Destruction of Ringway Centre to be reconsidered

The Ringway Centre in Birmingham

Plans to bulldoze Birmingham's Ringway Centre will be looked at again.

The city council will review proposals to demolish the historic brutalist building after strong opposition from campaigners.

In September last year, the authority’s planning committee voted to knock down the structure and replace it with three large apartment blocks.

But opponents called the site one of the city's most significant heritage buildings and argue the decision is incompatible with its climate pledges.

The development is now due to be considered again at a planning committee meeting on 1 February.

It came after a barrister appointed by the Save Smallbrook campaign group sent a letter claiming there were grounds for a legal challenge to the decision.

The note referenced concerns raised by Heritage England and said the planning committee was misled over the climate impact of the proposed demolition.

Some say the site is one of the city's most significant heritage buildings

A council report released in advance of the 1 February meeting said the authority was of the view that matters raised within the letter did not amount to a legal error in the decision made.

“Historic England raised concerns, which is quite common,” it said. “But that falls a long way short of an actual objection."

The campaign group had also said consideration was not given to a recent decision by the government.

Ministers had rejected a planning application to demolish and rebuild the M&S building in Oxford Street, London.

The Birmingham council report said government planning policies did not create a “strong presumption” in favour of re-using the existing building at Smallbrook Queensway.

But it said members would be asked to consider this point should permission for the scheme still be granted.

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This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.