Regeneration projects could make Birmingham’s specialist shopping centre more accessible. But its proprietor says he has a “fatalistic” outlook. David Quinn dips into the Custard Factory

A stark naked man, apparently dead in a tank and covered in ants, may not be everyone’s cup of tea. In fact, there are probably few Birmingham shoppers who would find such a sight appealing.

Nonetheless, visitors to the Custard Factory, a mixed-use retail scheme based around the former Bird’s custard factory in Digbeth, were greeted by this bizarre vision as part of an art exhibition in early June.

The Custard Factory is Birmingham’s only centre for specialist retailing. So shoppers looking for something a little different in the city would have to have confronted the man in the tank.

The scheme, which was redeveloped a decade ago by entrepreneur Bennie Gray, features more than a dozen retailers catering for hi-fi enthusiasts, mountain bikers, collectors of retro furniture and other niche markets.

Some agents believe that the scheme, which is billed as an “alternative shopping destination for people who have grown weary of the same old high-street chains”, could become increasingly popular thanks to its relative proximity to several regeneration projects.

“The Custard Factory has become successful already,” says Andrew Benson, retail director at DTZ. “The advent of the Bullring, as well as Eastside, can only benefit and increase its profile.”

However, the brutal nature of the art installation in the doorway acts as a forewarning to Gray’s “couldn’t care less” attitude towards this sort of claim.

“I don’t see any continuity in terms of links between the city centre and this end of Digbeth,” he says.

In fact, says Gray, the redevelopment of the Bullring could have a negative impact on the Custard Factory.

“Digbeth High Street – which links the Custard Factory to central Birmingham – used to be one of the city’s main radial roads. Now it looks as though it terminates in Selfridges’ car park,” he says.

Gray claims to have a “fatalistic” outlook towards the future of the Custard Factory and claims the only reason it attracts retailers is “because it’s cheap” – typically £100 per unit per week.

He does not believe Birmingham lacks a specialist retail offer generally because, he says, the Custard Factory has trouble filling its shops. It has three vacant units out of a total of 20.

Others, however, disagree and express surprise that a city such as Birmingham does not possess a Covent Garden-style area filled with quirky, one-off retailers.

“There isn’t a specialist retail quarter as you might expect in a city of this size,” observes Richard Bidwell, associate retail director at Colliers CRE.

However, there are signs that this could be changing, with the continued opening up of Birmingham’s central core.

Schemes opening in former fringe locations, such as the Mailbox and the Bullring, have helped this process, as well as the demolition of the inner ring road, or “concrete collar”.

“The concrete collar has traditionally limited the city centre, and there are now areas where smaller, specialist retailers may expand,” says Bidwell.

DTZ’s Benson cites Livery Street and Church Street in the city’s business quarter as having the best potential for specialist retailing. But although acknowledging the Custard Factory’s specialist credentials, some agents believe that the scheme needs more promotion before it is widely accepted.

Gray is not aggrieved. “We’re reconciled to being far-flung,” he shrugs. And he looks as if he likes it that way.

David Quinn takes a detailed look at how the Bullring was put together from drawing board to the largest development in Europe – and looks ahead to its opening next year

With a little under a year to go until the opening of the 1.2m sq ft Bullring, the sense of anticipation among retailers, agents and shoppers is palpable.

Birmingham Alliance, which is developing the Bullring, is composed of Hammerson, Henderson Global Investors and Land Securities. They came together even though Hammerson had earlier obtained planning permission to develop the Bullring and a separate Henderson-LandSec joint venture had gained permission to go ahead with the mixed-use Martineau Galleries.

“There was an eagerness on the part of the council for things to happen,” says John Emery, projects director for the Alliance.

“The council had these big developers coming along and, obviously, it welcomed the opportunity for more investment.”

Birmingham Alliance was formed after all three parties realised that competition between two schemes could damage the value of their investments. Also, retailers were holding back from committing to either scheme because they were not sure which would be most successful.

“It was primarily the commercial market that drove Hammerson to get together with LandSec and Henderson,” explains Emery.

