Crystal Maze-style escape room set for Jewellery Quarter factory

A Crystal Maze-inspired escape room group is set to bring its new concept to Birmingham after it submitted plans to convert a former factory in the city.

Escape Reality runs several leisure outlets throughout the country based on a ‘game room’ concept which it compares to the TV programme.

It has applied to Birmingham City Council for permission to convert the former Fenners and Betteridge, Japanners, Papier Mache and Pearl Inlay factory in Constitution Hill in the Jewellery Quarter.

The group also needs special consent for the alterations as the property is Grade II-listed.

If approved, customers using the games facility have the option of six differently-themed rooms from which they can choose to escape, with a group (usually between two to six people) being locked in a chosen room for up to 60 minutes and attempting to decode clues in order to escape.

The activities are often used for corporate team building sessions.

No external alterations to the building, which dates back to the 1820s, are proposed as part of the application but inside, changes are proposed to a former warehouse at the rear of the factory with the plasterboard stud partitioning used to create the six separate themed rooms, although this is not expected to have a substantial impact on the fabric of the building.

It is envisaged that typical maximum occupancy will be approximately 50 customers with five to six members of staff.

The premises include a parking area to the side of No. 56 – 58 Constitution Hill which can accommodate 11 car parking spaces. Whilst daytime use of this parking area is shared with the adjacent clothes wholesalers, the applicant has said it will have exclusive use of all spaces during evenings and weekends – expected to be the peak usage periods.

The facility would be open between 10am to 11pm every day including holidays.