Wavensmere reveals £45m Edgbaston vision
Plans have been submitted to Birmingham City Council for a 165-home redevelopment of the Clarendon Suites site, vacant for more than a decade.
The 3.43-acre site could accommodate a blend of new houses and apartments at the plot, located off Clarendon Road and the arterial A456 Hagley Road.
Designed by Glancy Nicholls Architects, the development has been conceived as low-rise in nature, fitting with the surrounding conservation area, incorporating architectural detailing from Edgbaston’s grand traditional residences.
Changes have been made to the initial set of drawings, following an extensive public consultation exercise, coordinated by planning consultants RPS Tetra Tech.
Three distinct character zones are now proposed. The first zone draws reference from the traditional housing along Clarendon Road, while a central zone features more contemporary housing styles, and a third zone comprises a six-storey apartment building fronting Hagley Road.
James Dickens, managing director of Wavensmere Homes, said: “Having seen this prominent site lay vacant for so long, we are very pleased to lodge our detailed planning application, which has the support of local people and stakeholders, and is commercially viable to deliver.
“We have been working alongside officers from Birmingham City Council on the collective approach and housing requirements for Clarendon since the start of the year.
“While there is no scarcity of recent development along Hagley Road, so many sectors are not currently catered for. We are pleased that our concept of delivering three bedroom houses to suit young families has been so welcomed during the public consultation process.”
A total of 75 three-bedroom townhouses and 90 one- and two-bedroom apartments are proposed, added to public open space and private communal space for residents’ use, which will be equipped as a children’s play area.
Vehicular access to the site is from Stirling Road. Mature category A trees will be retained along Hagley Road, with additional planting and biodiversity net gains.
Adam McPartland, managing director of Glancy Nicholls Architects, said: “In crafting our vision for this contemporary housing scheme, we’ve drawn inspiration from the rich historical tapestry of the area.
“Our design ethos – alongside the collaborative vision of Wavensmere Homes – places a significant emphasis on exemplary placemaking, intricately weaving modernity with the timeless charm of Edgbaston’s grand residences.”
Opened to great fanfare in 1971, the largely windowless Clarenson Suites was designed by John Madin and was used as Clarendon Suites by the Warwickshire Masonic Brethren until its closure in February 2014.
It staged conferences, exhibitions and banquets, in addition to use as the Provincial Grand Lodge of Warwickshire Masons.
A major fire broke out in February 2019 and demolition and site clearance followed in 2022. Wavensmere Homes was chosen as the preferred developer following recent marketing of the development land by JLL’s Birmingham residential team.
Headquartered in nearby Calthorpe Road, Wavensmere Homes has 3,500 homes on site, or currently in planning, with its roster of schemes including the £175m redevelopment of the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary into the Nightingale Quarter, a 925-home project.
