Demolition plan for Birmingham industrial site tipped for approval
A plan to create 179 new apartments on the site of a former Birmingham industrial estate looks set to get the go-ahead this week.
An application put forward by developer Cordia would see the 1.1-acre Mott Street Industrial Estate near the city’s Jewellery Quarter demolished to make way for a six-storey new apartment building, while several other buildings are set to be demolished or redeveloped on a separate plot on nearby Great Hampton Street – should the scheme get approval from planners this week (October 23).
Around 4,200 sq ft of commercial space, intended for creative companies, would be made available as part of a redevelopment of the Nightingale Works former cardboard-box factory, which is also set to include 32 new apartments and two “live/work units”.
The development would also see a new “pocket-park” public square built as part of the scheme, as part of several public and private landscaped courtyards included in the plans.
The proposal is part of a wider vision for redevelopment of the area along Great Hampton Street and Constitution Hill, according to applicant Cordia, who says the area forms a key connection between the Jewellery Quarter and the city centre.
Cordia is currently engaged in several adjoining schemes, including a 156-home redevelopment at Gilders Yard, which backs onto the application site.
“Cordia UK’s vision for the Great Hampton Street area is to deliver a desirable, sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhood of distinctive character,” said a supporting statement submitted with the proposals in October last year.
“Through its schemes that are recently completed, currently under construction, and future schemes around Great Hampton Street it aims to densify the area to create momentum, providing significantly more housing and flexible commercial space to generate footfall and employment opportunities, revitalising a neglected part of the city.
“Collectively, the schemes will provide a highly desirable neighbourhood centre that will reinstate Great Hampton Street / Constitution Hill as a popular high-quality gateway into the city and in the future, re-stitch the Jewellery Quarter, Newtown and the Gun Quarter together.”
Should it be approved, the development would create over 600 jobs during the construction phase, with up to 32 permanent full-time roles after completion, the developers say.
A plan to demolish two non-designated heritage asset buildings to make way for the development was given the thumbs-up by the city’s heritage team, who said that the “altered and incomplete state” of both the former Olde Engine Tavern pub and a former wire factory at 192-197 Great Hampton Row meant that their significance to the Jewellery Quarter conservation area was “very low”.
A report by the council’s planning officer said that while the loss of employment land caused by the demolition of the industrial estate ran contrary to a city policy of protecting employment sites, it was “outweighed by the benefits of the scheme.”
“The good level of occupancy of the Mott St Industrial Estate by local organisations supports the need for maintaining a readily available supply of such premises,” she wrote.
“Although the harm derived from the conflict with [ the policy ] would be substantial, in my view there are sufficient significant benefits which, acting together, would outweigh that harm.”
The proposals were prepared by Associated Architects, Dyer and Glancy Nicholls Architects. Phase 2 acted as planning consultants for the scheme.
The application will be decided by Birmingham City Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, October 23.
Documents and proposals relating to the application can be viewed on the council’s planning portal using reference 2024/06837/PA.
