Digbeth residential and offices plan is approved
Hybrid plans for what could become a large new student development near Birmingham city centre have been given the go-ahead by city planners.
Applicants Hartwell applied for full permission for a six-storey commercial office and education block with retail space on the ground floor, alongside a four-storey office block with retail and creative space, on a 2.7-acre plot on Digbeth High Street known as Phoenix Yard.
Plans for two more buildings, which could eventually become student living, residential or hotel space, are also included in the proposal – aiming to secure outline permission for a combination of up to 576 student bed-spaces, 205 residential units, 228 co-living private bedrooms or up to 450 hotel rooms.
A CGI of one of the proposed new buildings on Phoenix Yard. Credit: AHMM/Planning Portal
A planning statement submitted with the proposals said discussions with potential occupiers for the site are ongoing, which meant “flexibility” was required in the outline proposals, ahead of more detailed applications being brought forward once they had been concluded.
“The buildings in both outline and detail have been designed to accommodate the range of uses proposed for that building,” said the document, prepared by Newmark.
“This flexibility will ensure that the proposed development responds to market demands and it will be an effective and usable site that will be brought forward in the context of local requirements.”
The partly boarded-up High Street site, which lies opposite Digbeth Coach Station, is currently home to a former car dealership, as well as a nursery and industrial units.
The site on Digbeth High Street, opposite the coach station, currently part boarded up. Credit: Place Midlands
As part of the scheme a historic former garage and school building on Meriden Street, which dates back to 1853 ,would be renovated for reuse as creative studios, which the applicant says will better reflect Digbeth’s status as the city’s creative heart.
The site lies within walking distance of around £3bn of regeneration projects, roughly halfway between the future HS2 station at Curzon Street and the planned 3,000 home Smithfield scheme. The BBC’s new regional headquarters and broadcast centre at The Tea Factory is also within walking distance.
“These are all significant developments which are of a scale to establish the regeneration of Digbeth,” said a planning statement by architects by Allford Hall Monaghan Morris submitted with the proposals.
“Over the past 5-10 years the area ’s close proximity to Birmingham ’s lively city centre has encouraged the redevelopment of the area as a centre for creative industries, media and the arts.”
“The close proximity to the emerging developments at Smithfield & the BBC Tea Factory opens up significant opportunities for the site.”
The development is being project managed by Ridge, with Cundall as structural engineers. Heritage consultants for the scheme are Wessex Archaeology.
A report by the city council’s planning officer said the loss of employment land – and relocation of 16 jobs at the last remaining business in the current industrial units – would be offset by the new development, which is predicted to create around 600 new roles.
Recommending the scheme for approval, they added that the proposals represented a “high-quality mixed-use development” in a sustainable location on brownfield land.
“The proposed development would result in multiple social, economic and environmental public benefits that would support the strategic aims for development in this part of the city centre.”
Plans and details relating to the application can be viewed on Birmingham City Council’s planning portal using reference: 2025/02816/PA
The application was approved by committee on 20 November.
