Curzon Wharf: Approval for World's First Mixed-Use NZC Development

A vision to create the world’s first mixed-use net zero ready development, which features four new buildings ranging from nine to 53-storeys, has been approved.

Hybrid outline & full detailed plans were unanimously approved today (April 27, 2023).

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/1615552617400.png" />

It positions Birmingham as the UK’s leading smart and sustainable city, and one that fully complements the forthcoming ‘Our Future City: 2040 Birmingham' masterplan – due to launch in the coming weeks​.

A process of over seven years of consultation with the Council, public, and a team of regeneration and built environment specialists, Curzon Wharf has secured outline approval for four new buildings. They include:

• up to 130K of Life Science floorspace over nine floors;
• up to 732 PBSA within Watt Tower (41 storey);
• up to 122 residential units within Galton Skytree (14 storey); 
• up to 498 BTR units with Boulton Tower (53-storey, 172m);
• and 3K SF of retail & over 15K SF of vibrant leisure across the site.

Full planning approval was also given for the partial removal of a listed canal wall, which enables the site to move forward with upgraded walking & cycle routes, as well as the delivery of a £2.49M public realm - the latter will now be secured via a S106 legal agreement.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20Curzon%20Wharf2.jpg" />

With outline planning now secured, a Reserved Matters application providing more in-depth information for each building (accommodation numbers, layouts, etc.) will need to be submitted.

Following a three-phase strategy, together with a strict design code, all buildings will be highly energy-efficient and powered by renewable energy sources, but would also be capable of operating more traditionally.

Luxury and leading student and Build to Rent (BTR) operators for these buildings have already been secured, according to Woodbourne.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/SITE%20Curzon%20Wharf.png" />

COSTS: The basic costs have been laid bare: CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) will cost £2.1M (paid on the 41-storey/ equivalent to 9% affordable housing); public realm upgrades will cost in the region of £2.5M (equivalent to 11%); and Net Zero Carbon (NZC) could cost a whopping £11M.

Should the public realm improvements cost less than £2.5M, then the difference will be provided to the Council to be spent on off-site affordable housing.

Incorporating affordable dwellings into the site has materialised, despite the huge costs. It has impacted on viability, but has stopped short of scuppering it. Woodbourne has agreed on 5% (31) – up from 3% – with a deal also in place for 51% of the homes to be two and three-bedrooms.

A mechanism will also be put in place for an increase in affordable homes should Woodbourne deviate away from NZC.

Curzon Wharf was approved unanimously.

Be sure to follow this project and speak with us on Twitter and on our Instagram.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/1615552624183.png" />

“Birmingham is now at a turning point and our generation has the opportunity to transform the city into one of the most sustainable and leading cities in the world. The support received by Curzon Wharf is a reflection of that. It has taken us years of hard work to get here, and I hope the committee supports these unique proposals.

“This isn’t just another development, it’s a manifesto that will position Birmingham as the UK’s leading smart and sustainable city – as demonstrated by the highly successful eco-friendly delivery of the Commonwealth Games – helping to pave the way for the country’s Green Revolution. 

“It will act as a catalyst for the wider transformation of the Eastside area where a number of masterplans have been earmarked which otherwise would not be possible. It signposts Birmingham’s route to delivering transformational change to the city, promoting social, cultural and economic exchange in a truly transformative urban neighbourhood.”

Tani Dulay, Chief Executive, Woodbourne Group

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20Curzon%20Wharf.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20Curzon%20Wharf1.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20Curzon%20Wharf3.jpg" />

Curzon Wharf images from Woodbourne Group + Associated Architects.

Curzon Wharf: Approval Recommended for World's First Mixed-Use NZC Development

The world’s first mixed-use net zero ready development, featuring four new buildings ranging from nine to 53-storeys, is earmarked for approval.

A decision on these hybrid plans (outline + full) will be made on 27 April, at 11 am.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/Curzon%20Wharf%20Existing.jpg" />

Woodbourne Group is seeking outline consent for the demolition of the above site, to be replaced with four new net zero carbon (NZC) buildings comprising:

• up to 130K of Life Science floorspace over nine floors;
• up to 732 PBSA within Watt Tower (41 storey);
• up to 122 residential units within Galton Skytree (14 storey); 
• up to 498 BTR units with Boulton Tower (53-storey, 172m);
• and 3K SF of retail & over 15K SF of vibrant leisure opportunities across the site.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/1615552617400.png" />

Full detailed planning is also sought for the partial demolition of a listed canal wall, enabling the site to undergo walking and cycling route improvements, as well as the delivery of a new £2.49M public realm - the latter will be secured via a S106 legal agreement.

