Birmingham: A new 47-storey skyscraper is going to be constructed after the approval of last Thursday

The approval for constructing a 47-storey skyscraper on Broad Street was granted by Birmingham City Council's planning committee on Thursday. The skyscraper is planned to reach a height of 145m, and it will offer 525 residential apartments with a variety of one and two-bedrooms.

The building will feature amenities such as a lobby area, residents' lounge, gym, well-being space, and an event area. Facilities like a nursery, games lounge, cinema room, and arcade room on the mezzanine level, with a 'pocket park' serving as a pedestrian connection between Broad Street and Essington Street, are also included in the plans.

It should be mentioned that this £175 million project is promoted as the most secure, technologically advanced, and environmentally sustainable residential development of its kind. The construction of the development is expected to be completed by 2027.

During the planning committee session, councilors praised the architectural design of the project but expressed their concern about the limited percentage of affordable homes (only four percent of the total apartments). According to a council officer's report, the proposal underwent a fair evaluation, with independent assessors suggesting that the development could still be possible if a six percent allocation for affordable housing was considered without compromising its viability.

However, the planning committee argue that, if they accept the 6 percent allocation, the apartments will have just 20 percent discount. Therefore, new tenants who are entitled to the benefit of affordable housing, might be discouraged to apply for the apartments. On the contrary, they recommend to secure a deeper 30 percent discount, if they keep the initial plan to offer 21 apartments at a lower price.

In addition, the Birmingham Civic Society expressed concerns about the skyscraper's potential visual impact on the local area and its effect on conservation zones such as the Edgbaston Conservation Area. However, an evaluation determined that the development would not significantly impact these conservation areas.