Work to begin on Jewellery Quarter resi scheme

A former office block in Newhall Hill will be demolished to make way for apartments, after Moseley-based MIA Property Group got the go-ahead from Birmingham City Council planners.

The developer says work is set to begin shortly on the Jewellery Quarter site, after planning permission to knock down the former Longhurst Group offices was granted in November.

The office building was built in the early 1990’s, but has been vacant for around three years, during which time efforts to market the building have proved unsuccessful, documents submitted with the planning application stated last year.

The approved development will deliver a total of 32 new one, two and three-bedroom apartments on the edge of the Jewellery Quarter Conservation Area, opposite the listed Argent and Vittoria Works – with developers saying the scheme has been carefully designed to respond to the area’s historic character.

Materials, detailing and massing draw on the established Jewellery Quarter palette, with staggered rooflines, repetitive bays, brick detailing and articulated window
reveals creating “strong street presence and visual interest”.

A total of two affordable homes will be built as part of the scheme.

Zahir Ahmed, Property Director at MIA Property Group, said: “Securing planning consent for our Newhall Hill scheme is the result of more than two years of careful
consultation and design development, and we are grateful for the support and guidance of our professional team throughout that process.

“This is a highly accessible and much-loved part of Birmingham, and we are proud to be bringing forward a scheme that both respects its historic context and delivers new homes where they are most needed.

“As we move into the detailed design stage, our focus will be on delivering well-considered apartments with a strong sense of quality, character and long-term value.”

The scheme will deliver a 12% biodiversity net gain, supporting Birmingham’s environmental objectives, while also contributing to the city’s ongoing need for high-
quality urban housing in sustainable, well-connected locations.

Construction is expected to start this year, and is expected to last between 18 months and two years.

Documents relating to the application can be found on Birmingham City Council’s planning portal, using reference: 2024/02449/PA