Birmingham City Council members have rejected a planning proposal for a 42-storey skyscraper to be built on top of a Grade-II listed former hospital.
The plan involved constructing a large glass tower with over 300 flats, a cafe, and a roof terrace on top of the early nineteenth century Georgian building.
Councillors labelled the proposal ‘utterly bonkers’ and ‘ridiculous’ during a planning committee meeting.
Labour councillor Lee Marsham said he supports the aim to regenerate the site but added that he thought the developers had ‘just plonked something on top of it and hoped that it works’.
Conservative councillor Gareth Moore commented: ‘This is utterly bonkers. The idea you can stick a 42-storey tower block over a Georgian mansion is ridiculous. The idea it was even dreamt up is quite frankly ludicrous.’
The building, known as Islington Villa, was last in use as a bar, restaurant and nightclub, which closed in 2020. It is currently vacant.
