Five-storey St Paul's Square plan is a step too far for city council conservationists

Oct 13 2009 by Neil Elkes, Birmingham Post

A three-storey limit on homes and offices surrounding Birmingham’s historic St Paul’s Square must be preserved, according to city conservationists.

The city council’s Heritage and Conservation Panel have told the developer behind an apartment conversion that they are against taking the building up to five storeys high.

Developer Wardcrop Assured Tenancies wants to convert the Blackthorn House office block, on the fringe of St Paul’s Square, into three luxury penthouse apartments, as well as building five new homes at the rear.

Panel members will insist the planning committee does not allow the building to go to five storeys when they meet to decide the application.

Ross Bellamy, of the Birmingham Civic Society, said: “The design and materials have improved the building. If they made it four storeys with a pitched roof and not a flat roof, that would be acceptable.”

However, other panel members felt the building should not be increased at all. Andy Foster, of the Society for Ancient Buildings, said: “I take a harder line, this building is intrusive on St Paul’s Square, it should not go above three storeys.”