Snow Hill Masterplan

October 2015 Contents

Foreword 3 Contact

Planning and Regeneration Economy Directorate City Council

Click: Introduction 4 E-mail: [email protected] Web: birmingham.gov.uk/snowhillmasterplan

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contents / snow hill masterplan 2 Foreword 3

The Snow Hill district is home to some of the City’s most valuable assets. It includes the Colmore Business District which supports over 35,000 employees and is a vital part of the economic success of the City; Snow Hill Station which acts as a principle transport hub used by several thousand people a day, and fabulous examples of the City’s grand Victorian legacy with key institutional buildings lining Steelhouse Lane.

Capitalising on these assets and maximising opportunities will be key to the continued success of the Snow Hill district and central to the ongoing prosperity of the City as a place to do business and visit. In order to strengthen its role we need to grow the area and target interventions to transform the environment and improve accessibility. The arrival of HS2 to the City Centre in 2026 will further fuel the area’s prominence as a key business destination. We have already seen the impact of HS2 on the district with the announcement by HS2 Ltd. to locate their Construction HQ at Two creating an initial 1,500 jobs.

This Masterplan has been produced to enhance the area’s assets and drive growth and regeneration activity, setting out a vision and key development principles for the district, shared with the Colmore Business District and major landowners. The redevelopment of Snow Hill Station, to create a world class transport hub akin to New Street Station; the transformation of the streets and spaces in the district creating an outstanding environment with £9.9m already committed to schemes; and the creation of St Mary’s Place, are just some of the major interventions set out in this Masterplan which will drive growth and create new focus and activity. Through this Masterplan it is envisaged that an additional 200,000sq.m of new office floor space, 4,000 new residential units and 10,000 jobs will be created.

We are pleased to present the Snow Hill Masterplan, produced in partnership with the Colmore Business District as the vision for future transformation of the Snow Hill district.

Sir Albert Bore Councillor Tahir Ali Leader Cabinet Member for Development, Birmingham City Council Transport and the Economy Birmingham City Council

snow hill masterplan / foreword foreword / snow hill masterplan 4 Introduction 5

The Snow Hill district, within Birmingham’s City Centre, is identified in the as an Area of Transformation - a place where big changes are anticipated and where key development opportunities exist.

The growth and revitalisation of the Status of the document The location Snow Hill district is central to the The Snow Hill Masterplan has City’s ongoing economic success been developed jointly with the The Snow Hill district forms a part and future growth prospects. Colmore Business District and of Birmingham’s City Centre Core, taking in the northern section of the other key stakeholders in the area. University The area is a major hub for the It has also been informed by the Core between the civic hub in the business, professional and financial Snow Hill Interchange Plan (SHIP), west, the Learning Quarter in the services sector. It is home to undertaken on behalf of Centro, east, the in the over 500 companies including Colmore Business District and north and Corporation Street and major international businesses Birmingham City Council, which St Phillip’s Churchyard in the south. which together occupy a total sets out a programme of projects St Chads of 500,000sq.m of office space to be delivered over a 15 year Snow Hill is a district of contrasts. and employ over 35,000 people. timeframe to improve interchange, Within a short walk the character St Pauls The Masterplan builds on this connectivity and economic shifts from the grand Victorian Square key strength plus the many other performance around Snow Hill streets around , significant assets in the area. Station. to the high rise commercial hub immediately to the east of The transport proposals within the Snow Hill Station and further The role of the Masterplan Masterplan sit in the context of east the cluster of fine High Steelhouse Lane The Snow Hill Masterplan sets Birmingham Connected, which is Victorian institutional buildings on out an approach to maximise Birmingham’s long term strategy for Steelhouse Lane. The outer edge Snow Hill the development of the Snow its transport system. Its vision is to of the district is dominated by the Station Hill district and transform its reinvent the system to meet current heavily trafficked A38 Queensway. Great Charles Street environmental quality and overall and future mobility challenges, and Millennium offer. Covering a 20 year period, to facilitate strong and sustainable Within the Masterplan boundary Point this Masterplan builds upon the economic growth. Measures there are a number of distinct vision and broad principles set include challenging the car culture, areas: out in the Big City Plan, providing significant investment in walking St Phillips a framework for the future and cycling, new mass transit routes Historic Colmore Colmore RowSquare development and transformation of such as Metro and Sprint - bus A grid of legible and well enclosed based rapid transit - and a radical the area. The Masterplan sets out streets containing a mix of historic Corporation Street the following: approach to the transformation of and contemporary commercial the A38. buildings and supporting uses. • A vision for the area including Paradise a series of Big Moves to bring The Masterplan will be a non- Circus about major transformation. statutory planning document High-Rise Commercial prepared in the context of the Part of the City’s central business New Street • A radical approach to improving principles and proposals of the district, this area is dominated by Moor Street connectivity covering public Birmingham Development Plan: modern glass, steel, and concrete Station transport, public realm and the statutory planning document office buildings on large plots walking and cycling. that provides the planning policy clustered around Colmore Circus n New Street NORTH Station Bullring framework and overarching and Snow Hill Queensway. This area NOT TO SCALE • Principles for redevelopment, strategy for the whole of the City. has been the focus for recent and incorporating a clear urban ongoing commercial development design framework; proposals for The Masterplan will help inform including the One and Two Snowhill KEY how the historic environment can future decisions on development developments and complementary Masterplan boundary Listed Buildings within be utilised and opportunities for and investment in infrastructure. retail uses. Masterplan boundary major investment including the Conservation Areas Locally Listed Buildings within area’s Enterprise Zone sites. Canal Masterplan boundary • A strategy for delivery. PLAN 1 Masterplan area and historic context

