The Gateway Plus (previously known as Birmingham Gateway and now known as Grand Central) project was a redevelopment scheme that regenerated Birmingham New Street railway station and the Pallasades Shopping Centre above it in Birmingham, England. It was completed in September 2015. The project aimed to enhance the station to cope with increased passenger numbers as well as expected future growth in traffic, but did not alter the train capacity of the station. In 2008, the station handled passenger numbers far in excess of the capacity of its existing design. The current station and Pallasades Shopping Centre were completed in 1967 and became the subject of criticism for the congestion of the station and shabbiness of the shopping centre and parts of the station. It is part of the Big City Plan.
Proposals Circumstances (2010) Birmingham New Street station was built to cater for 650 trains and 60,000 passengers per day, which was roughly the same usage it experienced when it was first constructed. It was believed that demand for rail travel would decrease. However, it now caters for 1,350 trains and over 120,000 passengers – twice its design capacity. Passenger usage of New Street has increased by 50% since 2000. It was predicted that passenger usage of the station would increase by 57% by 2020.
Between 1995 and 2005, rail passenger journeys in the West Midlands increased by about 44%, and at New Street station, passenger numbers have increased by about 53%. In the next ten years, this is expected to rise by another 28%. With the station serving more train journeys, the approach from the east, underneath the Bullring Shopping Centre, has become a bottleneck which is constrained by the foundations of the shopping centre preventing widening. Here, twelve tracks constrict to become four and this was outlined in the "Birmingham and West Midlands Rail Capacity Review" as a future capacity problem.
Planning history The proposed design for the project was unveiled in June 2006 and in the following month, the business case had been completed. The business case had taken 18 months to produce and was created by representatives from Network Rail, Birmingham City Council, Advantage West Midlands, and the West Midlands Passenger Transport Authority (WMPTA). During July and August, Warner Estates, the owners of the Pallasades Shopping Centre, were in negotiations with the developers.
A planning application for outline planning permission was submitted on 9 August 2006 with designs and renders and the proposals were publicly welcomed by Birmingham City Council in August 2006. It was given an application number of 'C/05066/06/OUT' and the application was summarised on the city council's website as: "Outline planning application, including the approval of access, for the major refurbishment and associated development of New Street Station and adjoining land, in connection with alterations and reconfiguration of the station facilities and comprising changes to the Pallasades Shopping Centre, the demolition of Stephenson Tower (Use Class C3), construction of two tall buildings, associated highway works, public spaces and infrastructure works (including uses A1 (retail), A3 (restaurants and cafes), A4 (drinking establishments), A5 (hot food take-away), A2 (financial and professional services) B1 (business uses including offices) C3 (residential), of the Use Classes Order (England) April 2005"
Construction was expected to begin in 2009, with Phase 1 being completed in April 2011 and Phase 2 by Spring 2013. A later report stated the entire station would be completed for the 2012 London Olympics.
In late October 2006, the developers of New Street station expressed their interest in technology being developed in Japan where the footsteps of the visitors could be used to generate electricity as well as the turnstiles which can be used to generate energy. They also expressed interest in a glass dome to allow heat to enter and heat the station.
In early November 2006, the development was faced with delays. It was first noted that the development would be decided upon in summer 2007. This came as Gisela Stuart, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, warned that this development was vital for Birmingham. A campaign was launched for the public to pledge their support for the development by writing their name and addresses on leaflets and posting them in ballot boxes located around the station. These will be sent to the Department for Transport. If successful, the redevelopment of the station will make it into the priority list for development being drawn up by the government and was completed by Christmas 2006. The proposals received outline planning consent from Birmingham City Council's Planning Department. In December 2006, Douglas Alexander revealed that the government were aware of the need for the redevelopment of New Street station however did not reveal what was being done.
In February 2007, plans for the acquisition of Stephenson Tower through a Compulsory Purchase Order were discussed by the Cabinet.
Martin Chambers, Programme Director for New Street at Network Rail, said in June 2007 that he expects the government to approve the first payment towards the project in mid-July. He expected Network Rail to announce a £122 million package on 18 July. On top of this, a further £136 million has to be paid by the Department for Transport, and £100 million from Advantage West Midlands must be approved by the Department of Trade and Industry. This was further supported by the leader of Birmingham City Council, Mike Whitby, who is also the Chairman of the New Street Gateway Steering Committee. Separate from this, the project received more support, this time from the shadow transport minister, Julian Brazier of the Conservative party.
