Birmingham City Council approved plans by grassroots organisation Slow Food Birmingham to transform the top of the Vyse Street car park in the city’s Jewellery Quarter - “turning grey space to green, productive space” that benefits the local community.

Set to feature an urban farm, glasshouses, a community space and garden, education hub and a cafe, it is hoped 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.

The farm will provide locally-produced food for the community, promote the benefits of sustainable farming, and help to reduce carbon emissions.

“Our proposal is part of a system rethink designed to provide food security as we cope with a changing world,” said Kate Smith, Slow Food Birmingham’s founder and projects lead.

“One of the goals is to be able to show people that we are in the middle of a city and we are growing food 12 months of the year.

“We want to be bringing the community in and giving them an opportunity to get their hands dirty, talking about what food they can buy and how they might cook it.”

Urban Design Hub, which produced the plans for the project, said it hopes it is given a green light by the council and can function as a “catalyst for reconnecting the local community to healthier and locally grown food.”