“Retailers were holding back and some were deciding that they couldn’t wait – the most notable being John Lewis, which went to Solihull.”

According to Emery, it took a while for the parties concerned to realise how damaging this was, for both themselves and the city of Birmingham. Eventually, sense prevailed.

“The key people in the negotiations were obviously Ian Henderson of LandSec, John Richards of Hammerson and Neil Varnham of Henderson,” says Emery.

“But council leader Sir Albert Bore also had a role to play in nurturing that relationship. The council was an important part of the consortium that delivered the partnership,” he adds.

The market traders who occupied the old Bull Ring were understandably concerned about the impact the development would have on their livelihoods and the Alliance became involved in consultation with them.

It agreed to construct a new market hall adjacent to the new Bullring, which Emery believes will “give a variety of choice and price point” once the centre opens.

Another condition for the development was to preserve Moor Street station in what Emery calls “a museum state”. “Our concern with that was that there was potential for the building to deteriorate if it wasn’t further maintained,” he says. “So we opened discussions with Chiltern Trains to look at how we might bring it back to life.”

Moor Street on track

The train operator came on board and Moor Street will now be brought back into full working order.

“We’re pleased with it because it’s good for our retail proposition – it fulfils a lot of agendas,” explains Emery.

St Martin’s Church was another part of the jigsaw. The planning authorities always felt that the church needed to form a central part of the scheme and Emery is pleased with the way it is being “brought back to prominence”.

“It feels right,” he says. “St Martin’s has the common touch about it and it will be interesting to see the contrast between it and the modernity of the Selfridges building.”

Perhaps the most famous building in Birmingham is the Rotunda, which stands at the entrance to the Bullring on New Street. Critics have bemoaned the fact that the Rotunda is listed, but Emery is not one of them. “I feel it’s a part of Birmingham and see it as an opportunity,” he says.

The most likely use for the building is residential, admits Emery. “Our studies have led us to believe that’s the best option.”

Should planning permission for this use be granted, the Alliance hopes to find a development partner for a scheme in the early part of next year.

The design of the centre has always been seen as extremely important. Emery says there has been a particular emphasis on creating a “quality feel”.

“The main event is obviously the shops, but if you can enhance the value of being somewhere, so that people just like to be there, then that adds to the value,” he says.

Undoubtedly the most eye-catching aspect of the centre is the new Selfridges, which will be housed in a remarkable blue structure opposite Moor Street station.

The building has been designed by architect Future Systems, which created the NatWest Media Centre at Lord’s cricket ground. Emery believes it will be “a new icon for Birmingham and for this country”. External cladding is expected to begin next month.

Emery jokes that when planners saw the futuristic design they had to “pick their jaws up off the floor. But they’ve embraced it and have been very supportive,” he says.

The Alliance has worked with local artists and design consultancy Checkland Kindleysides to deliver other eye-catching aspects to the centre.

The Bullring is scheduled to open in September 2003, most likely the week of the 15th. After that, the focus will move on to the development of Martineau Galleries.

Urban renaissance

Architects RTKL have been appointed as masterplanners to review the scheme for which Birmingham Alliance has consent. According to Emery, it is likely there will be some changes.

“The whole urban renaissance movement, in terms of design, urban living and so on, has come a long way since those plans were originally submitted,” he says.

“RTKL will review the scheme to see if it is still appropriate.”

Changes are likely to focus on the residential quotient and whether or not to increase it. Emery says reaction to the Bullring will also play an important part.

By the end of 2002, Emery expects the Alliance “will have started to understand how Martineau Galleries may develop”.

“By the end of 2003, we should have firmed up our plans,” he reveals.

Hammerson, Henderson and LandSec plan to remain part of Birmingham Alliance once the Bullring is completed.

“Things may change but at the moment there is a strong desire for all three to retain the investment,” says Emery.

Meanwhile, the physical form of the Bullring has begun to loom large over the junction of High Street and New Street, a glitzy glass facade, ready to welcome an influx of visitors.