Birmingham: new flats approved for derelict and overgrown Highgate site despite housing concern

Developers were seeking permission to erect a building, of up to ten storeys, to provide 104 flats at the junction of Bradford Street and Moseley Street in Highgate.

The application, given the green light this week, is a redesign of a previously-approved scheme which ended up not being built due to the rise in construction costs, coupled with the affordable housing obligation agreed.

The previous scheme included eight three-bedroom flats, with the rest being one or two bedrooms.

The current design, however, has no three-bedroom flats – a change raised as a worry by Coun David Barker (Labour, Brandwood and Kings Heath) at Thursday’s planning meeting.

“I am a bit concerned they’ve taken out the three-bed provision,” he said. “I think the lack of a good housing mix is a problem.”

He questioned whether an off-site contribution towards affordable housing would be preferable.

Area planning manager Nick Jackson said the housing mix was weighted towards two-bedroom flats and the council’s own needs assessment did not suggest a mix specifically for the area where the site would be.

“The proposed mix reflects the characteristics and type of development suited to the inner central area and can be supported,” a council officer’s report added.

“In addition, amending the mix would have an impact upon the viability of the project and therefore the available contributions towards affordable housing.”

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Of the 104 flats, eight, 7.6 per cent, affordable housing units are set to be provided through the development.

The report said the Affordable Housing Team’s preference was for such homes to be provided on-site.

“The highest affordable housing demand in the Highgate ward is for two-beds,” it said. “The on-site affordable housing contribution would include five two-beds, thereby supporting the highest need within the ward.”

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Coun Gareth Moore (Conservative, Erdington) added during the meeting: “I think it’s important we don’t go into a situation where all city centre schemes provide off-site affordable housing because basically that means the city centre is only the purview of those who can afford those sometimes very expensive apartments.

“There should be opportunities for those on more modest incomes to be able to afford it through affordable housing.”

Summing up why the plans had been recommended for approval, subject to a legal agreement, the report said: “The proposed development would contribute towards the regeneration aspirations for this part of the city centre.

“It would contribute to the acute need for affordable housing, make use of an otherwise derelict and overgrown brownfield site, and repair and restore a listed building to secure its long-term use and maintenance.

“The scheme would also provide other economic, social and environmental benefits.”