Plans for statement student flats near Birmingham’s Mailbox

Landmark Properties’ plans to build more than 500 student flats on Suffolk Street, in a scheme it says could help tackle Birmingham’s student housing shortfall and support a £4bn knowledge quarter vision.

Plans to develop the “statement” 21-storey tower on the site of a car park near the Mailbox were lodged with planners in the city this week.

US-backed developer Landmark says the development of 506 new student flats would help address an under-supply of purpose built student accommodation in Birmingham, with statistics produced by the company indicating a shortfall of around 30,000 beds in the city during term-time.

Landmark lodged a screening opinion request with the city council earlier this year, which included site clearance and demolition of all existing structures and the erection of a 21-storey building, and an eight-storey shoulder building – set to contain around 161,000 sq ft of floorspace.

The proposed development contains no parking spaces for students, with the developers saying the proposed building was in a sustainable location, with good access to the city’s public transport network.

“The close proximity of numerous facilities within the City Centre results in student residents having excellent opportunities to undertake everyday trips for employment, retail and leisure on foot,” they wrote in their screening opinion request.

The firm is the largest student housing developer in the USA, and currently manages over 72,000 student units. A spokesperson for the group said it has plans to become a “major player” in the UK and European PBSA market.

“120 Suffolk Street represents our strong investment appetite and thoughtful project delivery plans,” said Tristram Taylor, of Landmark Properties.

“Our approach seeks to enhance the City Council’s existing vision for the area by responding directly to the undersupply of student accommodation across Birmingham. Working with our local team, we have engaged constructively through the pre-application process with Birmingham City Council and statutory consultees.

“Subject to achieving a planning consent in the coming months, we are looking forward to kick-starting construction and delivery as soon as possible thereafter.”

The scheme has been designed by Glancy Nicholls Architects, which has worked in collaboration with Birmingham City Council to develop the approach.

A local and Birmingham-based team including Williams Gallagher (planning), Node (HTVIA), Pareto (PM), Core 5 (QS) also supported the application alongside Flow Design Architects.