A former piece of wasteland on Birmingham's Hagley Road may soon benefit from a new retail development.

RPS has recently submitted a planning application for a mixed-use retail development combining food and non-food goods retail in one building with an additional mezzanine storage area.

The 0.3ha derelict brownfield site has been used for industry and commercial purposes since the 1960s, accommodating a garage, and also the Co-op dairy station for recharging milk floats.

Planning permission had previously been granted for several stages of retail development on the site, beginning with a three-storey development of non-food retail units occupying 1531sq m on the ground floor, with 15 affordable flats above. Subsequent applications have been for retail and residential, and retail units only, and have included further parking at basement level. The new application is for a one-two storey retail premises with a GEA of 1779 sq m and 597 sq m of mezzanine storage area.


The building is designed to add interest and focus to the existing immediate streetscape, with fully glazed shop fronts at ground floor level attracting customer attention and maximising retail space.

The structure will be robust but simple, with metal and glass cladding and a dynamic curved roof which arcs across the gable ends and sweeps down to a single-storey level at the back to minimise 'overlook' impacts on residences behind the site.

The existing four-metre high south boundary wall at the site's rear will also remain for this purpose. Thirty-three parking spaces and six disabled parking bays will be provided at the front of the development, and the mezzanine level will be fully insulated and allow maximum flexibility for sub-division as the retail operators require.

(CD)