Plans for an enormous city centre regeneration project on the site of a recently-closed shopping centre are still being worked on, developers have confirmed.

Traders in Priory Square have been told the shopping centre – which houses the iconic Oasis markets – will remain closed “indefinitely”.
It was previously shut for health and safety checks, which included a fire risk assessment.

But on Monday, March 31, a spokesperson for the site said the assessment found improvements needed to be made.

They said the work was “materially beyond what is reasonably practicable to implement” and would need occupiers to be out of Priory Square for a “prolonged period”.

“Following careful review, and with the safety of all tenants and the public a priority, the only option is to close Priory Square indefinitely,” a letter read today.

“This difficult decision has not been taken lightly, and we have begun to actively engage with tenants.”

With the shopping centre in the heart of Birmingham now set to remain vacant, attention has turned to what the future of the site could hold.

The Martineau Galleries project, which includes proposals for a ‘new neighbourhood’ with more than 1,000 homes, office space and a new hotel, provides a glimpse of what Priory Square could be replaced by in the coming years.

Property developer Hammerson, which owns the square, has said its plans for the site of the scheme, which includes The Square Shopping Centre and King’s Parade, would deliver a “signature gateway” from the HS2 Curzon Street terminal.

It has also stated that the project, which received approval from the city council in 2020, would create “high-quality public realm” – including a new public square.

Providing an update on the Martineau Galleries on Monday, a spokesperson for Hammerson said:  “There is a clear distinction to be made between today’s difficult decision to close Priory Square and the future longer-term for Martineau Galleries”.

Theysaid Hammerson had been continuing to “work hard with Birmingham City Council to progress plans” on Martineau Galleries. But they did not provide details on when construction works for the enormous project could potentially start.

On how it could transform this part of the city centre, the Hammerson website states: “The scheme will deliver a new neighbourhood that extends the High Street, and embraces key future connections, including train, tram and bus networks and the Curzon Street station and metro extension.”

It continued: “Approximately 350 full-time construction jobs will be created per year over the life of the demolition and construction phases of the project.

“Once completed, the development will support around 8,000 new full-time jobs on site, across the office-space, restaurants, and cafes.”