Smallbrook Queensway revamp to go before planners

Two applications proposing a major overhaul of Birmingham’s Smallbrook Queensway, which could bring a tower with more than 300 apartments to the city centre, are set to go before the council’s planning committee next week, with a decision resting on the finalisation of a funding agreement.London-based developer CEG lodged plans for the ‘Smallbrook Quarter’ in August 2016 after initially revealing designs at a public consultation earlier in the year.The plot earmarked for development is adjacent to the Bullring and New Street Station. The first scheme proposes the demolition of buildings SBQ1 and SBQ2 to make way for a tower reaching 26-storeys high and containing 309 apartments.The ground floor and basement will be used as retail space and car parking respectively.Under the second set of plans, buildings SBQ3 and SBQ4 will be refurbished to provide 200,000 sq ft of commercial space. Snobs nightclub will be retained.Both applications have been informally recommended for approval ahead of the meeting next Thursday subject to a section 106 agreement.Documents seen by Insider revealed that officers have recommended that CEG pay no less than £167,000 for public realm improvements in relation to the demolition of SB1 and SB2, along with £438,000 to create a new private courtyard for the occupants of the apartments.A contribution of £4,000 for the supervision of public realm work has also been recommended as part of the deal, as well as £400,000 towards off-site affordable housing and £10,000 for administration fees.An additional £372,000 will also be required to improve the frontage of SBQ3 and SBQ4.The developer has estimated that about 340 construction jobs could be created as part of the apartment element of the development, along with delivering 383 jobs to the wider economy. It could also generate £16.9m for the wider economy during the build and £6m per year once complete.The commercial side of Smallbrook Queensway could create more than 640 office jobs, 163 construction jobs and generate £26.6m per year for Birmingham’s economy.