snow hill masterplan / introduction introduction / snow hill masterplan Victorian Institutions The Colmore Row Conservation Wider City Centre 6 This cluster of grand historic Area forms the western portion 7 institutions forms a distinctive of the Masterplan area and context townscape, but has been subject covers the civic and commercial The Masterplan area is set within to some poor quality additions heart of Birmingham. The quality the context of the wider City and alterations. The cluttered, low and diversity of its architecture, Centre and has boundaries with the grade streetscape detracts greatly particularly that of the late following areas: from the buildings themselves and nineteenth and early twentieth Civic Core the area feels cut off from the rest centuries, reflects Birmingham’s Victoria Square is the City’s of the City Centre Core. development from a prosperous primary public space, surrounded market town to a great provincial by landmark historic buildings city and the area contains a number The A38 Queensway which make up the City’s civic Quarter The A38 is an important vehicular of buildings of exceptional interest heart. The area will see a major link route but a major scar in the and national importance. redevelopment with the Paradise city fabric, difficult to cross and with The Steelhouse Conservation scheme following the relocation of poor quality spaces and buildings Area takes in the eastern portion the library to . alongside it. Its width, traffic speed of the Masterplan area and forms and extensive land take have a Retail Core an interface between the Snow The Retail Core extends from the major impact on adjacent sites. Hill Station area and the Learning City’s primary shopping destination Learning Quarter. The Conservation Area at the Bullring shopping centre Quarter incorporates a superb example of via Grand Central Birmingham St Chads Historic context unbroken Victorian and Edwardian to the refurbished Mailbox in the Queensway townscape extending along west. It also takes in key streets The Masterplan area takes in Corporation Street and augmented and arcades that provide a diverse some of the City’s most distinctive Jewellery by the Children’s Hospital on shopping offer. Within this core are Quarter Victorian historic areas; the Colmore Row Steelhouse Lane. This includes the City’s major shopping streets; Institutions Conservation Area, the Steelhouse a nationally significant group of High Rise Corporation Street, New Street Commercial Conservation Area and a part of red brick and terracotta buildings and the streets in the vicinity of St the Jewellery Quarter Conservation in which the Philip’s Churchyard. Area. provide the unique centrepiece. Steelhouse Lane Jewellery Quarter The historic heart of the jewellery Snow Hill Station trade and home to many of Great Charles Street Birmingham’s best historic buildings, the Jewellery Quarter Historic is a key opportunity area for Colmore future tourism, business, creative industries and residential growth. Colmore Row Learning Quarter Curzon The rapidly expanding HS2

concentration of educational uses Corporation Street in Eastside is home to thousands of students and world class academic Retail Core facilities. Civic Core Birmingham Curzon The arrival of HS2 in the City Centre New Street in 2026 will provide a major new national transport connection and stimulate the transformation New Street of surrounding areas of Eastside, Station and the City Centre Core. n NORTH Historic home to the gun NOT TO SCALE manufacturing industry, the Gun PLAN 2 Masterplan context Quarter forms an important part of Birmingham’s industrial heritage. The Gun Quarter is diversifying and experiencing growth in both The Victorian Law Courts commercial and residential sectors.

snow hill masterplan / introduction introduction / snow hill masterplan 8 The vision 9

To create an exceptional business destination that offers high quality distinctive places, excellent connectivity and a diverse range of uses including attractive residential environments. The vision will be driven by a number of Big Moves.

