Lidl plans to partially demolish renowned Birmingham shopping centre refused

Plans had been 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 ‘associated public realm improvements’ between the retained part of the shopping centre and the store to connect Victoria Common and Bristol Road South in Birmingham.

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”.

It said they would provide a new discount shopping option for the community, create jobs and be a “notable enhancement” to the area’s character.

But at a planning committee meeting this morning, April 10, Coun David Barker said he was concerned about landscaping and the potential impact on Victoria Common.

“We should be demanding they create something that encourages people to walk through the park to make the most out of that amenity,” he said.

An issue previously raised in the report was the potential lack of landscape improvements, adequate tree, shrub and flower planting, and ‘high-quality public realm’.

“Nonetheless, weighed in the entire planning balance, they are not considered to outweigh the benefits of the scheme in terms of revitalising a vacant brownfield site and securing a long-term viable use that is appropriate and sustainable,” it said.

Coun Colin Green said at the meeting there should be more focus on “sustainable development” and questioned why demolition was required.

He asked: “Can the façade not be changed to make it more modern?”

But 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.

She said the proposals were for a brownfield site, describing it as a “sustainable location with lots of public transport links in place”.

Despite the report saying the development would have a positive “economic, social and environmental benefit”, the committee voted to refuse the proposals.