Green light for £360m waterfront scheme
Plans for the world’s first mixed-use net zero carbon ready development have been given the seal of approval by Birmingham City Council’s planning committee.
Tani Dulay’s Woodbourne Group will take forward the £360m waterfront scheme known as Curzon Wharf, which will be within eight minutes walking distance of the HS2 Curzon Street Station.
The planning committee deferred its decision in February as it wanted further information around the size and affordability of the homes.
To satisfy the council, the Woodbourne Group offered to ensure at least 51% of the residential units to be built to have two or three bedrooms and increased the affordable housing offer from 3% to 5%, meaning 31 units will be classed as affordable.
The scheme will feature a 53 storey tower (172m, 564 ft) with 498 units of built-to-rent accommodation, a 41 storey tower with up to 732 units of purpose-built student accommodation and a 14 storey development with up to 122 units of residential space.
It will include nearly 130,000 sq ft of office, R&D and life science space, over 3,000 sq ft of retail space, 15,000 sq ft of leisure space, more than 76,424 sq ft of new and improved public realm and 490m of walking and cycling routes.
The built-to-rent element will stand 53 storeys high making it Birmingham’s tallest building at 172m (564 feet). The purpose-built student accommodation will be 41 storeys and the co-living 14 storeys tall.
Dulay said: “We’ve worked hard to reach this point and it is incredibly satisfying to stand on the brink of delivering such a world class development for a city I’m proud to call home. I would like to thank the planning committee, our team and everyone else that has supported this scheme.
“We need to help power the economic recovery by facilitating investment, creating jobs and acting as a catalyst to further success.”
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Birmingham is proud to have young entrepreneurs like Tani who have the persistence and enthusiasm to drive us towards a brighter and more sustainable future.
“His tireless efforts and unwavering commitment to creating the world’s first mixed-use net zero carbon ready development are a testament to his determination to make a difference.”
Neil Rami, chief executive of West Midlands Growth Company, said: “Curzon Wharf has the potential to catalyse growth and innovation in the West Midlands, not only creating jobs in it’s own right, but helping to drive regional investment as a flagship development that is a very visible beacon of the regions commitment to creating world class, sustainable, infrastructure.”
Paul Kitson, director of place, prosperity, and sustainability at Birmingham City Council, said: “Curzon Wharf is an exciting project for Birmingham and builds upon our ambition to be a greener and more sustainable city. Being home to the world’s first mixed-use net zero carbon ready development is something we’re immensely proud of and after six years in planning, we’re delighted that the £360m development has been given the green light to rejuvenate a key gateway into the city, as well as becoming another key piece of the Birmingham skyline.”
