3.3.1
Original Document
Birmingham is ranked the largest retail centre in the country outside of central London and has about 300,000 sq m retail floor-space. Retail provision within the city centre is focused around High Street, New Street, the Bull Ring and Corporation Street. In addition, the city centre has a high proportion of managed retail floor-space including the Bull Ring, the Pallasades, Priory Square, the Mailbox, Martineau Place and Pavillion Central. There are a number of planning permissions for further retail development in the city centre such as Phase 2 of Martineau Galleries (85,000 sq m approx), The Cube (7,800 sq m approx) and the Jewellery Box (5,500 sq m approx). In addition, the Birmingham New Street Station redevelopment involves the refurbishment of approximately 34,830 sq m of retail floor-space.
Plain English Translation
Birmingham is the biggest shopping centre in the country outside of central London. It has about 300,000 square metres of shopping floor space. Our shops are mainly around the High Street, New Street, the Bull Ring and Corporation Street. The city centre also has lots of shopping centres like the Bull Ring, the Pallasades, Priory Square, the Mailbox, Martineau Place and Pavillion Central. New shopping areas have been agreed like Phase 2 of Martineau Galleries (about 85,000 square metres), The Cube (about 7,800 square metres) and the Jewellery Box (about 5,500 square metres). Also, in the new Birmingham New Street Station, about 34,830 square metres of shopping area will be made better.
The last thing Birmingham's retail sector needs is yet more shopping centres. Although the Bullring has attracted many visitors to the city, it has been to the detriment of other city centre areas. The way forward is to go back to traditional street layouts, where people can walk easily between areas of the city along attractive streets and lanes, and not get 'trapped' in ugly and thoughtlessly designed shopping centres.
I very much agree with Cassie.
The more popular areas of shopping in many cities are increasing being the areas where you can escape from chain shops that you can find anywhere. I think Birmingham feels very claustrophbic in the centre. I would like to see more shops spread around the side streets encouraging people to explore and see more of Birmingham that just the shopping centres.
People are looking for more than chain stores as city high streets begin to look exactly the same and the idea of finding and discovering shops becomes more and more appealing to consumers.