Expanded Office Core With the arrival of HS2 the Snow and safe environment, creating At the heart of the Snow Hill district Hill district will see its attractiveness a legible network of streets and new landmark developments will as a key location for business, spaces which connect into the extend the City’s central business professional and financial services wider City Centre to bring life and district, providing a sustainable grow significantly. It will have a activity. Enhanced streetscapes will supply of high-quality office key role as a hub for HS2 related support opportunities to integrate space complemented by a mix businesses kickstarted by the sustainable travel modes into of uses creating 24/7 activity, and decision to locate the HS2 the area and improve facilities supporting strong business and construction headquarters to the for walking, cycling and public residential growth across the area. Enhanced routes to the HS2 transport. Masterplan area. terminus will be delivered including further extension of the Midland Great Charles Street Snow Hill Station Metro and improved pedestrian The Queensway (A38) will be Snow Hill Station will be routes. reconfigured to restore sustainable transformed, creating an attractive connectivity to this part of the rd va high-quality public transport le East-West Connection City Centre, freeing up land for ou interchange at the heart of the et B St Mary’s A grand pedestrian and cycle development and supporting tre Place s S district. The improvement of the route will be created, running the introduction of an enhanced le ar station will unlock development h from east to west via Colmore integrated transport system. C opportunities and facilitate the t Expanded Row to Steelhouse Lane. This will Connections will be restored to the a Office Core re provision of new routes through tie together the different parts Jewellery Quarter, facilitating the G and around the station. The of the district which make up the extension of the central business n o ti approach will be modelled on Masterplan area, reconnecting district and creating opportunities N c e e the highly successful Birmingham w nn the Steelhouse Lane area and the for major redevelopments. There o St Snow Hill C Gateway project which is City Centre Core into the Learning will be two phases of localised re st et Station e transforming Birmingham New Quarter. intervention; in the short- -C -W o Redevelopment st Street Station. lm a medium term these will provide o E Public realm interventions re immediate benefits while the -J H St Mary’s Place e S Public realm interventions major infrastructural changes are w 2 e C In the Steelhouse Lane area the l on throughout the area will provide a developed and brought forward le n reconfiguration of major institutions r ec consistently high quality, inclusive y tiv over the longer term. Q ity will unlock new sites with significant u a r redevelopment potential to t e r create a new sustainable urban C o neighbourhood; St Mary’s Place. n n New uses and activity will be e c t introduced, including innovative i v

i and exciting opportunities to t y reuse the area’s valuable historic buildings. These new uses will feed into, and be supported by, the nearby Learning Quarter.

North/South Connectivity Significant improvements to north/ south connectivity will be made, enhancing pedestrian routes through the district to the Jewellery n NORTH Quarter, New Street Station and the NOT TO SCALE Retail Core. Old and new around Steelhouse Lane PLAN 3 Big Moves

snow hill masterplan / the vision the vision / snow hill masterplan 10 11

Great Charles Street Boulevard

snow hill masterplan / the vision the vision / snow hill masterplan 12 Connectivity 13

Connectivity is the key to making successful places. Linking the Snow Hill district to the wider City Centre and beyond is a key ambition of the Masterplan.

Improved connectivity, the The arrival of HS2 to the City Medium/longer term: enhancement of walking, cycling Centre in 2026 will create a step • Reconfigure Snow Hill Station, and public transport, and the change in accessibility and further enhancing passenger experience creation of a consistent, high enhance the area’s attractiveness and creating new pedestrian quality public realm, will be central for investment and business. With routes. to the transformation of the area improved connections to the HS2 and the realisation of its huge terminus, the Snow Hill district will potential for sustainable growth. become one of the best connected • Develop efficient new integrated business locations in the country. transport links with New Street St Chads Station and Birmingham Curzon Queensway Principles to enhance local, regional and Key projects to transform national connectivity. The Masterplan seeks to deliver connectivity radical enhancements to the pedestrian environment. Improved Short term: • Create new public thoroughfares routes will give priority to • £9.9m has already been secured through the heart of the district, pedestrians and cyclists, linking from the Local Growth Fund, enhancing both east-west and together a series of landmark Enterprise Zone and Colmore north-south connections. public spaces which will provide Business District to implement Snow Hill amenity space and form attractive key proposals which will be • Transform the public realm to Station Steelhouse Lane settings for new development. brought forward over the period provide a world-class visitor and 2015-2020. These works will user experience. Public transport provision will tie in with major public realm Great Charles Street be greatly improved with the enhancements across the City • Radically reconfigure the enhancement of the Metro, the Centre brought forward under Queensway, creating new links introduction of the Sprint - bus the Enterprise Zone City Centre with adjacent Quarters. rapid transit system - and the Public Realm Improvement rationalisation of bus routes and Programme. stopping facilities. Interchange Colmore Row between public transport modes will be enhanced and new Corporation Street connections provided between Birmingham Curzon the City’s transport hubs at New HS2 Station Street Station, Moor Street and the HS2 terminus at Birmingham Curzon. These improvements New Street will reduce traffic congestion and Carbon Dioxide emissions as well Moor Street as delivering improvements in air Station quality. New Street Station The downgrading of the n Queensway will bring about a NORTH transformational change to the NOT TO SCALE nature of the City Centre, allowing KEY the Snow Hill district to be reconnected with the neighbouring Masterplan boundary Improved walking routes Quarters, supporting economic M Metro route/station Pedestrian crossing zones growth and stimulating major Intergrated transport zone Canal development. Transformed Colmore Row PLAN 4 Movement

