Birmingham City Council has approved plans to transform and restore the Grade-II*-listed Birmingham Botanical Gardens, home to the Midland’s largest collection of over 10,000 botanic species.

Donald Insall Associates is acting as conservation architects and heritage consultants on the £14m capital project ‘Growing our Green Heritage’, collaborating closely with lead architect Howells.

Supported by a Stage 1 National Lottery Heritage Fund grant, the project will provide a low carbon sympathetic reinterpretation of the existing gardens and structure, and will deliver a long-term sustainable future for the gardens by upgrading visitor facilities alongside careful conservation of the historic fabric.

The 15-acre site is home to heritage assets including four Victorian glasshouses which will be restored to reflect their original form, and adapted to serve contemporary horticultural needs whilst protecting the valuable species within.

Once complete, the transformation will align this heritage asset with Birmingham City Council’s Our Future City 2040 plan which aims to create a green, sustainable and walkable city.

Matthew Vaughan, Practice Director at Donald Insall Associates, said: “The Birmingham Botanical Gardens are a landmark not just for their historic buildings but more so their living collection of rare species from across the globe. Conservation of the glasshouses to respond to the particular heritage considerations will be a key challenge, protecting the historic fabric while enhancing their performance for the needs of the collection within. We look forward to realising our client’s vision for enhancing the sustainability, accessibility and heritage of the Botanical Gardens for the people of Birmingham and beyond.”

Sara Blair-Manning, CEO of Birmingham Botanical Gardens shared: “We are delighted that planning has been granted for the capital project. The Gardens offer a rich, uniquely biodiverse natural environment, 1 mile from Birmingham City Centre and we know, through consultation, that they are hugely treasured by the people of Birmingham and the West Midlands.  A successful project will mean that The Gardens can continue to connect people with culture, heritage and nature in a large urban metropolis.  We are grateful to The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery players for the development monies and look forward to being able to deliver a successful project with Howells and the wider design team.”

Sandeep Shambi, Partner at Howells, says: “We are delighted to have received the go ahead for the Birmingham Botanical Gardens which is one of the last independent botanical gardens in the UK and so it’s vitally important that this important heritage asset is conserved but also given space to develop. We are working in collaboration with their talented team, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, stakeholders and Donald Insall Associates, to help preserve the gardens for future generations and create jobs and opportunities for people in Birmingham.”