Developers paint new vision for former art school

A £3m development, which will see a former art school converted into 12 apartments in the heart of Sutton Coldfield, has been given the go-ahead by planners.

Developers Key Land Developments and Urban Village have formed a joint venture to transform The Old Art School on Lichfield Road.

The development will be delivered by Birmingham-based business partners Kevin Patrick Sharkey, director of Key Land Capital, and Nick Sellman, chief executive of Urban Village.

The two businessmen are already working together on the £15m Knights House office-to-residential conversion in Sutton Coldfield, which includes 63 apartments with 12 penthouses with views over Sutton Park.

Sharkey said: “Our development of the Old Art School is an exciting project which will create 12 luxurious apartments in a fantastic location, walking distance from the train station and town centre.

“It is a wonderful building and we will be retaining as much of the original character as possible. It’s great to be able to bring life back to this historic building which has been vacant for some time.”

He added: “Nick and myself have identified Sutton Coldfield as a key location in our investment and development strategy. The demand for luxury apartments in a central location is strong, and we believe both Knights House and the Old Art School will appeal enormously to investors and owner-occupiers.”

Work is expected to start on site in April with the first apartments available in January 2020.