New Street developers are going back to the drawing board regarding a railway line footbridge after they admitted defeat over previous plans to clad it.

The Navigation Street bridge has been removed from the planning application for the £750 million New Street regeneration project - it was to feature mirrored cladding like the rest of the building.

The move will most likely court controversy as Network Rail was accused of cutting corners on the million landmark redevelopment when it revealed it was scrapping the cladding earlier this year.

Former Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby said New Street cuts had been "ruining his dreams" in May.

Now developers have gone back to the drawing board for new plans to change the Navigation Street bridge without having to close the railway for weeks.

Network Rail has revised a planning application for its redevelopment of Birmingham New Street Station which would have seen the Navigation Street footbridge clad in reflective steel to match the rest of the building's new look. The new application will retain the existing bridge

A Network Rail spokesperson said: "Network Rail has removed the Navigation Street bridge element of its planning application for the changes to the east façade.

"Many concerns have been raised over the proposed changes to the Navigation Street bridge. We have listened to these strong representations and will be looking again at what might be possible as a more acceptable alternative to the original plans."

The bridge was initially due to be replaced and clad in the curved mirror-effect stainless steel canopy which dominates the rest of the new station design.

However, it has become one of several sticking points on the development, which have courted controversy.

It was revealed earlier this year that globally respected architect Alejandro Zaero-Polo had walked away from the New Street Gateway project over changes to the original design for the station's atrium.

Network Rail said that, since the original concept design was unveiled, detailed structural analysis had shown the Navigation Street bridge would need "significant strengthening" to support the extra weight the cladding and secondary membrane would place on it.

Pictures: Birmingham city centre from the Rotunda
Aerial pictures of Birmingham city centre from the Staying Cool apartments at the Rotunda. The view towards New Street
View gallery

This would require extended railway closures causing delays and disruption to passengers.

In the previous planning application, Network Rail had proposed a detailed clean of the existing structure but the Post understands alternative solutions are now being investigated.

The Birmingham Post has launched a free app for iPad and iPhone. Download it here.