Opposition to new apartments in Birmingham’s LGBTQ+ village has been dropped by the Nightingale Club – which is opposite the proposed development – and councillors following a pledge from the developers to pay just over £1million in noise reduction measures.
The controversial 12-storey block of apartments has been given the green light following a Birmingham City Council planning committee at the end of December 2023. Opposition from the Nightingale Club was withdrawn after the developers offered to fund up to £1.05million of noise abatement work at the venue.
While there were still concerns from some councillors, including Cllr Colin Green (Sheldon, Liberal Democrats), who voted against the scheme, concerns about the impact on the area’s nightlife with more residents living in the heart of the LGBTQ+ village were withdrawn.
In the same meeting, the council also agreed that the developers did not have to ensure any of the homes were ‘affordable’ – despite having a rule in principle that at least 35% of homes in major developments must be affordable.
The council planning committee meeting (December 21), approved the application to demolish the existing buildings – the former Amusement 13 nightclub and derelict office on the corner of Lower Essex Street and Kent Street – and granted permission to build the new block which will house 46 new flats, 111 of which will be one-bedroom, while the remaining 35 will be two-bed apartments.
