Architects responsible for a stunning revamp of a major London station having been instructed draft plans for a central Sutton Coldfield site.
Chapman Taylor, the firm responsible for the design of the St Pancreas International Eurostar station refurbishment around 10 years ago, has been instructed by Gracechurch owners, M&G Real Estate, to come up with ‘conceptual plans’ for Sutton’s town centre.
The shopping centre has suffered setbacks in recent months with one of its flagship stores, M&S, announcing its planned departure.
On the back of this, Sutton’s MP Andrew Mitchell, along with Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council leader, Cllr Simon Ward (Four Oaks, Cons.) met with M&G executives, representatives from Birmingham City Council and other local stakeholders this month to discuss plans to regenerate the town centre and combat the fall in retail hitting UK’s high streets.
M&G Real Estate was invited to share its ‘expertise and insight’ into the structural changes underway in the UK retail sector and how these are affecting town centres, including Sutton Coldfield.
John Duxbury, M&G Real Estate’s head of retail & leisure, highlighted the scale of the challenge as many retailers reconsider what size of physical store space is needed and in which locations.
For many retailers store profitability is under pressure from falling footfall and slowing store sales arising from the rapid growth of e-commerce and changing consumer shopping preferences, combined with increasing operating expenses.
Representatives from the Greater Birmingham & Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, the West Midlands Combined Authority, the city council and Sutton’s town council, discussed ideas on how to combat the ongoing challenges facing the retail market.
These include actions to help ease retailers’ cost pressures, which have led to store closures highlighted by the recent consultation announced by M&S.
Despite these challenges, M&G Real Estate noted Gracechurch Centre’s ‘strong performance’ in comparison to many other retail centres across the country and outlined how, with careful planning and investment, vacant property can create opportunities to convert surplus retail into alternative uses including residential, employment and community purposes to stimulate footfall and economic growth in the town.
Demonstrating its commitment to the Midlands region, M&G Real Estate announced it had enlisted the architecture firm Chapman Taylor – a regeneration specialist and renowned for its work on at St Pancras International, Heathrow’s Terminal 2 and 5’s retail section, Brent Cross shopping centre in London and MediaCityUK in Manchester – to draft conceptual plans for the future of Sutton Coldfield’s town centre.
A spokeswoman for M&G Real Estate said: “Our commitment to the Gracechurch Centre and Sutton is longstanding. We see the challenges there and are 100 per cent committed to the town and what we want to look at is what the options are. At the moment Chapman Taylor are looking at it conceptually.”
Speaking after the meeting, Andrew Mitchell MP said: “I am extremely grateful to M&G Real Estate for coming to Royal Sutton Coldfield for this important meeting.
“My constituents will agree with me that news of Marks & Spencer vacating the Gracechurch Centre was a blow for the Royal Town. But this meeting marks the beginning of something exciting which will address the structural difficulties faced by our beloved town centre.
“I would particularly like to thank the Sutton Coldfield BID (Business Improvement District), which has worked tirelessly to improve the town centre and achieve the support of local businesses for our objectives.
“In particular, Anne-Marie Simpson [owner of Simpsons Gin Bar] was instrumental in the successful application to the LEP (local employment partnership) to obtain significant funding to help regenerate our Royal Town’s centre.
“It has long been clear to me that the future of the town centre is inextricably tied up with new forms of housing and wider infrastructure development.
“I have also been in close contact with the Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, who frequents the Royal Town. His role as our regional mayor coupled with his immense experience in running John Lewis is hugely advantageous for us.”
Town council leader, Cllr Ward, who also serves as the chairman of the Royal Sutton Coldfield Regeneration Partnership said: “We are grateful to M&G and to Andrew for facilitating this meeting.
“No one underestimates the deep challenges that are facing our town centre. The town council is determining to rise to those challenges and to deliver a tangible long term plan.
“Such a plan needs the buy in of all stakeholders, be they local authorities, community groups or transport providers, which is why our partnership has been established. We have much to be proud of in the rich heritage across our Royal Town - let’s make sure our town centre reflects the many strengths of Royal Sutton Coldfield.
“It was encouraging to hear such a key landowner in M&G put forward a positive future vision.
”I hope that they will work with us and the regeneration partnership over the coming months as we develop an exciting vision and plan for the future of our town centre.”
