Commonwealth Games Legacy Proposals for Boldmere Gate, Sutton Park

Overview

Welcome to this consultation on legacy proposals linked to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games at Boldmere Gate, Sutton Park. Your views will help to shape the detailed legacy plans, which will be submitted as a planning application early in 2021.

Birmingham 2022 have selected Sutton Park as the venue for the triathlon and para-triathlon events, on 29 and 31 July 2022. The park was chosen for the triathlon events as it provides the perfect setting, with Powell’s Pool, the park and the local roads, to accommodate all three disciplines of a triathlon event (swimming, cycling and running).

To meet Birmingham 2022’s requirements, the venue at Boldmere Gate will be required to meet international triathlon standards and provide a sufficient surface area to allow the installation of the athlete’s zone and media areas. To achieve this, the existing hardstanding car parking surface area will be upgraded to provide a suitable surface area for the transition area and athletes’ zone. The improvements to the car park will result in an improved permanent car park area for the benefit of visitors post-Games, as well as legacy benefits.

The designs will provide benefits for the Games and legacy by:

• Improving and expanding the existing hardstanding area (athletes’ zone and media areas) using a combination of tarmac and porous hard standing i.e. ecogrid reinforced grass filled surfacing
• Temporary overlay surface (for athletes to compete upon)
• The introduction of another entrance/exit point to the car park (with an appropriate gradient for athletes to the transition zone). This will provide a route for non-event traffic to bypass the entrance to the event field in legacy, meaning that traffic can access the car park without crossing event routes
• Improved accessibility for visitors through the provision of formal disabled parking bays
• Installation of cabling and connections for electricity provision (a benefit to Birmingham 2022 and legacy event organisers).

The works will deliver a more appropriate first impression and visitor welcome to Sutton Park, reflecting its unique status as a National Nature Reserve (NNR), site of special scientific interest (SSSI), historic landscape, valued local amenity and now a Commonwealth Games venue as well.

The project team will work with Natural England and Historic England to agree an acceptable design for the legacy events area in the context of the park’s NNR and SSSI statuses to secure the appropriate consents prior to works.

The consultation pack below contains details of the proposed scheme, including:

• Details of the Games events (from Birmingham 2022)
• Project scope (including hardstanding area designs)
• Legacy benefits
• Timetable for works
• Frequently asked questions.

Please complete the BeHeard survey via the link below to register your views.

Why we are consulting

The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games are a huge opportunity for Birmingham, and we want to make sure they offer a positive legacy for the city. It is therefore important that the legacy plans for Boldmere Gate in Sutton Park are informed by the views of local residents, local businesses and other stakeholders at an early stage, before we make the formal planning application.

The planning application will be submitted early in 2021 and will provide a further application for comment on the proposals.

A separate planning application will also be made by Birmingham 2022 for the temporary works that will be necessary to support the operation of the triathlon events during the Games.

We are keen to receive your comments on the current proposals – you can comment online here until 4 January 2021.