Birmingham City Council planning officers have recommended SevenCapital’s £200m resi-led Connaught Square for approval.
Plans would see 700 flats built in one of Birmingham’s largest regeneration projects, spanning 500,000 sq ft in Digbeth.
Original plans submitted in 2016 proposed 940 flats. This was reduced through a series of amendments, along with a larger proportion of two-bed or larger units and increased public space provision, following feedback from council officers and planning committee members in 2017.
The development comprises four buildings of four to 28 storeys and includes 42,000 sq ft of commercial space, down from 62,850 sq ft in the original proposal. It will offer a community gymnasium and boxing academy, and a new riverside walkway and terrace along the River Rea with more than 50,000 sq ft of public open space.
It does not include any affordable homes, but SevenCapital will contribute £1.25m to Birmingham City Council to support its housing delivery.
The scheme was designed by K4 Architects. Construction will be split into two phases. Phase one, which includes the tallest tower, is bounded by Rea Street, High Street and the river, while phase two is on the eastern side of the river, bounded by Bradford Street and Stone Yard.
Planning officers will debate the proposals at the committee meeting on 17 January, after deferring a decision at the 4 January meeting.
Pending consent, work on site is expected to begin this summer, with completion of the first phase expected in March 2022 and full completion by August 2023.
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