Lee Bank Business Centre

We provided advice on all aspect of Daylight & Sunlight to support the re-development of Lee Bank Business Centre to create 120 new apartments in the City Centre.

Birmingham’s Planning Committee recommended permission be granted to turn Lee Bank House, at 55 Holloway Head, into a range of apartments split into one, two and three bedrooms.

The conversion of the old building is set to feature the city's first five-storey roof extension complete with roof garden. The proposals received unanimous approval in November 2020.

The original building was one of three built by the council in the late 1950s. They were designed to accommodate small industrial units displaced by residential schemes in the city centre.

The project is one by developers The Claremont Property Group. Claremont have promised to 'reuse substantive elements of the existing structure, including the main staircases and lift shafts.'

The proposed scheme was drawn up by K4 Architects. The proposal will see an additional five-storeys added to the existing seven-storey block on the Holloway Head side of the site. There will be a further three storeys on the Blucher Street end, creating 122 flats in total.

Ideally located close to the £1bn HS2 station at Curzon Street that will link Birmingham and London, Holloway Head is described as an ideal base for commuters to the north and south. The project is anticipated to complete in 2023.

A statement submitted as part of the planning application stated :

"The applicant’s primary aspiration is to create chic, functional and above-all ‘liveable’ spaces and facilities, which go far beyond other city centre developments, which are generally delivering near-identical units, designed only to meet minimum space standards.

"The plans incorporate 27 different apartment and house types, carefully planned to create large open-plan habitable spaces that exceed minimum (local and national) space standards.

"The different types will not only offer choice, but also multiple price-points for different types of purchasers, including first-time buyers.

"Projekt 55 is aimed predominantly at the owner-occupier market and incorporates a range of shared amenity spaces and larger-than-normal circulation spaces, which will encourage social interaction between residents and promote neighbourliness and a sense of community.

"Given the provision of larger dwellings, high quality internal and external amenity spaces and the proximity to schools and green spaces, the scheme is ideal for attracting family living."

Check out more of our projects and news on Daylight & sunlight, including a project in Beaufort Park (one of the largest residential developments in the UK), as well as an insight into Birmingham daylight and sunlight assessments.