Housebuilder refuses to save church in plan to build homes Barratt amends ‘Colditz’ design – but historic building will still go
HERITAGE campaigners trying to save an historic Birmingham church have been given short shrift by housebuilding giant Barratt Homes.
However, the company has caved in to council demands that it redesign a development likened to Colditz POW camp.
But plans to demolish the 1903built St Luke’s Church, which sits on the site in Bristol Street near the town centre, will still go ahead, despite the protests of campaign group Save Britain’s Heritage.
Barratt has lodged revised proposals for the 21.5-acre plot on the corner of Belgrave Middleway and Bristol Street to build 778 apartments and townhouses. The company initially submitted proposals in the spring to build 772 units.
But the project was likened to the Colditz prisoner of war camp by members of Birmingham City Council’s planning committee, while heritage campaigners opposed plans to demolish the church and a former orphanage.
Barratt has since gone back to the drawing board and revised its designs so they now contain 545 apartments and 233 townhouses.
But campaigners are again opposing the application as it would still see the demolition of St Luke’s Church. The now-vacant church was designed by noted Birmingham architects Mansell and Mansell while the Highgate Centre, in St Luke’s Road, dates back to 1877.
It was most recently used as a city council office building but was once a home for orphaned children in the late 19th and early 20th century.
A bell from St Luke’s Church will be used as an elevated feature within the new development.
Mike Fox, deputy director with Save Britain’s Heritage, which jointly opposed the previous application with The Victorian Society, said: “Having looked at the revised plans, we continue to have serious concerns about this development, notably the loss of St Luke’s, a handsome and historic church that should be the centrepiece of any proposed development on this extensive site.
“Time and again the retention and re-use of historic buildings as part of new development has proven to be more successful than those schemes which seek a blank canvas approach.
“We have no doubt that St Luke’s has great potential for re-use.
“Save Britain’s Heritage will be submitting strong objections to the application in due course and we call on the planning committee to give this development the short shrift that it deserves and to demand this fine building is retained.”
The application site is owned by the council and the Homes and Communities Agency and once housed Matthew Boulton College and the St Luke’s housing estate.
It has been vacant since the college buildings were demolished a decade ago.
A statement from Barratt Homes Mercia said: “We believe this new design meets the aspirations of the local authority in terms of design and overall visual appeal.
“We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure we deliver the very best scheme for this important location and the needs of local people.”