£4m flood scheme on hold as student accommodation plan is queried
A £4m flood defence scheme in Edgbaston has been put on hold because of concerns over the development of a new student accommodation block.
The student accommodation is proposed for the site of the former BBC Sports and Social Club at Pebble Mill.
The 11,000sqm scheme would be split into three buildings in the shape of a ‘C’. Each building would be six storeys high and the scheme would ultimately house 340 students.
The design incorporates car parking, a coffee shop and possibly a takeaway food shop.
The scheme would cost around £4m, but besides providing student accommodation, the development would also help to pay for a flood alleviation scheme by the Environment Agency.
More than 100 homes nearby flooded badly in 2008 and again just three months ago.
The agency is keen to complete the work but is reliant on the accommodation scheme going through first as the Government’s funding of the agency will only provide for around half the cost of the flood scheme.
Birmingham’s planning committee said the flooding scheme was welcome but councillors said they needed more information on the scale of the accommodation block before they could approve the work.
In a statement after the meeting, Calthorpe Estates, which owns the land, said: “Calthorpe Estates will be continuing to work with the Environment Agency and Birmingham City Council to provide additional information for the development proposals to be considered for future planning approval.
“If approved, the scheme will significantly reduce the risk of flooding to over 115 local homes and businesses, as well as improving the ecological environment along the Bourn Brook.”
A report to the planning committee stated: “The private investment required in order to deliver flood defence schemes in partnership with the Environment Agency establishes that the works are brought forward in partnership with a development proposal,” stated the report to the committee.
“In this instance, the funding would be established through the development of the site for student accommodation and the retail development.”
Planning officers said the proposed uses were considered acceptable in principle for the location however, in this instance; the uses also had an important enabling role to play.
“The uses would provide the £2m match funding to the Environment Agency that would allow delivery of the proposed £4m flood defence scheme and would remove approximately 115 private residential properties that were severely flooded in June this year from future flood events,” it added.
