Birmingham shopping centre set to be partially demolished to make way for Lidl
Proposals to partially demolish a Birmingham shopping centre to make way for a new Lidl store are set to go ahead after initially being refused.
Plans were lodged by the discount retailer chain to bulldoze part of Northfield Shopping Centre, with the application site vacant and most recently occupied by Wilko.
The proposals also included a new pedestrian walkway and ‘public realm improvements’ between the retained part of the shopping centre and the store to connect Victoria Common and Bristol Road South.
A council report said the plans would secure a “long-term viable use for the site that would contribute positively to the vibrancy and vitality of the Northfield neighbourhood centre”.
But at a planning meeting in April, councillors expressed concern about landscaping, the potential impact on Victoria Common and why demolition was necessary.
The committee voted to refuse the proposals but Lidl launched an appeal to challenge the decision.
In a victory for the retail chain, the planning inspectorate allowed the appeal and wrote: “The proposed development would be a significant improvement on the building it would replace.
“The car park and pedestrian link would provide a visual and physical link to Victoria Common, strengthening the local sense of place.
“Further improvements could be secured through planning conditions.”
A Lidl spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service today, October 14, it was ‘delighted planning had been granted’ for the Northfield supermarket.
“The new store represents our continued investment in Birmingham and the wider area and will create up to 40 new jobs when the store opens,” they said.
“Thank you to the community for their continued patience and support as we work to bring this store to the area.
“We now plan to discharge conditions with the council and will continue to keep residents informed as the development moves forward.”
Laurence Turner, the MP for Northfield, described the planning inspectorate’s decision as “really good news”.
“I’m a supporter of the development,” he said. “I think it will help give new life to the north end of the high street and attract new tenants into the Grosvenor.”
At the planning meeting earlier this year, Coun Gareth Moore supported the application, telling the committee: “The site is vacant and we want supermarkets located in local centres.
“I see no reason to reject this application, we recently had a Lidl store in Erdington open – it’s been very successful and very popular.”
A council officer reminded the committee there would be a link retained between Victoria Common and Bristol Road South.
“There is a condition that will control how that’s designed exactly in terms of landscaping and to ensure it’s inviting,” she said at the time.
She said the proposals were for a brownfield site, describing it as a “sustainable location with lots of public transport links in place”.
The report said the proposals would provide a new discount shopping option for the community, create jobs and be a “notable enhancement” to the area’s character.