snow hill masterplan / connectivity connectivity / snow hill masterplan Enhanced routes for pedestrian movement, and At the centre of this route, the Pedestrian movement into the 14 Permeability, legibility and visual the recent enhancement of this reconfiguration of Snow Hill Station Retail Core and towards New Street 15 amenity will be enhanced through space has supported this role. will have significant benefits to Station will be supported through the targeted investment on routes However there is a marked change east/west connectivity, creating the improvement of key routes through and within the Masterplan in character from one side of the an opportunity for free pedestrian across St Philip’s Churchyard to area including street trees and square to the other; the quality of movement via a new route running Temple Street, along Upper Bull landscaping. Pedestrians and the environment for pedestrians from Livery Street through the new Street, along Bennett’s Hill and cyclists will be prioritised. reduces. In addition, Colmore station concourse and emerging through the . Circus and Snow Hill Queensway near One Snowhill. This route Reconnecting east and west Snow present significant barriers to will continue onwards through In advance of the reconfiguration Hill district pedestrian movement. the Post and Mail and into the of the Queensway, pedestrian A consistently high quality Steelhouse Lane area with an movement across Great Charles east-west route will be created. To address this disconnection improved pedestrian crossing Street will be enhanced through Connecting Victoria Square to between east and west Snow Hill and environment on Snow Hill a package of measures, delivered Colmore Row, Snow Hill Station, district, a coherent and legible Queensway. partly via the Paradise re- Steelhouse Lane and across thoroughfare will be created development, and including the Queensway to the Learning connecting a number of existing A new landmark public space, Snow improvements to the Newhall Quarter. and improved public spaces. This Hill Gateway, will be created at the Street surface level crossing, the route will reconnect the civic core entrance to the station, linking St pedestrian footbridge at Ludgate Historically this route connected to the transformed Steelhouse Lane Philip’s Square to Colmore Plaza, Hill/Church Street and the Livery the Town Hall and Council House to and onward over the reconfigured placing the focus on pedestrian Street subway. the Law Courts and Hospital via St Lancaster Circus to the Learning movement and extending the Philip’s Churchyard. The continuity Quarter. quality of Colmore Row into this In the longer term the of this route was lost during important node for movement and transformation of Great Charles post-war highways interventions Colmore Row will be enhanced connectivity. Street and the corresponding St Mary’s Place and, as a result Colmore Row through restricting vehicular access reduction in traffic flows will allow Colmore Circus Queensway will be and Steelhouse Lane now lack and re-arranging bus stop facilities. more extensive new pedestrian reconfigured to provide a legible coherence and consistency. A direct cycling connection will links to be made linking the be brought forward, running into relationship and stronger alignment Jewellery Quarter to the City with Colmore Row and Steelhouse Already the Snow Hill district’s On Steelhouse Lane a landmark The pedestrianisation of a section the Steelhouse Lane area and Centre Core. Lane and a more pedestrian- busiest pedestrian thoroughfare, public square will be created. The of Snow Hill Queensway to create linking onward to the wider cycling friendly environment. the new public space will deliver a Locally Listed wall at the front of Colmore Square provides a channel network. Livery Street will be enhanced greatly improved user experience the Children’s Hospital will provide Steelhouse Lane will be upgraded, alongside the improved station and will support the further the backdrop to an inviting green continuing the quality and and will provide a key link to the development of the station’s role plaza which will become the front character of Colmore Square and Ludgate Hill development sites and as the hub of a public transport door for the new residential and making use of the considerable onward into the Jewellery Quarter. interchange. This will tie in with business uses associated with the width of the street and the the reconfiguration of the station refurbished buildings and provide unique architectural quality of Public spaces and the accompanying new a pleasant place to rest within the Steelhouse Lane area’s Landmark public spaces will form developments and supporting the the City Centre where visitors can buildings. Wider pavements will the centrepiece of the transformed expansion of the office core. appreciate the grandeur of the accommodate street trees and Snow Hill district, providing focal surrounding buildings. a cycle lane within a high quality points within the network of walking In the Colmore Row area, the public realm, creating a green, routes and stimulating investment example set by the creation of On Whittall Street, the creation of pleasant and attractive setting for in surrounding sites. Smaller public Church Street Square will be another new public space will be the area’s fine historic buildings. and private spaces throughout extended to other key streets in the a precursor to surrounding new the district will provide sports and area, making use of space currently developments and will provide a dominated by car parking to create catalyst for well-designed places to Wider connectivity amenity space for residents and high quality pedestrian areas. be created. Enhanced routes will connect the workers and contribute towards the Cornwall Street will be the first Snow Hill district to major transport improvement of the Masterplan area’s green infrastructure. street to be upgraded in this way. A series of further public and hubs at New Street Station and private spaces will be created Birmingham Curzon and establish A new pocket square will be through future redevelopment closer links with the Jewellery At the front of Snow Hill Station created at the junction of Newhall of the Children’s Hospital and Quarter, the Retail Core and the will be Snow Hill Gateway - an Street and Colmore Row. The Dental Hospital sites, enhancing Learning Quarter. enhanced public square and attractive arrival point for the City removal of traffic signals and the setting of retained historic buildings. This will include the , Church Street and Centre. Forming the centrepiece the extension of the footway will creation of St Mary’s Place at the Livery Street form key connections of the district, this pedestrian- transform the junction, placing a centre of the new development, between the Snow Hill district, friendly space will have stronger greater emphasis on pedestrian on the site of the historic St Mary’s the Jewellery Quarter in the north connections to Colmore Row, St amenity and facilitating more Gardens. and the Retail Core in the south. Philip’s Square and Colmore Square. efficient traffic movement.

