Acting on behalf of our client The Galliard Apsley Partnership, Knight Frank’s Planning team has secured the green light from Birmingham City Council for a major new 836-bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development in Selly Oak, Birmingham.
The large-scale mixed-use regeneration project located on the former Sainsbury's site at 1 Chapel Lane will deliver two blocks of PBSA comprising 472 studios and 364 cluster flats, alongside 13,688 sq ft of ground floor commercial space and a 13,374 sq ft medical centre.
The approved scheme will breathe new life into a prominent brownfield site that has remained vacant for over five years, reactivating the Bristol Road frontage. It will provide significant community benefits through the new retail provision and medical centre facilities.
Knight Frank’s Planning team secured the go ahead after its Land team acted as agent in relation to the purchase on behalf of Apsley House Capital and Galliard Homes in early 2023.
Robert Mitchell, a Partner in the Planning team at Knight Frank, said: "This is a fantastic outcome on a high-profile project that will deliver wide-ranging regeneration benefits. Knight Frank has been working on this site having been appointed in April 2023. Since then, we have worked tirelessly, alongside our client and the wider professional team, to secure a planning approval, overcoming previous issues that resulted in refusal prior to our involvement.”
The development by Apsley House Capital and Galliard Homes builds on their strong track record in Birmingham, having delivered over 2,000 new homes across numerous mixed-use regeneration schemes in the city over the past six years.
Richard Jenkins, Head of Sustainability & Urban Development at Galliard Homes, commented: “We are very pleased to have secured yet another planning consent in Birmingham. This scheme will create a vibrant hub on this derelict island site in Selly Oak by opening up the area with the removal of obstructive retaining walls, reinstating the high street along Bristol Road, and providing health care for the community. The close collaboration between our planning and architecture advisors and Birmingham City Council officers ensured an excellent result at planning committee.”
The PBSA-led scheme was designed by award-winning architects Corstorphine & Wright to deliver high-quality living spaces for students with excellent amenities, including study areas, lounges, a gym and a cinema.
James Dallow, Associate Director at Corstorphine & Wright, added: “Corstorphine & Wright is proud part of this fantastic project and we are thrilled to have received planning permission. After extensive public consultation and a collaborative design process, this scheme will reactivate this underutilised site, redefine the High Street and create new public spaces. It will provide much-needed student accommodation, in a sustainable location, that prioritises the wellbeing of its residents. We look forward to seeing this scheme move forward and progress. Congratulations to the whole team involved.”
