Developer Araripe has been granted planning approval by Birmingham City Council for the Lonsdale House purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme in Birmingham, designed by Leach Rhodes Walker.
Araripe sought permission to demolish the 1960s Lonsdale House office building, a four-storey structure on Blucher Street, and replace it with a ten-storey student accommodation building. The scheme will deliver 198 student bedrooms in a mix of 63 studios and 18-, seven- or eight-bed clusters, alongside both internal and external amenity spaces and 88 cycle spaces.
Planning officers said their data showed universities were continuing to grow, and the demand for accommodation was expected to be high in Selly Oak and Edgbaston.
“The proposed development would see the delivery of a high-quality development in a sustainable location on brownfield land.
“The proposed scheme would make a contribution towards Birmingham’s housing need, PBSA demand and contribute towards the regeneration aspirations for this part of the city centre.”
Planning report, Planning Committee, Birmingham City Council
The 0.08ha site is within ten minutes by bike, 15 minutes by bus or train or 40 minutes walk to the University of Birmingham. For University College Birmingham, it is within 15 minutes walking distance. Aston University is within 21 minutes walking distance to the site.
The Lonsdale House site is also close to the Mailbox shopping centre, and a ten-minute walk to Birmingham New Street Rail Station and Bullring, the premiere Birmingham shopping centre.
The wider project team includes CWA Engineering, SCP as highways consultant, Waterman as MEP engineers, FPCR for townscape and visual impact, CBRE as planning consultant, BB7 as fire consultant, Hoare Lea for air quality and Urban Microclimate as wind consultants.
