Key Points
- SEP Properties Ltd submitted a revised planning application to Birmingham City Council for the Sutton Road site in Erdington.
- Greggs pulled out of the scheme, leaving Costa Coffee as the sole occupier of the planned drive-thru.
- The single-storey Costa Coffee building will increase in size from 167 square metres to 204 square metres.
- The 0.2-hectare plot sits south of the new Lidl supermarket on the former Colliers car showroom site.
- Updated plans adjust parking from 23 to 22 spaces, including two accessible bays, two electric vehicle charging points, four bicycle spaces, and a service bay.
Erdington (Birmingham Express) September 5, 2026 — Fresh planning documents submitted to local authority bosses show that plans for a major commercial hub on Sutton Road in Erdington have been overhauled, with coffee giant Costa Coffee set to take over the entire plot after high-street bakery chain Greggs withdrew from the project. As reported by Nick Horner of the Birmingham Mail, developer SEP Properties Ltd has lodged updated architectural and operational blueprints with Birmingham City Council to construct a enlarged, standalone Costa Coffee drive-thru unit. The plot of land, spanning approximately 0.2 hectares, sits immediately adjacent to the new Lidl supermarket on the former Colliers car dealership site.
As detailed by Nick Horner of the Birmingham Mail, the original joint application proposed two side-by-side commercial outlets: a 167-square-metre Costa Coffee drive-thru alongside a 140-square-metre standalone Greggs bakery. However, the updated application confirms that Greggs will no longer occupy a unit at the location. Consequently, the site layout has been re-architected to feature a single, larger Costa Coffee establishment spanning 204 square metres. The structure will maintain its modern aesthetic, constructed with traditional brickwork, high-grade aluminium cladding, and a durable aluminium roof system.
As highlighted in the official planning statement prepared by Stacey Pester of planning consultancy Pegasus Group on behalf of SEP Properties, the revised scheme adapts the existing space to better suit a single-occupier layout while retaining core accessibility features. Drive-thru lane ordering, collection windows, and vehicle queueing lanes will run parallel to Sutton Road. Vehicle access to the venue will remain via the existing access road built for the neighbouring Lidl supermarket.
As reported by Nick Horner of the Birmingham Mail, the parking provisions for the site have been slightly modified to align with the single-tenant footprint. The total number of parking spaces has been adjusted from 23 down to 22. The revised transport plan retains two designated accessible bays for disabled customers, two electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, two cycle racks providing space for four bicycles, and an off-street service area designated for delivery vehicles. Operating hours under the original submission were set from 5:00 am to 11:00 pm seven days a week, catering to early morning commuters and late-evening trade.
What Is the Background of the Erdington Commercial Redevelopment?
The 0.2-hectare plot subject to the revised planning application forms part of the prominent former Colliers car dealership site along Sutton Road. The car showroom lay vacant and redundant for a prolonged period before being demolished to make way for urban regeneration.
Planning permission was initially granted to transform the wider site, leading to the construction of a large Lidl supermarket, which opened to significant local demand after shoppers queued around the block during its official launch. The remaining land south of the supermarket was designated for secondary retail and food-and-drink development.
In August 2023, SEP Properties Ltd submitted the initial scheme (application reference: 2023/04694/PA) to Birmingham City Council, proposing a dual-tenant retail destination consisting of a Costa Coffee drive-thru and a standalone Greggs bakery. At the time, planning consultant Stacey Pester of Pegasus Group noted that while Erdington High Street already hosted two Greggs outlets and one Costa branch, the proposed drive-thru format served a distinct market of passing motorist traffic and edge-of-centre linked trips. She further emphasised that the site was highly sustainable, situated within 30 metres of local bus stops and 440 metres of Erdington Railway Station.
However, corporate strategy adjustments and spatial considerations led to Greggs dropping out of the joint venture, prompting the latest submission to optimize the entire footprint for Costa Coffee’s drive-thru operations.
What Are the Future Predictions for Local Residents and Consumers?
The withdrawal of Greggs and the expansion of the Costa Coffee drive-thru layout are expected to have several distinct impacts on the local Erdington community, commuters, and surrounding retail trade:
- Impact on Local Consumers and Traffic:The expansion of Costa Coffee into a 204-square-metre unit provides a larger indoor seating capacity for local residents and shoppers visiting the adjacent Lidl supermarket. However, the absence of Greggs removes a low-cost, quick-service food option from the drive-thru hub. Commuters along Sutton Road will gain an expanded, dedicated coffee outlet, though traffic management during peak morning hours (noted in planning documents as 9:00 am to 10:00 am) will remain a crucial point of monitoring for local highways authorities.
- Impact on High Street Retailers:Because Erdington High Street already accommodates two Greggs outlets and a traditional Costa Coffee branch, the removal of Greggs from the Sutton Road development prevents potential internal footfall cannibalisation for the bakery chain’s high-street trade. Town centre businesses will likely benefit from Greggs keeping its full focus on high-street pedestrian traffic, while Costa captures on-the-go vehicle trade near the arterial A452 corridor.
- Employment and Economic Growth:Although the drop from two tenants to one alters the operational workforce structure, the expanded 204-square-metre Costa facility will still generate significant full-time and part-time employment opportunities for Erdington residents, contributing to the broader economic revival of the former industrial Colliers site.
