre by enhancing the existing retail offer. What catchment area is the supermarket expected to serve ie. will this development put more cars on local roads that will lead to increased congestion and disruption at junctions? Due to the optimum size proposed, the store will have a dual function of 1) a full food shop offer and 2) a top-up shop, which will divert/ attract traffic that is predominantly en route on the road network. Will the site be served effectively by public transport nearby particularly buses? There are existing bus stops in the vicinity and the majority of bus routes terminate on The Lower Parade which is less than 200m east of the site. Will there be a physical link into The Mall if not, why not? A physical link would only be possible as a connection to The Mall s multi-storey car park (See board 8). Therefore it would be very difficult to deliver this without creating a canyon effect between the car park and a multi-level development on the Brassington Ave site. In addition, any bridge would NOT add a direct access to The Mall retail floor and would be prohibitively expensive to provide. How does the proposed development complement and link into the town centre? There is good linkage to the Manor Road roundabout which is arguably the physical central point of the town centre and there is a pedestrian desire line (ie. the easiest and most direct route that people choose to take) from there on to Park Road to the North of the site. The team is currently discussing with Birmingham City Highways possible contributions to improvements to this desire line route. Will there be any landscape or environmental improvements as a result of the development? The proposal provides for the planting of trees adjacent to Brassington Ave and the opening up of views of the green railway embankment. In addition the store will target the sustainable measure for BREEAM * of very good which is above Birmingham City Council s current requirements. *Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. When would work start on site and how long would construction take? Depending on the timing of the planning committee s decision, start on site could potentially be 2013. The design and construction stage would take around 12-15 months. When could the new supermarket be open for business? Dependent on when planning approval is secured, the supermarket could be open in 2014.