snow hill masterplan / connectivity connectivity / snow hill masterplan The reconfiguration of Lancaster The extension of the Metro to capacity needed to accommodate 16 Circus, potentially including the serve Birmingham Curzon will bring growing passenger numbers. 17 removal of the A38 flyover and the Snow Hill Station and the new The reconfiguration of the station Queensway, will create Lancaster HS2 terminus to within minutes of will allow new routes to be Place - a new public space joining each other. This new connection formed connecting the east and the Steelhouse Lane area and the will have a significant effect on west sections of the Snow Hill Learning Quarter. The subways will movement of people and enhance district, working in parallel with be filled in and the centre of the the attractiveness of the area improvements to the public realm. Circus raised to road level, allowing around the station for investment. for at-grade pedestrian crossings Key principles: and safe cycling routes connecting Public spaces around the station • Enhanced user experience of the to the City Centre Core. This space will be enhanced in a co-ordinated station. will become the gateway to the manner to support the needs of transformed Great Charles Street interchanging transport modes • Reconnecting Historic Colmore boulevard. including Metro, Sprint and bus and the Steelhouse Lane area. services. This approach will be guided by consideration of the • Major new development Integrated transport most appropriate arrangements opportunities around the The Snow Hill district will be for vehicles and public transport transformed station. served by the transformed Snow movements and relationship to key Hill Station at the centre of an pedestrian desire lines. • Enhanced interconnectivity and outstanding public transport interchange. interchange. Steelhouse Lane The station at the heart of the Reconfiguring the station Snow Hill Station This will be established and district Snow Hill Station has much in Church enhanced by: Snow Hill Station is at the centre of common with Birmingham’s New the Snow Hill district, serving 12,000 Street Station. Both stations • The current extension of the Street passengers a day and providing key underwent redevelopment during P Newhall Street r Midland Metro to New Street Great Charles Street Boulevard io regional and national transport links the second half of the 20th ry Q Station and future phases which u including regular direct services Century, emerging as utilitarian ee will extend onward west to nsw to Marylebone. The and unattractive stations which ay Centenary Square and south to station will be reworked, creating are difficult to navigate and form the HS2 terminus at Curzon. a high quality arrival experience barriers to pedestrian movement Colmore Row that befits the important business across the City Centre Core. The • The introduction of the Sprint role of this area and creating the New Street Gateway project is rapid transit system, providing

Corporation Street a new attractive and efficient transport mode running through the district.

• The reconfiguration and New Street optimisation of bus routes to improve journey times and reduce congestion.

New Street The interchange will be connected Station to the City’s other major transport n nodes at New Street and Moor NORTH NOT TO SCALE Street Stations by new Metro links and improved walking and cycling routes. These enhancements will be combined with wider measures KEY brought forward across the City Masterplan boundary to reduce traffic levels, improve Public spaces the pedestrian environment and support businesses. This enhanced Main routes transport infrastructure will respond Canal to the opportunities created by the arrival of HS2 and maximise the resulting economic benefits. PLAN 5 Public realm and walking Colmore Square

