Urban Farm plans for car park roof approved

Plans for an urban farm at the top of a car park in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter have been approved.

The upper two levels (five and six) of Vyse Street car park will now be transformed by campaigners Slow Food Birmingham and Urban Design Hub, to champion the Jewellery Quarter’s independent food retailers and its residents. 

Plans for Vyse Street have been spread over two phases, enabling Slow Food to build relationships with local universities, businesses, and residents to understand their needs and how such a project would benefit their daily lives.

Approval from the council means the partnership can now build glass houses, plant beds, bee-keeping facilities, a non-odour emitting mushroom farm, wind turbines, a community space and garden, an education hub and cafe.

Goods coming to and from the farm will be delivered through electric forms of travel. 

Slow Food Birmingham said: “We hope that the project will foster valuable conversations about the city’s food system and create a model for change, championing hyper local food production and education.”

It added: “As part of the wider vision we hope to continue to repurpose the top floors of the car park and turn grey wasted space to green productive space with the needs and wants of the local community at its heart.”

Slow Food Birmingham says it aims to champion local producers and food businesses, support the local economy and local people by providing a fresher, tastier and more sustainable alternative to the carbon intensive supply chains of major supermarkets.