Goodman’s Eastside Locks vision moves closer
4 December 2008
Eastside Locks - the £450 million mixed-use regeneration scheme located in Birmingham city centre - reached another important stage in its development today (4th December), when outline planning permission was granted by Birmingham City Council.
The Arlington Business Parks Partnership fund (ABPP), which is managed by international property group Goodman, submitted the plans in May with joint venture partners Advantage West Midlands and Birmingham City Council. The proposed plans outline how Eastside Locks will eventually evolve into 1.5 million sq. ft. of offices, city living, a hotel, retail and leisure space.
Goodman will now work with its partners to design and submit a detailed planning application for the first phase of the scheme within the next 6 months. This will feature more than 150,000 sq. ft. of high quality and flexible office space, almost a third of which will be designed specifically for small and medium sized businesses. Work is scheduled to start on site by summer 2010.
Richard Cutler, Goodman’s Strategy and Planning Director for UK Business Parks commented: “Today is an important day for Eastside Locks and Birmingham, as it marks another significant step in the development of this exciting scheme. We are looking forward to bringing Eastside Locks to life and are confident that it will provide businesses and the local community with a world class location to live, work and visit.”
Mick Laverty, Advantage West Midlands Chief Executive, said:”This is great news for Eastside Locks and the City as a whole, so congratulations to Goodman. This approval reinforces the Eastside vision to be a mixed-use, knowledge based, regeneration project. It builds on the achievements of Birmingham City University’s recent planning approval for its new creative and media studies development, and the relocation of Matthew Bolton College into Eastside. Through working in partnership with the City Council the shared vision of a new vibrant learning, leisure and office quarter in Eastside is now becoming a reality”.
Cllr Neville Summerfield, Cabinet Member for Regeneration at Birmingham City Council said: "The £450 million Eastside Locks regeneration scheme will play an important part in delivering a world class city centre. It will continue Birmingham’s physical, economic, cultural and creative regeneration, and will support our status as ‘a global city with a local heart’. The scheme’s offices, city living, hotel, retail and leisure space will add to the vibrancy and appeal of the city centre for local people, workers and visitors."