Listed Prison Museum given Green Light

Tyler-Parkes is delighted to have secured Planning and Listed Building consent on behalf of our client, the West Midlands Police, for the change of use of the former central custody facility on Steelhouse Lane in Birmingham City Centre, to the West Midlands Police Museum.

The imposing Victorian three-storey brick and terracotta former West Midlands Police Steelhouse Lane custody facility, known as the ‘Lock-Up’, lies on the corner of Coleridge Passage. It is an important Grade II Listed building which sits within the Steelhouse Lane Conservation Area. It has been decommissioned as a Police custody facility.

Tyler-Parkes worked closely with Birmingham City Council, the client (West Midlands Police), the architect Lathams and the project team to ensure the evolution of a scheme that was welcomed by the Council through the grant of the required consent.

The proposal will see refurbishment works, including disabled access facilities and a new access onto Coleridge Passage.

It will become the home of the Police’s historical archive and collection. The proposal will see the reinstatement of a number of historic features such as the cast iron railings to the landing areas, the original dumbwaiter, the Police Blue Lantern to front of the building light and the reuse of the existing external notice board at the Steelhouse Lane entrance to announce events.

The proposal was assessed against national and local planning policy and it was concluded that the proposal would sustain and enhance the significance of the heritage asset, achieve the optimal viable/sympathetic use consistent with the building’s historical importance and its conservation; whilst delivering significant public and social benefits. The Snow Hill Masterplan promotes the creation of a Sustainable City Centre Urban Neighbourhood around the Steelhouse Lane area, which over time will see a significant change in character and use, and the proposal was fully supported by the Council in that context.