snow hill masterplan / connectivity connectivity / snow hill masterplan transforming New Street Station Restoring connections between a pedestrian prioritised square, opportunities for regeneration and Significant changes to the required, and cross-city traffic 18 into a 21st century transport hub the east and west of the Snow Hill bringing legibility to the station and make a bold statement for the City Inner Ring Road are being would need to be diverted to other 19 with new key routes through district providing a clear and user friendly as it delivers a more sustainable brought forward at Paradise routes including the Middleway, the station and a transformed Snow Hill Station has always acted transport interchange experience. transport system and continues to Circus Queensway through the leaving only local access traffic passenger experience. The as a barrier between the Historic Where possible, the surviving remove barriers to growth. redevelopment of Paradise Forum. using the much reduced remaining redevelopment will deliver the Colmore area and the wider Snow elements of the historic 1871 Snow This will deliver improvements road capacity. refurbishment of the Pallasades Hill district. Redevelopment of Hill Station will be retained and Birmingham Connected has begun to crossing facilities and the shopping centre to form Grand the station and the introduction enhanced. a debate around refocusing the pedestrian environment. In This would facilitate the Central Birmingham, anchored by of a new concourse will allow for City’s transport system and, through addition, the investment being improvement of St Chad’s Circus the new John Lewis department new pedestrian routes connecting Improving the experience the White Paper, sets out a series made in the Middleway through by making use of redundant road store. A similar approach to Livery Street to Snow Hill Plaza. By introducing natural light of interventions and long term Pinch Point and Enterprise Zone space and creating a focal point accessibility and connectivity will be The change in ground level and the into the platform areas and the projects to shift the focus toward funding is already facilitating the for the City Centre Core’s interface taken at Snow Hill Station, however need to cross the new Metro route main concourse area, a vastly public transport and re-prioritising refocussing of traffic away from with the Constitution Hill/Great the redevelopment will be focussed are design challenges which will superior passenger experience road space. The dominance of road the City Centre Core, reducing the Hampton Street corridor. A further around office rather than retail uses. be resolved by the introduction of will be created. In addition, new infrastructure and its land take is number of daily journeys passing benefit would be the opportunity lifts and stairs and clear pedestrian pedestrian routes through the no longer an accepted position through the centre along the A38. to transform Lancaster Circus into The reconfiguration of the station crossings over the Metro track. station concourse will introduce for cities looking to future growth. ‘Lancaster Place’ - the potential Major changes to the A38 would will follow these key principles: new activities and the opportunity Birmingham Connected and the removal of the gyratory and A38 require a series of interventions Enhancing the appearance, for retail and food and drink Snow Hill Interchange Plan (SHIP) flyover creating opportunities for Delivering opportunities for quality to mitigate transport impacts. A visibility and legibility of the facilities. study recommend that the function new development sites and open new developments at the heart of significant modal shift to public station itself of the remainder of the Queensway space. the district transport and cycling will be The reconfiguration of the station The station and its main Colmore The A38 Queensway through the City Centre be assessed in order to investigate will be facilitated by the removal Row entrance are currently The Queensway presents a major the scope for a reconfiguration of of a part or all of the multi-storey embedded within other buildings, challenge to improving connectivity the Queensway and the scale of car park which currently sits above and can be difficult to locate for and environmental quality in the the resulting social, economic and the concourse and platform area. visitors to the City. To overcome City Centre. Through Birmingham environmental benefits. New development will be brought this, the main entrances of the Connected, a series of actions are forward in place of the car park, station onto Livery Street and Snow envisaged leading to the long term Building on the themes and forming a high quality office-led Hill Queensway will be transformed aspiration of breaking this major findings of Birmingham Connected development, with potential for and given prominence within the physical barrier. complementary retail components, street scene. Snow Hill Gateway and the SHIP study, initial feasibility with direct access to the station and will help to give prominence to the Consisting of Lancaster Circus, work is underway which will associated facilities. Colmore Row frontage, creating St Chad’s Circus, St Chad’s consider opportunities for changes Queensway and Great Charles to the A38 taking in Great Charles Street, the Queensway is the Street, the A38 tunnels and the remaining northern portion of Queensway as far as the ’s Inner Ring Road - in Westside. Further technical and the ‘concrete collar’. Forming an design work will be undertaken urban motorway, the Queensway as a part of the implementation supports tens of thousands of of Birmingham Connected which traffic movements every day but will develop options and costs to constitutes a formidable barrier to support the development of a long movement and isolates surrounding term solution. areas including The Jewellery Quarter, Gun Quarter and Learning Such a step to reconfigure the Quarter from the City Centre Core. Queensway would follow the precedent set by the removal The vision of this Masterplan of Circus during the is to transform the Queensway mid-1990s which facilitated the between Lancaster Circus and regeneration of the Eastside area Paradise Circus Queensway into a and the creation of the Eastside series of attractive and City Park which opened in 2012. public spaces, leaving the road to Continuing this principle around function as a local distributor rather the Northern section of the than a through route and urban Queensway has the potential to motorway. The reconfigured route deliver similarly huge regeneration would feature dedicated space for benefits, as have been secured buses and cycle traffic. This would through the conversion of urban unlock land for new developments, motorways across the world in support improvements to public cities such as New York, Seoul and Colmore Square from Steelhouse Lane transport movement, create Luxembourg City. The Lumina development

snow hill masterplan / connectivity connectivity / snow hill masterplan 20 Development 21

The Snow Hill district has vast potential for new development and for the reuse of existing buildings. New high quality business and residential space will be created in keeping with the Snow Hill district’s strong existing character, providing space for growth and enlivening its streets.

Principles Tall buildings of greater than 15 New developments will be required The growth and development storeys may be appropriate at key to seek to design out crime of the Snow Hill district will sit gateway locations. Such buildings and create safe and accessible alongside and complement will be required to reflect the environments where crime and transformational changes highest architectural standards disorder, and the fear of crime, do elsewhere in the City Centre and to respect and respond to the not undermine quality of life or including Paradise, Curzon and surrounding context, particularly in community cohesion. Birmingham Smithfield. the vicinity of listed buildings.

New developments within the * Snow Hill district will be expected to deliver high quality architecture * utilising innovative technologies to create efficient, sustainable and * functional buildings. Utilisation of on-site energy generation and district energy facilities will be encouraged. Green infrastructure will be enhanced through the use * of green walls and roofs and the provision of habitat features for endangered species. The design of buildings will respond to the surrounding context and respect the existing character and scale of buildings.

The conversion and reuse of historic buildings will be a key part of the redevelopment of the district * and sensitive and creative solutions will be required which retain historic fabric and character while delivering new uses and activity.

