HS2 city centre plans approved

Major plans for Birmingham’s new HS2 station which could forever change a key city centre area have been approved.

HS2 Ltd recently put forward a revised scheme for the public spaces around Curzon Street Station, which is taking shape in the heart of Brum, and unveiled several images of what they could look like.

These proposals were considered by Birmingham’s planning committee today after a council officer said they would result in “high‑quality, robust and characterful public realm”.

They continued that they would also contribute “to the delivery of a world‑class station and landmark destination in Birmingham”.

A recently-published report says the plans seek to establish a series of “distinct character areas”, including:

Station Square, the main arrival space which would include natural stone paving materials, lighting, furniture, soft landscape gardens and terraces.

Curzon Promenade, located to the north of the western concourse and to the north of Station Square. Has been designed as a “green‑infrastructure link with a parkland character”.

Curzon Square and New Canal Street Square, these two spaces would merge together to form a large-scale, hard paved city square.

Old Curzon Street Square Gardens, a garden square proposed to the east of the Grade I listed Old Curzon Street Station.

Paternoster Place, a “key public space” at the gateway to Digbeth and is intended to create a high‑quality main entrance area.

Speaking at today’s meeting, Coun Gareth Moore said: “Obviously HS2 is slowly trundling along – who knows when it’ll actually be finished.

“But obviously today we’re considering the public realm elements of it.

“Certainly I have no real issue with the public realm as proposed, I think it looks very attractive.

“Obviously it’s a key station, we want people to have a very positive image when they come into Birmingham which isn’t always the case sadly with the existing railway infrastructure.”

Coun Lee Marsham, chair of the planning committee, said: “As with all things HS2, if you want it built as cheap as possible, build it quicker and safely.”

The plans were ultimately approved by members of the committee on Thursday morning, April 16.

‘Updated design’

The council officer’s report said the plans considered today consolidate two previously approved public realm schemes, both granted consent in 2020.

“Since the original approvals were secured, a number of refinements and updates have been made to the urban realm design,” it said.

“These reflect the ongoing evolution of the station and its surroundings, informed by continued discussions with Birmingham City Council officers to enhance the layout, character areas, and overall usability of the space for all station users.

“A key driver for the updated design is the need to maintain and strengthen connections across this part of the city, ensuring that the economic benefits of the new high‑speed rail link support regeneration both locally and more widely.”

The high-speed railway project has found itself under a cloud of controversy after being hit by serious challenges such as rising costs and delays.

Towards the end of last year, HS2 confirmed another setback when it revealed the aim of getting trains running between Birmingham and London’s Old Oak Common Station in the target window of 2029 to 2033 could not be achieved.

HS2 CEO Mark Wild has committed to address “the failures of the past and get HS2 on track”.

“It’s clear that we can only do so with a fundamental reset,” he said previously.

“Over the last year we’ve been through the programme with a fine tooth comb and we’re now very close to establishing a clear path forward.

“However, we’ve not stood still. We had to deliver a safe and productive year while HS2 was reset and I want to thank the 34,000 people working on the project every day for their tremendous hard work.

“The solid progress they’ve made in the last year gives us strong foundations to build upon.”

Councillor John Cotton, leader of Birmingham Council, has also stressed that HS2 is ‘already bringing huge benefits’ to the city.