Birmingham City Parkgate

The site for Birmingham City Park Gate is located in the Eastside district of Birmingham, close to the city centre. Eastside is an area currently undergoing a major regeneration process which includes the recently completed Millennium Point as well as the Birmingham Library and New City Park which are currently waiting for planning permission. The 1.9 hectare site is primarily a brownfield site, with some light industrial buildings, a Grade II listed Public House and Island House, a disused locally listed building constructed in 1912. The remainder of the site has been cleared for temporary use as a car park.

The developer, Countryside Properties, commissioned RRP to prepare designs for a mixed-use development to include 40,000 square metres of residential apartments, 11,500 square metres of offices and 11,000 square metres of retail accommodation. The Regional Planning Guidelines for the West Midlands includes as a primary objective the creation of sustainable urban communities through the provision of high quality, healthy, affordable, sustainable living and working environments. An important aspect of the guidelines is the need to improve the quality of housing in run-down areas of the city and develop housing that is close to transport and employment opportunities.

The site has historically been considered an unappealing destination, despite its central location. This perception has recently been transformed by the removal of a high level road which has increased the site’s visibility and its direct connections to the city and transport infrastructure. The fragmented urban grain in Eastside, which is partly a legacy of the town planning policies adopted by Birmingham City Council in the 1960s and 70s, will be addressed by the development which will re-establish a legible street pattern, especially to Moor Street, Masshouse Lane and Park Street, as well as revitalising an underused public park to the east of the site.