Schemes aim to bring 1,700 homes to Birmingham's Southside

Manchester property group MCR has submitted a £275 million urban village scheme to council planners that would see more than 1,000 new homes on the vacant Monaco House site on Bristol Street.

Meanwhile housebuilder Barratt Homes is proposing 778 new apartments and houses on a nearby plot further down Bristol Street, on the former site of Matthew Boulton College and the old St Luke’s housing estate.

MCR's £275 million urban village, named New Monaco, is intended to completely transform a seven acre site on Bristol Street into a unique village community on the fringe of the city centre.

Two towers, 26 and 29 storeys high, will stand alongside apartment blocks and townhouses at the heart of the build-to-rent scheme, providing more than a 1,000 one, two and three-bedroom homes for rent.

Plans for the new city centre community include 1,500 sq m of space for ground-floor shops, cafes and bars; landscaped public and private open areas and pedestrian walkways.

Residents will also benefit from facilities including two levels of basement car parking, a concierge, an on-site gym and cycle club.

The development will provide a new street to link nearby Vere Street with Wrentham Street to connect surrounding city centre locations.

MCR Property Group is working with partners including planning consultant, Pegasus Group, and architects, Leach Rhodes Walker, to bring the ambitious project to life.

Demolition of Monaco House is currently underway with building work set to start at the end of next year. It is estimated the project will take around five years, completing in 2023. Once finished, the homes will be sold via Regency Residential, MCR Property Group’s residential arm.

Chris Taylor, fund manager at MCR Property Group, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the final plans for New Monaco. Everything has been designed to enhance the vacant land and deliver well-designed, high-quality, affordable housing for Birmingham residents and enrich the city centre for generations to come.”

David Onions, director at Pegasus Group, said: ‘‘Monaco House has been an unattractive part of Bristol Street for many years and this major new development will result in a dramatic improvement to this part of the city centre, aiding significant revitalisation of Birmingham’s Southside area and meeting the city’s growing housing needs.”

Christian Gilham, director at Leach Rhodes Walker architects, said: “This purpose-designed urban village will set a fresh benchmark for the quality of city centre living in Birmingham. The scheme embraces high quality, durable designs and revitalises this prominent Bristol Street site to create a new community focused around two new, landmark residential towers.”

Meanwhile plans have also been filed with Birmingham Council for the demolition of the former St Luke's Church and The Highgate Centre off Bristol Street to redevelop the site to provide 778 one, two and three bedroom houses and apartments.

It adds to the dramatic transformation of the area; the site across Bristol Street forms Park Central, a Crest Nicholson housing scheme on the site of the former former Lee Bank estate, which is being undertaken by Crest Nicholson.

An application for the St Luke's site was originally filed in February but withdrawn last month for changes following feedback from the council. It now comprises 233 houses and 545 apartments across 16 apartment buildings as well as a small shop unit.

There will also be 544 parking spaces as well as landscaping and areas of parkland, including children's play areas and a football pitch.