Thursday 30 Jun 2011
BIRMINGHAM BURIES THE PAST AS DEMOLITION MAKES WAY FOR THE FUTURE SOUTH SIDE
- Region & Route:
A major step towards the regeneration of the south side of Birmingham is underway, as work starts to demolish the city’s Stephenson Tower.
The site is the chosen home for the 250,000sq ft John Lewis department store, scheduled to open in 2014, prior to the redeveloped New Street station in 2015.
On hand to officially commence the start of works, Mike Whitby, leader of Birmingham City Council said: “Demolishing Stephenson Tower signifies the start of £100m worth of investment to redevelop the south side of Birmingham. With John Lewis directly creating over 650 new jobs for local people and New Street offering a world class station for our region, the future of Birmingham looks bright.”
“After several years of planning and attracting investment into the city through the Big City Plan, this event, alongside ongoing progress with the Library of Birmingham and start of works this summer in Eastside, really marks the beginning of a period of delivery which will bring real jobs, investment and improvements to the city.”
Over 7000 tonnes of concrete will be removed between now and early next year when demolition completes and around 95% of material from the project will be recycled. Situated in the heart of the city and next to the operating railway station, demolishing the 200ft high tower will be no easy task. Throughout demolition, the level of disruption will be kept to a minimum as work will start from the top down, one floor at a time from within the scaffold wrap encapsulating the tower.
Andrew Skidmore, programme sponsor for Network Rail commented: “Once complete, the redevelopment of New Street station will transform the centre of Birmingham, providing a transport hub fit for the 21st Century and offering a wealth of further opportunities through our partnership with Birmingham City Council. This work really kick starts the excitement of what we have to come.”
Councillor Tom Ansell, lead member for rail on transport authority Centro, added: “The demolition of the tower is a very visual reminder of how we are forging ahead in the construction of a station that passengers and the region as a whole can be proud of.”
To allow demolition to continue safely, the stairs linking Queens Drive to Station Street will close on Saturday 2 July. This will be followed by the closure of Queens Drive to pedestrians on 1 August. Alternative routes will be signposted.
Notes to editors
1. The Birmingham Gateway project is supported by Network Rail, Birmingham City Council, Centro, Advantage West Midlands and the Department for Transport.
2. Network Rail is delivering the project alongside its delivery partner, Mace.
3. Birmingham City Council signed a heads of terms agreement with John Lewis in February 2011 for a full-line John Lewis department store to be located on a development site to the south of New Street station. The 250,000 sq ft John Lewis shop, will be one of the largest John Lewis department stores outside London and, subject to planning permission, will open in 2014.
4. Network Rail submitted the detailed planning application for the south side redevelopment in May 2011, which can be viewed by visiting Birmingham City Council's planning department at Lancaster Circus or by logging onto www.birmingham.gov.uk/planningonline and searching on application number 2011/02869/PA. Subject to planning permission, work to construct the department store will start in Spring 2012.
5. Footage of the official opening of the luxury apartments of Stephenson Tower from 1966 is available from the Media Archive for Central England at http://www.macearchive.org/Archive/Title/midlands-news-19121966-new-luxury-flats-opened-by-lord-mayor/MediaEntry/9947.html
6. The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street will double passenger capacity, improve access down to the platforms and improve pedestrian links across the city. The project will deliver:
- a concourse that is three-and-a-half times bigger than at present and enclosed by a giant, light-filled atrium
- more accessible, brighter and clearer platforms, serviced by over 40 new escalators and over 15 new public lifts
- a stunning new station façade
- better links to and through the station for pedestrians, with eight new entrances
- the stimulus for the physical regeneration of the areas surrounding the station
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Network Rail press office - North West & Central Region
0330 854 0100
NWCmediarelations@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
Follow us on Twitter: @networkrail
Visit our online newsroom: www.networkrailmediacentre.co.uk