Council blocks banqueting hall’s ‘urgent’ relocation to former supermarket

Birmingham-based Crown Banqueting planned to relocate into the empty former Lidl supermarket in Old Walsall Road, Hamstead, but the move has been rejected by Sandwell Council’s planners.

Crown Banqueting, based in Upper Trinity Street, Digbeth, said it “urgently” needed to find a new venue because of plans by Birmingham City Council to demolish its current building as part of regeneration projects in the area.

Similar plans to open a wedding venue at the former supermarket were thrown out two years ago after a wave of objections from neighbours.

Sandwell Council’s highways department said the planned 500 capacity would need at least 143 spaces, according to its rules, but only 88 would be provided – enough for just over 300 people. The parking numbers would not include space for staff.

The highways department said it was “concerned” by the shortage in spaces – particularly if ‘larger’ events were held.

A statement included with the application to Sandwell Council by Crown Banqueting said: “The property would be redeveloped and brought back into use. Works would begin almost as soon as planning permission is granted. The development will create up to 30 local jobs.

“More importantly, as this is an existing business which is relocating, the development will save 30 existing jobs and allow the client to continue to provide this highly demanded services.”

The new move by Crown Banqueting came after plans to open a banqueting hall in the former supermarket were thwarted by Sandwell Council almost two years ago after significant objections from neighbours.

The plan was criticised for not providing enough parking spaces – and the council was anxious the shortfall would prove problematic for already concerned neighbours.

The council said the banqueting facility would need to provide 120 parking spaces – and with only 88 proposed, planners said the proposed location was unsuitable.

At the time, the council also said it would reject plans to convert the former supermarket into a banqueting hall unless it could be proven there was a need for a new venue.

“A banqueting/conference facility should ordinarily be directed towards a town centre location due to the numbers it is likely to attract and the impact it has on the local area,” the council’s planners said in a report outlining the rejection.

“Such a facility should be located in a more appropriate and sustainable location where it has less of an impact on local residents and is accessible by a range of transport modes and encourages use by means of travel other than the car.

“Additional concerns here include the impact on the local community and the issues surrounding noise and disturbance on the local residents, caused by the functioning of the banqueting facility.”

Budget chain Lidl moved 300 metres away along Walsall Road into a new purpose-built and bigger supermarket on the former GKN factory site at the end of 2021.

The abandoned supermarket was put on the market for over one million pounds in 2020.