Selly Oak Centre

UPDATE
These plans were rejected by BCC but the applicant has since appealed.

======================================================

Plans have been submitted to turn the former Selly Oak Institute (Centre) into a student residence with 16 bedrooms sharing multiple bathrooms and living space. (Change of use from class D1 to Student residence Sui Generis). This will neither be configured as private cluster flats nor as a linear hall of residence with en-suite facilities. Some of the bathrooms are off public spaces such as the main reception hall. We do not believe that this design will be attractive to students. The space will be shared with management offices but the size of the residences do not warrant a large management suite so we suspect there may be an intention to use this for professional services such as a letting agency. As this would be use class A2 - not as described in the planning application.

The Selly Oak Centre is one of few remaining landmark listed buildings in the ward and we do not think this use is appropriate for this building and certainly not with the proposed design.

The planning application number is 2013/07221/PA and comments are requested by 31st October at the planning website or by post.

The Selly Oak Institute was gifted to the ward by the Cadbury family for educational use but with apparently no protective covenant. It is a Grade II listed building.