294 skyscraper homes to rent planned for Broad Street in Birmingham

Plans for a 33-storey apartment tower in the heart of Birmingham city centre have been recommended for approval.

The proposals for the skyscraper, which would boast 294 build to rent homes, will be discussed by Birmingham City Council’s (BCC) planning committee early next month after being submitted by developers.

If the plans are approved, the 100 Broad Street development would include a mix of units from one-bedroom to three-bedroom and communal amenities such as co-working spaces, a cycle hub, meeting rooms and rooftop gardens.

A report by a council officer says that the development would provide for a mix of accommodation in a “high quality, secure environment that would complement surrounding developments in a gateway location.”

It continued: “The proposed residential units would make a meaningful contribution towards Birmingham’s housing shortfall and contribute towards the regeneration aspirations for this part of the city centre.”

However, concerns were raised by the Environmental Pollution Unit over commercial noise and night-time entertainment noise along Broad Street and future residents making complaints.

The report says it was proposed to deal with this via a covenant to require that a number of occupiers close their bedroom windows from 11pm until 5am. It continues: “Birmingham City Council Legal Team were consulted on this approach and advised that such a proposal could be acceptable and this would place onus on the owner to enforce the clause, rather than the onus be on BCC to pursue noise complaints.

“Noise complaint management, including control over the closure windows, would become a landlord and tenant matter to be controlled by the developer/operator with their tenants.”

Nigel Robson, director at developer Urban Vision, said: “100 Broad Street represents an extraordinary opportunity to create a  building of exceptional quality and finesse in an area of the city seeing significant change.

“Our objective is to design a sustainable and socially-conscious residential led mixed-use building with active frontage onto Broad Street and that provides a striking yet sympathetic contribution to the ever changing skyline of the city.” The application will be reviewed at a Birmingham City Council planning committee meeting being held next week on Thursday, February 1.