Pebble Mill Studios was the BBC's television studio complex located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, England, United Kingdom, which served as the headquarters for BBC Birmingham from 1971 until 2004. The nine-acre site was opened by Princess Anne on 10 June 1971, and in addition to the studios contained two canteens, a post office, gardens, a seven-storey office block, and an outside broadcasting (OB) base. As well as being the home of Midlands Today and BBC Radio WM, programmes produced at Pebble Mill included Pebble Mill at One, The Archers, Top Gear, Doctors, Telly Addicts, Howards' Way, Juliet Bravo and Gardeners' World. Pebble Mill Studios closed in 2004 and was demolished in September 2005; BBC Birmingham is now located in The Mailbox shopping complex in Birmingham city centre. Early history In the 1950s BBC Midlands was based in offices on Carpenter Road, Edgbaston. The news studio was in a separate building in Broad Street which remained in operation until 1971. In the same complex, the studios also recorded drama productions in the former Delicia Cinema in Gosta Green. Over time, these studios were too small for the expanding region and were hampered by being spread out across Birmingham. A change in BBC policy created the BBC Regions, based in Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow and Belfast. These locations were created as 'National Production Centres', to produce television and radio productions for the areas in which they covered. Pebble Mill was designed to be an addition to London's Wood Lane Television Centre (TVC or TC). The lease for the site was acquired from the Calthorpe Estate on a peppercorn rent by the BBC. Plans for Pebble Mill were approved in 1967. This followed construction of the studios, which was designed by John Madin founder of the John Madin Design Group. The site was built by Taylor Woodrow Construction. Television facilities The original plan was to have a light entertainment studio (A) a regional news studio (B) and a drama studio (C) which was to be similar in size to TC6 at Television Centre.<ref>Sparks, R.A. A.R.I.B.A., F.R.S.A., 'REGIONAL STUDIO CENTRE, BIRMINGHAM. BBC ENGINEERING, No. 87, July 1971 p. 3</ref> Studio A Studio A was the main studio (81 ft × 80 ft within fire lanes) in size, with three separate control rooms looking onto the studio floor: a production gallery, a joint vision/lighting gallery and sound control gallery. The studio opened with EMI 2001 cameras