Plans rejected for 540-bed student scheme

Plans for a 29-storey student accommodation scheme have been refused today by Birmingham City Council due to the development being “too overbearing”.

The proposal by developers MRP and Vita Group aimed to create 540 high-quality student rooms on Gough Street with a residents’ gym, dance studio, co-study spaces, social hub, games rooms and private dining rooms.

Set to back onto heritage assets such as the Grade II* listed Singers Hill Synagogue and the locally listed Christadelphian Hall, seven councillors voted against the development.

In July the developers said its proposal was a result of “extensive pre-app discussions with a range of stakeholders including Birmingham Planning Department”.