Green light expected for major Birmingham housing plans

Plans for a major residential development in the centre of Birmingham featuring almost 800 homes and a 15-storey tower have been recommended for approval.Applicant Barratt Homes is seeking permission from the city council for the proposed development on land fronting Bristol Street.A total of 590 apartments and 188 houses could be constructed on the 21-acre site if the go-ahead of given at a meeting of the council’s planning committee on Thursday 1 March 2018.The flats would be spread across 16 buildings, including a 15-storey tower.The proposals also include a ground floor commercial unit fronting Bristol Street.Under the plans, St Luke’s Church and The Highgate Centre would be demolished.The application is a revised version of an earlier scheme for the land, which was considered by the committee as an issues report in April 2017 and was subsequently withdrawn.The site, which is owned by Birmingham City Council and the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA), was once homes to Matthew Boulton College buildings and a number of tower blocks, but has since been cleared.