Birmingham Ringway Centre: Campaign to stop demolition plan

An artist's impression of what the redesigned site would look like

A campaign has been launched to save a Brutalist building from being demolished and replaced by flats.

The Ringway Centre in Birmingham was built in the 1960s and designed by architect Jim Roberts.

Tearing down the existing structures and replacing them with new buildings would have a positive impact, the developers said.

Brutiful Action Group is campaigning for the building to be retained and repurposed instead of demolished.

Mary Keating, co-founder of the group, said the development would cause 14 years of issues for nearby communities and businesses.

"The disruption would be enormous," she said.

A planning application submitted to Birmingham City Council said the developer, Dooba Investment II Ltd, wanted to replace the centre on Smallbrook Queensway with three buildings.

They would include more than 1,500 flats along with a spa, gym, cinema, nightclub, and food and drink outlets.

In a statement with their application, the developers said their plans would improve the appearance and character of the area.

Historic England inspected the building in 2016 and decided it did not warrant listed status, the firm added.

The centre on Smallbrook Queensway was built in the 1960s

Ms Keating said the group opposed the plans due to concerns for the area's heritage and also environmental issues.

She said a refit and upgrade to the centre would retain its history and reduce the number of carbon emissions in-line with the city's "zero net carbon" aim.

"We feel really strongly that lots of the best buildings in Birmingham have already been destroyed.

"It would be a huge loss to the city and equally a huge loss to society," she added.

Mary Keating said the development would cause years of disruption for communities and businesses

Ms Keating said Brutalist Birmingham and other groups had proposed an alternative vision that would see it retain "iconic" features, reduce emissions and cause less disruption to the public.

"There are so many reasons for keeping the building, it's important locally and it was designed by a Birmingham architect," she said of Mr Roberts, who also designed the city's Rotunda building.

A council spokesperson said: "All applications and proposals for development that require decisions from the council are considered on their merits, in the context of all planning legislation and guidance."

A public meeting to discuss the future of the building, chaired by the Birmingham Civic Society, will take place on 28 February.

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