With a three-phase strategy in place, together with a strict design code, all builds are to be built to be highly energy efficient and powered by renewable energy sources, but would of course also be capable of operating more traditionally using non-renewable energy.

Luxury and leading student and Build to Rent (BTR) operators for the buildings have already been secured, says Woodbourne.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/SITE%20Curzon%20Wharf.png" />

More details on each building, accommodation, layouts, etc., will come via a Reserved Matters application should planning consent be achieved on Thursday.

What we do know is that at least 51% of the residential units to be built is required to have two or three-bedrooms, with the affordability offering now up to 5% (31 homes).

A mechanism will be put in place for an increase in affordable provision should Woodbourne not move forward with NZC in any of the phases.

This increase particularly impacts Curzon Wharf's viability. Why? CIL (Community Infrastructure Levy) will cost c.£2.1M, to be paid on the PBSA element (equivalent to 9% affordable housing); public realm improvements will cost £2.5m (equivalent to 11%); and implementing Net Zero Carbon (NZC) will cost around a cool £11M.

Should the public realm improvements cost less than £2.5M, then the difference will be provided to the Council to be spent on off-site affordable housing. Much more to come here!

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/Master_Plan_HotSpots.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/1615552624183.png" />

“Birmingham is now at a turning point and our generation has the opportunity to transform the city into one of the most sustainable and leading cities in the world. The support received by Curzon Wharf is a reflection of that. It has taken us years of hard work to get here, and I hope the committee supports these unique proposals.

“This isn’t just another development, it’s a manifesto that will position Birmingham as the UK’s leading smart and sustainable city – as demonstrated by the highly successful eco-friendly delivery of the Commonwealth Games – helping to pave the way for the country’s Green Revolution. 

“It will act as a catalyst for the wider transformation of the Eastside area where a number of masterplans have been earmarked which otherwise would not be possible. It signposts Birmingham’s route to delivering transformational change to the city, promoting social, cultural and economic exchange in a truly transformative urban neighbourhood.”

Tani Dulay, Chief Executive, Woodbourne Group

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20Curzon%20Wharf.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20Curzon%20Wharf1.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20Curzon%20Wharf2.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20Curzon%20Wharf3.jpg" />

Curzon Wharf images from Woodbourne Group + Associated Architects.

Be sure to follow and speak to us on Twitter, and on our Instagram.

Brindley Drive Towers Edging Towards Approval

Proposals to construct two towers of 15 and 46-storeys with 581 build-to-rent apartments on Brindley Drive are recommended for approval this week (27 April).

Court Collaboration is closing on another skyscraper after the 51-storey One Eastside recently kicked off construction.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Brindley%20Drive%20Updated.png" />

The project, fully funded by PRECap VII S.à r.l. (PGIM Real Estate), one of the world’s largest funds, will see the creation of two environmentally friendly and interlinked new builds of 15 and 46 storeys (31 affordable).

With McAullife Group set to remove large portions of the car park, and a well-known contractor in the frame to build out the entire project, Brindley Drive will deliver a new community comprising 581 (255) one- and (336) two-bedroom apartments (1-4 persons).

Both builds will be connected via a shared, centralised landscaped podium, and will benefit from solar, smart metering and a range of energy efficiency measures, as well as a double fire escape strategy with sprinkler systems to each residence.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Brindley%20Drive%20CGI.jpg" />

The 46-storey will offer 432 homes across 44-storeys, with amenities – club lounges, cinema room, flexible social spaces – on split levels at floors 44 & 45.

The 15-storey ‘Garden Mansion Block’ will provide a further 149 units across 14-storeys, with the added benefit of a 15th-floor amenity space.

At lower levels, there will be even more facilities, including a reception/concierge, lounge, gym, co-working spaces, and 590 cycles across three storage rooms.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Brindley%20Drive%20CGIs.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Brindley-drive.jpeg" />

Provision for 100 vehicle spaces will be re-provided under a lease agreement and will be made available for tenants of Baskerville House only. The car park will be below the courtyard (No.4 below) and will be accessed via Brindley Drive.

Materiality: Designed to relate to its immediate context, level one upwards on the tower will consist of an aluminium frame, with glass reinforced concrete (GRC) at its base along.

The ‘Garden Mansion Block’ is conventional and will be finished in a red/orange textured Birmingham brick, with a glazed brick base, GRC, and bespoke artwork at street level.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Brindley%20Drive%20Ground%20Floor%20Plan.png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Brindley%20Drive%20sketch.png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/BD%20Views.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/SKETCH%20-%20Brindley%20Drive.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/BD%20Massing%20Views.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Brindley%20Drive%20gmb.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Brindley%20Drive%20tower.jpg" />

Brindley Drive, images from Court Collaboration & CallisonRTKL.

