Bournbrook Road

Demolition, conversion, modification and extension of a terrace of 5 houses to create a 69 bedroom Purpose Built Student Accommodation development totalling 43 studio bedrooms, 26 cluster bedrooms in 4 clusters, communal facilities, external amenity areas, bicycle storage, landscaping and associated works.

The site is in very close proximity to the University of Birmingham, whose Southgate is on the opposite side of the Bristol Road, which runs between the two.

The site was once screened from the Bristol Road by mature tree and shrubbery growth on the banks of the open Bourn Brook water course, which ran between Bristol Road and Arley Road in front of the site. However, Bristol Road widening civil engineering works completed by Birmingham City Council (BCC) in 2010, removed Bourn Brooks planted banks, and positioned the Brook in a culvert under the roads. This work resulted in the site being exposed to the Bristol Road, with side elevation and garden fence now in prominent view with an awkward gap between the housing on Bournbrook and Arley Roads.

The proposal will enhance views of the site, create a sense of place and mend the visual damage done by BCCs removal of trees and civil engineering works with a new building, which fills the gap and responds positively to the now prominent location opposite the university and on its corner site.

The existing properties on the site, including their neighbours are HMO’s in student residential use, but inefficient in their plan, garden use and sustainability. The intended dedicated student accommodation, will maintain the sites current use, which is the most suitable use for the location directly opposite the University, whilst making far more efficient use of the site with enhanced high quality accommodation.

Design development has been carefully considered including review of historic and recent development near the site to prepare a suitable scaled building which both respects its location while also making use of its prominent location with a suitably scaled modern proposal.