Plans to demolish Bull Ring market rejected

Developers want to demolish Birmingham's Bull Ring Indoor Market for housing

Plans to demolish a historic indoor market have been rejected, over concerns for its future.

Birmingham City Council's planning committee unanimously turned down proposals for the city's Bull Ring Indoor Market and said they wanted assurances the 900-year-old market would have a secure home in the coming years.

The proposals had been deferred on two previous occasions to allow talks to take place.

A spokesperson for Hammerson, the company behind the scheme, said the decision to refuse planning permission was "deeply frustrating" and had been focused on a non-planning matter.

The proposed development would have provided up to 745 apartments or up to 1,544 student bedrooms – or a combination of those uses.

The market is located on the ground floor of Edgbaston Street Car Park, which is owned by property giant Hammerson.

It is run by Birmingham City Council and the local authority provides traders with their leases.

Council officers said their discussions had resulted in an extension of their lease on the current location from September 2025 to March 2027 - but there was no guarantee about where traders would go after that.

'Strong case for change'

Hammerson revealed plans for a temporary alternative market at the city's former wholesale market, to which traders would be moved.

It was not enough to satisfy committee members, however, with councillor Lee Marsham saying he had a "sleepless night" knowing the application was coming up.

"The market has a place in Birmingham's history," he said.

"There is a strong case to change the market and make it develop and thrive in new ways in the decades and centuries ahead.

"At the moment, I don't think this scheme in front of us is the scheme which is right for this city."

Councillor Gareth Moore said he welcomed the extension of the lease, but remained concerned that it did not guarantee a temporary site would be available by March 2027.

"I don't think we have the guarantees that a 900-year-old market will be continuing," he said.

"If we had more of a concrete plan in terms of delivering that site, I'd be more inclined to support it."

A spokesperson for Hammerson said: "We remain highly committed to the redevelopment which we firmly believe will lead to a positive enhancement of the city.

"We await the committee's full report and will confirm our next steps."

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