UK: Plans have been submitted for the proposed demolition of two office blocks in Digbeth to make way for a new hotel and aparthotel.
The application site sits at the junction of Digbeth High Street and Bradford Street and is currently occupied by Wolverley House and Smithfield House which were constructed in the 1950s but are largely vacant now.
Joint applicants Lethia Holdings and Uddingston Holdings want to build a new nine-storey, 175-bedroom hotel with a rooftop bar and ground-floor restaurant.
A second building would contain a mix of 80 studios and one-bedroom units across 12 storeys for use as an aparthotel, with a café on the ground floor.
Both the hotel and aparthotel will be accessed from Moat Lane, which borders the application site, while the rooftop bar will have its own public entrance accessible from Digbeth High Street.
There will be two disabled spaces, but no other parking for vehicles, and 43 secure spaces for bikes in the basements of the two buildings. It is thought the new hotels will create the equivalent of 100 new full-time jobs.
The application site sits within the Birmingham Smithfield Masterplan area which relates to the major regeneration project planned for the former nearby home of the wholesale markets.
Bullring, Moor Street station and the new HS2 terminal are also a short distance from the proposed scheme which has been designed by Dexter Moren Associates.
A report submitted in support of the new planning application said: “In recent years, it has become difficult to find office tenants to occupy the buildings as neither meet modern occupier requirements. Both the hotel and aparthotel will contribute to the mixed-use nature of the area while also creating significant public realm benefits through the enhancement of Digbeth and Moat Lane and the aspiration to create a pocket park in Upper Mill Lane.”
“Hotel, aparthotel and café land uses in this location are supported by the Birmingham Development Plan policies and the activity vision of the Smithfield Masterplan. It will complement the comprehensive redevelopment of the wholesale markets site without prejudicing the delivery of the metro extensions or the sprint bus service projects. The scheme will make a positive contribution to the city centre’s business, tourism and night-time economy,” the report added.
