Gurjit Degun,
Regen.net,
24 August 2009
Plans to build two 30-storey towers at the southern entrance of Birmingham's New Street station have been delayed.
Rail operator Network Rail had intended to build the towers while the station and Pallasades shopping centre are redeveloped, but the towers will not now be built alongside the rest of the project. Preparatory building work on the New Street development is due to begin next month.
The Birmingham Post said that the towers were being delayed because of the collapse in the market for city centre apartments and offices.
Birmingham City Council’s planning committee is due to consider a request from Network Rail to modify the planning consent for the scheme later this week, according to the newspaper.
A Network Rail spokeswoman said: "Our planning application allows us to split the development into two phases – the station and shopping centre first, and tower blocks later. This is a planning measure which means we wouldn’t have to delay the New Street station development."
But Birmingham City Council director of planning and regeneration Clive Dutton described the modification to the planning consent as a "procedural matter". He said that the towers sites would not be ready for redevelopment until 2012.
