Hotel skyscraper plan to be lopped by three storeys
PLANS for a 26-storey city centre hotel which were given the green light almost two years ago have been scaled back after it emerged the application site was larger than originally understood.
Boutique hotel operator Bloc is planning to demolish Gallan House in Hill Street, opposite the rear entrance to New Street Station, and replace it with a new venue to be called ‘Bloc Grand Central’.
But the firm has now lodged a new application with Birmingham City Council which will see the tower reduced by three storeys and the bedroom tally down from 238 to 227 while the exterior of the building will have a less triangular design.
Other changes include a different reception area and the entrance being set further back to allow more space for pedestrians in Hill Street.
The amendments arose after it emerged the site boundary was larger than originally understood, meaning a new design could be created.
Bloc’s first hotel opened in the Jewellery Quarter in 2011, which has since been expanded to include 31 ‘apart-hotel’ rooms, and a second venue was launched at Gatwick Airport in 2014.
Its hotel rooms are designed around a ‘pod’ or compact concept where extra fixtures and fittings are removed to maximise space and create more bedrooms.
However, its latest designs feature deeper rooms and a larger bathroom, prompting the rethink of Bloc Grand Central before construction has commenced.
Company co-founder Colin Graham told the Post in June 2015 the firm was looking at new sites for a second hotel in Birmingham before submitting the plans to city council the following summer.
The project was seen as a potential game changer when councillors awarded planning permission in September 2016 as passing it actually contravened the city council’s own tall building policy.
Under the guidance the Bloc hotel would not normally have been allowed but the application prompted councillors to admit the policy might need reviewing.
The hotel has been designed by Birmingham practice Glenn Howells Architects.