Following the announcement by Ruth Kelly for the £128 million funding package for New Street, it was stated that the station would be completed by 2015, later than the previous dates of 2012 and Spring 2013.
In July 2007, the council were told in a letter from the Department for Transport to find a cheaper alternative for the redevelopment project to New Street station. This resulted in speculation over whether the Government were to grant the further two tranches of funding towards the project.
Redesign
On 21 December 2007, Network Rail with RIBA Competitions issued a design contest notice on the Tenders Electronic Daily, supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union. The notice stated that the designs must be received by noon on 28 January 2008 with selected architects being invited to produce an architectural model on 11 February 2008. The design should include a new external façade and atrium.
On 18 February 2008, the shortlist of six architectural design practices was released: Rafael Viñoly Foreign Office Architects UNStudio LAB Architecture Idom UK CRAB Studio
The successful practice will act as concept architects, redesigning the station's exterior and creating a new atrium at a cost of about £30 million, while working alongside lead consultant Atkins and architect BDP.
On 18 September 2008, London-based Foreign Office Architects were chosen as the concept architects for the New Street redesign, and will be working on the project alongside Atkins and BDP. Their design incorporates a large atrium which will allow the new concourse to "flood with light", given that a major complaint surrounding the current station is its lack of natural light.
A reserved matters planning application was submitted for the design to Birmingham City Council on 20 November 2009. A public consultation period commenced immediately and ended on 31 December 2009. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment gave the project its approval in January 2010, although warned that it could be "watered down" to cut costs. The application received approval from the Planning Committee on 4 February 2010.
Design John McAslan design + Proposed land uses in outline application Land use Area (m2) Retail 55,173 Offices 30,733 Residential 30,733 The initial design for the station was produced by John McAslan + Partners in conjunction with engineers WSP Group, who were appointed in 2005. The design submitted for outline planning approval involved the demolition and replacement of the station's existing concrete façade with a curved glass frontage. All existing entrances were to remain, with a new entrance to be installed at Station Street. The plans were to flank the entrance on Station Street with two mixed-use 130m towers, on the site of Stephenson Tower. The existing glass "arrowheads" which are located on the Navigation Street elevation at the end of the platforms were to remain. The current station consists of five escalators and two lifts serving the station however, it was proposed to increase the number of escalators to 42 and lifts to 15. The demolition of part of the Pallasades Shopping Centre would allow for the construction of a glass roof to allow natural light to reach the concourse, which will be expanded by 350% to new 10,500 m2.
Foreign Office Architects design Foreign Office Architects were appointed following an international architectural design competition managed by RIBA Competitions. Their design differed massively from that of John McAslan. As proposed in the reserved matters application of November 2009, the internal concourse will be reconfigured and enlarged so that it is long from east to west. The new atrium will have an area of . New ticket barriers will allow passengers into one of three lounge areas. When their train arrives, they will be allowed onto the platforms to board the train. The platforms will be cleared of the existing waiting rooms and modernised. Holes will be cut in the floor of the concourse and filled with glass to allow light to pass from the concourse to platform level. The floor of the concourse will also be repaved. To allow natural light into the concourse, part of the Pallasades Shopping Centre will be demolished and three elongated glass domes will be constructed, reaching in height, with four glass skylights inserted between them. The interior of the concourse will be covered in seamless plaster.
The exterior will be covered in a curved, stainless steel façade, said to be inspired by Birmingham's undulating skyline, that will rise to the top of the multi-storey car park. Eye-shaped LED screens will be installed on three of the corners of the building which will provide travel information. The new entrance at Station Street, as proposed by John McAslan + Partners will remain, with the facade at street level providing additional retail units. The existing retail units will also be redeveloped.
There will also be extensive landscaping works around the station. The southern entrance at Station Street will form the main drop-off area for cars and taxis, allowing the existing drop-off area to be enclosed within the concourse. There are six voids above the railway tracks, and so as part of the proposals, the void adjacent to Queens Drive, to the east of the station, will be covered to create a new public square. A new walkway will be created from the Queens Drive entrance along the largest eastern void, around the back of the Odeon cinema to the Bull Ring. This will give visitors a direct and signed link to Birmingham Moor Street railway station. Most of the parapet walls to the voids will be redecorated with new cladding or art features, with the exception of those adjacent to the Signal Box which can only be cleaned.
The number of escalators will be increased to 31, and lifts to 16, improving connectivity between the platforms and station concourse.
Towers