New developments will be required to bring life and activity to streets through the provision of active frontages. Where this is not possible, alternative measures n such as green or art walls will NORTH be encouraged. This will be NOT TO SCALE particularly important along key KEY routes and around public spaces. Masterplan boundary Re-used buildings M Metro route/station New development Tall buildings cluster zone Canal Active frontage * Key City landmarks Livery Street and transformed Snow Hill Station PLAN 6 Development plan

snow hill masterplan / development development / snow hill masterplan 22 23

The transformed Snow Hill Station

snow hill masterplan / development development / snow hill masterplan Key development projects The following are details of the The redevelopment of 103 Colmore Expansion of the Office Core St Chad’s Circus will create the This will be supported by a flexible principle development areas within Row on the site of the NatWest potential for further significant mix of uses complementary to 24 • Redevelopment of Snow Hill Office uses will continue to be the 25 the district. Tower for office/mixed use will mixed-use development, the business focus in the Historic Station and the replacement of mainstay of the Snow Hill district, create an elegant and distinctive potentially including tall buildings Colmore area and around the the multi-storey car park with a and will be expanded as a business Historic Colmore building with active frontages onto of greater than 15 storeys. New station. series of large office buildings of core in the vicinity of Snow Hill The area around Colmore Row is Colmore Row and Newhall Street. developments in this location will around 15 storeys. Station and Snow Hill Queensway. Birmingham’s traditional business This will sit alongside the need to be designed to protect hub, possessing a unique character The former City Council offices redeveloped Paradise Circus as an and enhance the setting of St Creating St Mary’s Place • Development of the Ludgate Hill and wide array of heritage assets at 96-102 Edmund Street present expansion of the central business Chad’s Cathedral, maintaining key The Steelhouse Lane area Enterprise Zone site to provide a including some of the City’s best a significant development district. views and creating a prominent will experience a significant flexible mixed-use development listed buildings and civic spaces. opportunity at the heart of the gateway into the Snow Hill district. change in character and use with excellent transport links. The improvement of the area will Conservation Area. The redevelopment of the station, over the Masterplan period. focus on building upon its existing including the demolition of the Major developments in the The reconfiguration of the area • Further expansion of the office strengths and role at the heart of These fine listed buildings are multi-story car park above the immediate vicinity of the station, will create St Mary’s Place - a core into the area to the West of the City’s commercial activities. suitable for a sensitive conversion station, will create the potential for including Snowhill, Lumina, Post & sustainable neighbourhood of Snow Hill Station and around St scheme to deliver a mixture of uses a series of sizable landmark office Mail and Ludgate Hill will deliver city living, education, leisure and Chad’s Cathedral. Further development of office uses will be supported alongside new potentially including residential, buildings which will sit alongside high quality office-led uses which business based activity around the and office alongside ancillary and complement the One and will take full advantage of the new unique character of the existing • The creation of St Mary’s Place complementary retail and leisure development which will contribute retail and food and drink units. Two Snowhill developments. The connections and improved public historic fabric. through the redevelopment reconfiguration of the A38 at realm. and innovative reuse of historic to the creation of new diversity and activity, enlivening the streetscape. buildings in the Steelhouse Lane Ludgate Hill area including the Children’s High quality new developments will preserve and enhance the character The development of the Ludgate Hospital, Central Police Hill Enterprise Zone site on the Station, Law Courts and Central of the Colmore Row Conservation Area. fringe of the Jewellery Quarter will Methodist Hall. provide a flexible mix of office, The restoration of the Grand residential, hotel and leisure uses • Other opportunities in the district Hotel at the junction of Colmore centred around a new public space including the redevelopment Row and Church Street will bring and incorporating existing historic of the NatWest Tower at 103 back into use one of the area’s buildings fronting onto Ludgate Colmore Row, the Post and Mail most prominent and historically Hill. Building heights will range St Chads Scheme, Three Snowhill and the significant buildings. This will sit from 5 to 15 storeys in keeping with Queensway restoration of the historic Grand alongside the renovation of 55 the surrounding context and the Hotel on Colmore Row. Colmore Row to create 15,000sq.m character of the Jewellery Quarter of Grade A office space. Conservation Area and nearby Expanded Office Core St Mary’s listed buildings. Place

This redevelopment will be supported by improvements in Ludgate Hill connectivity and public realm Snow Hill Steelhouse Lane to overcome the historic barrier Station formed by Great Charles Street. The site will benefit from the

proximity of the Colmore business Great Charles Street district, the existing residential Historic population of the Jewellery Colmore Quarter, and the enhanced footfall delivered by improvements to the station and wider transport Colmore Row interchange, in particular the Jewellery Quarter entrance to Snow Hill Station which leads directly out Corporation Street into this part of the district.

