Editing Birmingham Central Library (section)

==Closure and demolition==
{{Main|Library of Birmingham}}
[[File:2016-03-21 BCL-Demo.jpg|thumb|right|Under demolition in March 2016]]
[[File:Chamberlain Square July 2016.jpg|thumb|right|Demolished, July 2016]]
Birmingham City Council had long planned to move library services away from the Central Library to leave the building free for redevelopment of [[Paradise Circus, Birmingham|Paradise Circus]]. The Paradise Circus site was sold by the Council in 1998 to [[Argent Group]], this spelt an end to the Central Library.<ref>Argent website</ref>

In 2004 an initial plan to move to a building designed by [[Richard Rogers]] in [[Eastside, Birmingham|Eastside]] did not materialise. Instead, a site in [[Centenary Square]], 150m to the west of the existing building, was chosen in 2007; and subsequently the new [[Library of Birmingham]] was built and opened on 3 September 2013. In the intervening years Argent Group produced plans for the Paradise Circus site which did not include retention of the library building. In response to potential demolition [[English Heritage]] applied on two occasions for the building to be [[Listed building|listed]]. On both occasions the library was refused status as a [[listed building]] after lobbying from Birmingham City Council. In February 2011 the library received a 5-year [[Certificate of Immunity from Listing]]<ref name="ReferenceA">{{National Heritage List for England |num=1408223 |desc=Certificate of Immunity Summary (expiry 10 January 2016 )|access-date=10 September 2013}}</ref> after an application from Birmingham City Council, which meant it could not be protected from demolition until 2016.<ref name="brummail">{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/02/26/birmingham-central-library-to-be-demolished/|work=Express and Star|title=Birmingham Central Library to be demolished}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Calls to stop Birmingham library demolition|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-28600473|publisher=BBC News|date=2014-08-01|access-date=2014-12-25}}</ref> The library closed on 29 June 2013 and books and archives were moved across to the Library of Birmingham. Planning Application 2012/05116/PA was approved by the City Council on 8 February 2013.

The commercial outlets of Paradise Forum closed in January 2015, and the library site was fenced off except for the pedestrian route linking Chamberlain and Centenary Squares. Internal demolition of the library took place in the Summer and Autumn of 2015.<ref>{{cite news|title=Stay away from Paradise as transport chiefs warn of gridlock|url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/business-news/stay-away-paradise-transport-chiefs-9053788|author=Neil Elkes|work=Birmingham Post|date=2015-04-16|access-date=2015-04-16}}</ref> On 1 November 2015, Paradise Forum was closed to pedestrians and [[Chamberlain Square]] was fenced off in preparation for external demolition. The first visible external demolition to the main library building began on 6 November 2015. On 15 November 2015 the road tunnel beneath the library permanently closed to traffic for demolition to progress. On 14 December 2015 the first exterior concrete panels to the reference library were removed to mark the start of significant exterior demolition. On 28 January 2016 the curved facade of the lending library began to be demolished and completed on 25 April 2016. The glass roof of the internal atrium was removed on 26 February 2016. At the beginning of August 2016 the link bridge to the [[Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery|museum]] was removed and the majority of the library building was demolished.