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Perry Barr

SLC Property is working for West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) as part of the West Midlands Rail Programme to redevelop Perry Barr station and the adjacent bus interchange. This forms part of the wider regeneration of the area.

Background

Perry Barr station is located on the line between Birmingham and Walsall and served by regular services between Wolverhampton and Walsall via Birmingham New Street. The station is located adjacent to One Stop Shopping centre and a short walk from the Alexander Stadium. One Stop Shopping Centre is very well served by local buses, which use a series of bus stops at the front of the property.

The current railway station sits within a row of shops and was constructed in the 1960s. It consists of a corridor with a small booking office which gives access to the passenger footbridge and platforms. The wider area is being redeveloped in conjunction with the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

An entirely new station building will be constructed, together with a new bus interchange. The new station will include a large concourse and ticket office with improved customer information screens, together with new lifts to platform level. Platforms will be re-surfaced with tactile paving installed. The new bus interchange will be better aligned to the roadway and provide more modern facilities; this will allow creation of a new area of public realm in front of One Stop Shopping Centre which will improve access for pedestrians and provide a level walking route to the station with fewer roads to cross. Whilst forming part of WMCA’s project, the bus interchange is being delivered by Birmingham City Council (BCC) in conjunction with their other highway works in the area.

Services provided:

  • SLC Property has worked closely with BCC on their Compulsory Purchase Order for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which included acquisition of the leases for the shops which sit within the footprint of the new station building. We continue to support BCC in the extinguishment of these leases, and of the headlease which is now held by BCC.
  • SLC Property has successfully negotiated the acquisition of a parcel of land from the owners of One Stop Shopping Centre. This land will ultimately be transferred to Network Rail, and we are working with WMCA’s legal team to agree and complete the necessary agreements.
  • We undertook Land Referencing for the various plots of land required for the scheme.
  • Our strategic advice was provided in the form of a Land & Consents Strategy, which is the standard and requisite document for development on or around operational railway land.
  • Working with BCC on highways dedications to ensure there is access via public highway to the new station.
  • Negotiation of a wayleave, easement, and lease with Western Power for the new station DNO.
  • Assisting WMCA in negotiating a compensation package with West Midlands Trains, allowing services at the station to be temporarily suspended during construction.
  • SLC Property is working on a Material Change Proposal, to be issued by WMCA, and is providing other support relating to Station Access and drafting a Minor Modification Proposal.
  • Supporting negotiations with One Stop Shopping Centre to allow redevelopment of the bus interchange on their land.
  • Negotiation of licences with BCC, allowing access to their adjacent land for use as a site compound, and allowing access to BCC owned land which is being redeveloped as part of the station redevelopment.

Key accomplishments to date

  • Built strong relationships with third party stakeholders to keep them informed and ensure disruption was kept to minimum.
  • Successfully negotiated a parcel of land to be transferred from One Stop Shopping Centre to Network Rail, forming a part of the new station.
  • Worked closely to deliver both the rail station and bus interchange projects in parallel, with One Stop Shopping Centre kept closely involved throughout delivery.
  • Formed a Tri-Partite agreement between West Midlands Combined Authority, BCC and One Stop Shopping Centre, setting out the method, phasing and delivery of both the rail station redevelopment and bus interchange projects.
  • Successfully negotiated a series of licences with BCC which allowed the project to set up the site compound on land to the south of the railway, as well as to access and redevelop BCC owned land to the north of the railway.

Challenges

  • With the station redevelopment and bus interchange works being led by different project teams, this created some difficulty in areas where both projects overlapped. The station redevelopment was further developed, so when details of the bus interchange impacted the station redevelopment, progress slowed and certain regulatory workstreams were impacted.
  • Due to the limited amount of available land surrounding Perry Barr Station, certain elements of the redevelopment were designed outside of land owned by West Midlands Combined Authority. This resulted in land acquisition becoming a priority at a later stage than would normally be the case.

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