New Street n NORTH NOT TO SCALE

Newhall Street-Colmore Row PLAN 7 Key development projects New Street Station

snow hill masterplan / development development / snow hill masterplan This Masterplan sets out broad historic buildings and will preserve new development to retain and looking inward on private areas The large resident population of 26 principles for redevelopment, key views. This approach will enhance the heritage offer of the while presenting active uses on the students constitute a significant 27 however it will be expected that a transform the Steelhouse Lane area. Appropriate new uses for perimeter, particularly on frontages market with the potential to detailed Masterplan will be created area whilst drawing upon and historic buildings may include to key streets. support commercial activity as part of any planning application supporting the existing character education, leisure, business including specialist retail and exercise for the area to show how through protecting and enhancing incubator, residential or student The cluster of educational uses services at ground floor. a comprehensive approach to its historic core. accommodation. and student accommodation in redevelopment can be achieved. the Learning Quarter represents an In the long term the reconfiguration As the buildings are expected The Children’s Hospital site could opportunity to extend educational of Lancaster Circus will facilitate At present, the Steelhouse Lane to be sequentially vacated over be redeveloped as a desirable uses and supporting facilities into new views and connections to the area is dominated by large the next 10 years their re-use is mixed use scheme built around the the Steelhouse Lane area. New landmark fire station. Opportunities institutional uses such as the critical to retaining the vitality of historic elements, accommodating developments will cater for post- will arise for significant new mixed Children’s Hospital, the Victoria the area. Innovation and flexibility taller buildings on the periphery graduate and professional users, use development making use of Law Courts and the Central Police will be required to identify uses and private amenity space within providing business start-up and land formerly occupied by highway Station. The planned departure which are suited to the buildings blocks. New development blocks incubation space. infrastructure. of these institutions presents a and which will work alongside will follow a courtyard pattern, number of major opportunities for development, both new build and through the reuse of existing historic buildings. Through this new development a new identity will emerge for the area, centred around a vibrant mix of new uses and activities to create a sustainable City Centre urban neighbourhood. Should the Children’s Hospital decide to remain in the area and bring forward a new hospital development, this will be integrated into the enhanced St Mary’s Place. The revitalised Steelhouse Lane area will provide a link between the Learning Quarter and the business core of the City Centre, both in terms of physical connectivity and as a place for new enterprise and innovation. New developments will provide a flexible range of uses focussing on a mix of residential and commercial accommodation. The growth of the district’s business and residential sectors will support the provision of a range of cafes, restaurants and bars concentrated around Colmore Row and Steelhouse Lane. and provision for leisure and amenity will support these primary uses. The area contains a number of valuable and distinctive historic buildings which are interspersed among more modern buildings. This presents opportunities for large- scale redevelopment featuring the retention and re-use of all of the historic buildings alongside new developments. New buildings will respect the scale and character of Masterplan development proposals

snow hill masterplan / development development / snow hill masterplan 28 Delivery

The delivery of the Masterplan proposals will be progressed in close collaboration with Colmore Business District along with other partners and stakeholders including the development community, Centro, Network Rail, the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust, the Jewellery Quarter Business Improvement District (BID) and the Police and Crime Commissioner for the West Midlands, Children’s Hospital and other key landowners.

Funding for public realm • Proposals for the redevelopment • Public transport enhancements enhancements will be identified of Snow Hill Station will be including initial Sprint routes and from a variety of sources including developed in collaboration further extension of the Metro to BID resources, Enterprise Zone between the City Council, Curzon HS2 and Five Ways. funding, Community Infrastructure Network Rail, Ballymore and Levy and CGF. This will sit Centro. £125k has been secured • Reconfiguration of the A38 alongside an existing £9.9m fund and feasibility and development Queensway to create a boulevard for public realm improvements, work is in progress. featuring new public spaces consisting of Local Growth Fund, and opening up major new Enterprise Zone funding and • Enhancement of Queensway development opportunities. contributions from the Colmore crossings including Great Charles HS2 enters service and the Business District, which has been Street Footbridge, Newhall Street connections between new allocated for the implementation of crossing and Livery Street subway. terminus and Snow Hill district are the SHIP Delivery Plan. The future in place. maintenance of spaces will be fully • Completion of major considered including the role of developments including Post and developers or the BID. Mail, Ludgate Hill, Three Snowhill, Lumina and The Masterplan proposals will developments. be delivered on a phased basis. An indication of the anticipated • Opening of HS2 engineering timescale is as follows: headquarters.

• Metro Extension to Centenary Short term 2014-2018 Square. • In collaboration with Centro and the Colmore Business District a £9.9m package of public realm Medium/long term 2018-2031 measures will be delivered • Further public realm works including: including Colmore Queensway and Colmore Row. - Creation of Snow Hill Gateway at the front of Snow Hill Station. • The departure of the Children’s - Major public realm and highway Hospital and the development improvements to Colmore Row, of a programme for the Livery Street, Newhall Street, reconfiguration and renewal of Steelhouse Lane, Colmore the sites and the reuse of historic Circus and Great Charles Street buildings. Queensway. • Snow Hill Station redevelopment Waheed Nazir - Area-wide cycle parking and de- and creation of associated new Director of Planning and cluttering measures. linkages. Regeneration

snow hill masterplan / delivery