Colmore Gate to be "Recycled and Extended"

Colmore Gate is in line for a major new revamp.

The 18 storey, 172K SF block, was built in the 1990s, but with a new owner and a rethink in mind, additional floors could now take it up to 22.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore%20Gate%20April%202023%201.png" />

Israel-based Ashtrom Properties acquired the building from Aviva Investors UK, for a reported £39.5M, in September 2021.

At the time the building was 60% unoccupied with rents averaging at £24 per square foot with a capital value of just over £200 per square foot.

Ashtrom plans to reinvent the building to create a world leading workspace that meets and exceeds the needs of modern occupiers.

The plan is to “recycle and extend” rather than to replace, enabling the construction of a sustainable low/zero carbon structure.

Incorporating a new high-performance façade throughout, the existing seven storey along Bull Street will be extended by four floors and refurbished, offering enhanced office floorspace and a large attractive rooftop amenity space with tiered corner terraces.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore%20Gate%20April%202023%202.png" />

The main building will also be extended to its side, rear and peak, taking it up to 22 floors – a slight decrease from original plans.

All car parking spaces will be removed from the basement and all existing rooftop services moved down there, along with cycles, storage, showers and changing rooms.

At street level two new entrances will adorn Colmore Row and Bull Street. Within, Colmore Gate will offer new meeting rooms, co-working spaces, booths, a lounge and an auditorium.

The existing pedestrian thoroughfare will, rather controversially, be stopped up and rerouted around the building, whilst a commercial unit will be formed to the corner of Colmore Row and Bull Street.

A pre-application consultation is now underway ahead of a former planning submission. Website: www.colmoregate.com

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore%20Gate%20Interventions%201%20(1).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore%20Gate%20Interventions%201%20(2).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore%20Gate%20Interventions%201%20(3).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore%20Gate%20Interventions%201%20(4).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore%20Gate%20Interventions%201%20(5).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore%20Gate%20Interventions%201%20(6).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Sustainability%20Ambitions.png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Colmore_Gate.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/IMG_5449b_BRUM.jpg" />

Colmore Gate, images from Ashtrom Properties, Buckley Gray Yeoman, Tony Hisgett & Daniel Sturley.

Crown Works - April 2023 Update

The Gunsmith Quarter, the dark sheep of Birmingham, is coming on strong, with once tired, derelict plots now being transformed into thriving new communities. 

With 203 high-spec apartments and penthouses, this is Crown Works.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/UC%20Crown%20Works%20April%202023%20(1).png" />

Crown Works, on Hanley Street, is Mitsubishi Estate’s (Europa Capital) forward-funding build to rent debut in Birmingham.

Close to both the Central Business District and to Snow Hill station and tram stop, Crown Works will soon offer:

• 203 high-spec one- to three-bedroom apartments & penthouses;
• Four new buildings of 4-8 storeys (138K SF);
• 5.9K SF of high-quality amenities;
• Contemporary design offering an enhanced interpretation of the GQ.

With works progressing, homes will be set around a raised courtyard, with facilities including a concierge, two gardens, terraces, dining and meeting rooms, a gym, and WFH areas.

These will no doubt prove attractive to prospective renters looking for a new home so close to work.

Complementing the scheme and adding an outward touch to provide additional vitality to the area will be two flexible commercial units, totalling 3.7K SF.

Crown Works is slated for completion in 2024. Watch this space for more.

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/UC%20Crown%20Works%20April%202023%20(2).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/UC%20Crown%20Works%20April%202023%20(3).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/UC%20Crown%20Works%20April%202023%20(4).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/UC%20Crown%20Works%20April%202023%20(5).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/UC%20Crown%20Works%20April%202023%20(6).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/UC%20Crown%20Works%20April%202023%20(7).png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/UC%20Crown%20Works%20April%202023%20(8).png" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20The%20Crown%20Works,%20GQ%20Overview.jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20The%20Crown%20Works.jpg" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/CGI%20-%20The%20Crown%20Works,%20GQ1.jpg" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Hanley%20Street%20Updated%203.png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Hanley%20Street%20Updated%201.png" />

dndimg alt="" dndsrc="https://www.freetimepays.com/uploadedfiles/LLS%20GQ.png" />

dndimg dndsrc="https://www.yourplaceyourspace.net/uploadedfiles/Hanley%20Street%20Updated%202.png" />

Drone photography from Stephen Giles; CGIs from White Ink Architects.