Planners set to consider Birmingham’s Axis redevelopment

Plans to redevelop a landmark office building in Birmingham city centre are set for the go ahead.

London & Continental Railways has applied for permission to demolish the existing Axis building in Holliday Street, next to The Mailbox and replace it with a more modern scheme.

The proposals have been recommended for approval by city council’s planning committee on Thursday.

The existing 1970s building is deemed to be out-of-date and demolition and new-build is considered more commercially viable than just refurbishment.

The application is in two parts but the combined scheme would result in the redevelopment of the entire site and comprises the construction of a new office block, interim car parking and landscaping and associated works.

The new building would be erected to the south-west of the site and the existing building. It would be nine-storeys high – slightly lower than the existing building – and of a modern appearance. It would be constructed as a simple rectangular glazed block rather than the current T-shaped building.

Break out terraces would be positioned randomly across the elevations and there would be a terrace along both the north and south of the new rooftop.

The development would provide 19,700m² of new office floorspace and 216m² of new retail space.

The existing building would be demolished after the new building has been constructed and plans submitted detail how the site, including parking and pedestrian access, would be laid out during the construction of the proposed building, the demolition of the existing building and then on an interim basis until the second phase of development could be brought forward.

An outline application for the second phase of the development is expected later this year.

This could include a further three buildings built around the edge of a new, centralised, public square.

As with recent plans to demolish the city’s 1960s and 70s architecture, the Axis scheme has attracted comments from preservationists. They say the existing building is a good example of its time and it does not need to be demolished.

Equally, comments supporting the application have also been received by the city council, one saying the proposal will revitalise the area and increase the value of properties.

Another welcomes the impact the scheme will have on visitors to The Mailbox, although there are concerns about the proximity of the proposed building to the Mailbox itself, particularly in relation to existing apartments.

Other concerns centred around overcrowding, loss of privacy, loss of light, loss of trees, increase in traffic, poor and inadequate design and the fact that it would adversely affect the residents’ outlook.

Despite comments the building is considered to be a good example of its period, the block is not deemed to be of sufficient quality to warrant listing.

The report to the planning committee concludes that while there will be marked change in outlook for the residents of the Mailbox, the siting and design of the building and its city centre location are unlikely to result in loss of amenity.

The report states: “The proposal would result in a modern replacement office building. It would be well designed, set within good landscaping and have an adequate level of car parking provision which would be in situ until the second phase of development could be progressed. The proposal would accord with both local and national planning policies and should therefore be approved.”

As part of the scheme, the applicant has agreed to pay £300,000 towards the ‘Navigation Street – Making Connections’ project, which seeks to improve the city’s connectivity.