Disused Birmingham offices to become student accommodation

A proposal has been approved to convert a number of units in Chamberlain Buildings

Disused offices are to be transformed into more than 200 new student rooms near universities in Birmingham.

They will be created on four floors, after the council approved a proposal to convert units in Chamberlain Buildings, on Corporation Street.

The development will be based between five institutions, including Aston and Birmingham City universities.

An assessment said there were about 72,000 students at the five and the number was forecast to increase.

Members of the council's planning committee unanimously approved the proposal by the authority and Chamberlain Residences Ltd, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

As well as meeting a growing demand for accommodation, applicants BPG said the project would bring under-used listed buildings back into use.

An artist's impression has been released of how shops will look beneath new student accommodation in Chamberlain Building

During the consultation, no-one raised any objections about the plans for the site.

The application said existing and "currently consented" developments for accommodation "falls short in terms of providing sufficient future residential accommodation to meet the identified future need for purpose built student accommodation to serve both the targeted universities and the wider provision within the city".

The development will be based in between Aston University, Birmingham City University, Roehampton University, University College Birmingham and University of Law Birmingham.

The application added that even taking the development into account there was expected to be a shortage of student accommodation in the next few years, given the forecast growth in university places.