Major Developments - Selly Oak

The Selly Oak Local Action Plan sets out proposals to improve the area. In the last few years a major programme of investment has taken place at Birmingham University including extension to medical school, and several new buildings to accomodate research and development facilities.

Several other major developments are now coming forward including -

• New hospital facilities for University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust and Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust.
• A new mixed use development for Sainsbury Supermarkets Ltd.

• The Selly Oak New Road

• improve public transport, pedestrian, cycle and vehicle access to the site;
• provide measures to deal with archaeological remains; and
• improve the adjoining wildlife corridor.

The new teaching hospital, to be built on the site of the existing Queen Elizabeth Medical Centre, will provide new forms of patient care with diagnostic and treatment areas, wards and support services all on one site and will be the first new general hospital in Birmingham for over 60 years. The new acute hospital will be located on the site of the existing car parks and adjoining areas. New mental health facilities will also be provided on land south of Vincent Drive.

Following further consultation with local residents, many of the details of the design of the development were granted planning permission in October 2004.

• the design and layout of the hospital building; and
  
• access arrangements.

Work started on site in 2005 and one of the new car parks is now open. The mental health buildings are expected to open in 2007 and the acute hospital will open in phases in to 2010.

Sainsburys Mixed Use Development

Sainsburys Supermarkets Ltd have obtained outline planning consent for some 18 hectares of land at the Birmingham Battery site. The development comprised:

• A new Sainsburys supermarket, to replace the existing store at the Selly Oak Triangle site
• A new DIY store and smaller retail shops
• New leisure uses
• New offices
• A new high technology business park
• New residential uses

The development will also bring about new environmental and transport improvements, many of which will be secured through a legal agreement. These include:

• A new canal arm on the line of the former Lapal Canal
• A new pedestrian plaza adjacent to Bristol Road
• Improved allotment facilities
• Improvements to the wildlife corridors, and
• Measures to improve vehicle access to the site.

Sainsburys are now working up their proposals in more detail and consulted the public on ideas for both the Birmingham Battery site and the Triangle site in December 2005.

Sainsburys intend to submit further planning applications soon.

Selly Oak New Road

The Selly Oak New Road will run around Selly Oak Shopping Centre. It will have a number of benefits including the following:

• Providing access to the new hospital development and the Sainsburys mixed used development in Selly Oak.
• Assisting the regeneration of Selly Oak Centre by reducing traffic flows through the centre.
• Reducing pressure in adjoining areas.

• Improving access in the Bristol Road A38 Corridor to support other new developments (link to southwest site).

The road will involve the following:

• Widening part of Harborne Lane to a dual carriageway
• Construction of a new 10 metre wide single carriageway road across the Birmingham Battery site and alongside Dale Road to rejoin Bristol Road adjacent to the University.
• Construction of a link road to the hospital.

The existing Bristol Road through Selly Oak Centre will remain but will benefit from considerable environmental improvements and better facilities for pedestrians, cyclists, buses and car parking.

Selly Oak Hospital

The Selly Oak Hospital site will become available for redevelopment when its services are transferred to the new University Hospital in 2011. Planning Guidance is being prepared which will set out the City Council's requirements to assist developers in bringing forward development, and will help in determining any planning applications.

Consultation on this draft Planning Guidance document took place between the end of August and the end of October 2008. Consultation is now closed. Copies of the draft Planning Guidance document, a summary of the draft Planning Guidance document, and a summary of the consultation results are attached below.

The results of this consultation will be considered before the final Planning Guidance document is prepared. It will then be reported back to Cabinet Member for Regeneration for approval and adopted as non-statutory planning guidance in early 2009.

For further information, please contact:

Liz Jesper
by email liz.jesper@birmingham.gov.uk
or telephone 0121 303 3121

Victoria Manning
by email victoria.manning@birmingham.gov.uk
or telephone 0121 303 9884

Robert Krzyszowski
by email robert.krzyszowski@birmingham.gov.uk
or telephone 0121 675 7009

By Post
South Development Planning and Regeneration
Birmingham City Council
Alpha Tower
Suffolk Street Queensway
Birmingham
B1 1TR

Fax: 0121 303 9889

Selly Oak Local Centres Study

Consultants Drivers Jonas were appointed in April 2005 to undertake a study of Selly Oak Local Centre. They were asked to work with the local community to prepare a strategy and action plan for the centre. A steering group of local residents and traders is now looking at the consultants' report and deciding how the recommendations will be followed up.

You can download the Selly Oak Local Centres Study below. If you have any comments on the report, please contact liz.jesper@birmingham.gov.uk