The council is to consider creating a New York-style public park in Birmingham city centre following a 10,000-strong petition.

It comes as a result of four years worth of lobbying by the CityPark4Brum campaign which say there is a 'now or never' opportunity to build one at the former wholesale markets site known as Smithfield.

The council has refused to rule out the idea despite the fact Australian firm Lendlease was announced as a development partner for a £1.5 billion regeneration of the plot a month ago.

A CGI showing what the Birmingham Smithfield development will look like when completed
A CGI showing what the Birmingham Smithfield development will look like when completed

Earlier this week (Monday, February 11) the authority's Business Management Committee decided the proposal should be looked at in detail by an overview and scrutiny committee.

The petition said: "Birmingham does not have a large park in its city centre - a glaring omission for the UK's second city.

"However, we currently have a unique opportunity to address this and it’s now or never.

"With the wholesale markets in Digbeth now relocated to another site, a large space of 14 hectares (about the size of 20 football pitches) has been created.

"This site, called Birmingham Smithfield, which is less than five minutes’ walk from New Street station and the Bullring, is an ideal location for a green park that could truly transform our city’s landscape."

The former Birmingham Wholesale Market and 'A Hundred Thousand Welcomes' sign
The former Birmingham Wholesale Market and 'A Hundred Thousand Welcomes' sign

It adds: "Other global cities are known and celebrated for having signature parks at their centres, for example London, Berlin, New York and Washington.

"In fact, Central Park in New York is a main visitor attraction and generates $1 billion annually to the local economy.

"There is no doubt that global cities benefit from having well-known parks at their centres.

"The wholesale markets site is the last area of large open space left in Birmingham's city centre, and one still in public ownership, that could be transformed in this way.

"So now it’s our turn and our last chance to have a large city centre park."

CGI of plans for a monument at the Smithfield regeneration in Birmingham city centre
CGI of plans for a monument at the Smithfield regeneration in Birmingham city centre

The council confirmed it is entering into a joint venture with Lendlease and stated the 42-acre Smithfield plot - double the size of Brindleyplace - would be transformed into 2,000 new homes, a public square, leisure attractions and a new location for the Bull Ring markets.

A full business case as well as a planning application will be published at a later date providing more details of the scheme, which is estimated to take 15 years to complete.