Small ‘boutique hotel’ for Paradise as Copthorne pulls out
A SMALLER boutique style hotel will form part of the huge £700 million Birmingham city centre development under new plans.
Planners approved an amendment to proposals as part of the
Paradise regeneration project which means the hotel will be reduced in size by four storeys.
The original plan was intended to be built as a replacement for the Copthorne Hotel and was expected to be between 20 and 23 storeys with 250 bedrooms.
But, after Copthorne decided to sell up its Birmingham operation, it has been decided a smaller hotel between 16 and 19 storeys is more suitable.
An office block earmarked to be built next to the new hotel is to be increased from eight storeys to 10 storeys high.
Both the hotel and offices are part of property developers Paradise project which will also feature a 49-storey tower with more than 340 apartments in it.
The project has been in the pipeline for years and outline planning permission was granted back in 2012.
Many of the buildings have been developed and the initial phases of the development have been completed with new offices already opened.
A report to the planning committee said: “It was envisaged at the time of the original outline planning permission, that the proposed hotel would be a replacement for the existing Copthorne Hotel.
“However, Copthorne Hotels have confirmed its intent to close its Birmingham hotel and it will no longer be replaced on the site.
“A smaller boutique hotel is therefore proposed.”
In their application for amending plans, the developers said: “This does not seek to review or change the uses proposed on the site, these will remain the same.
“Nor do the proposals change the fundamental principle of the proposals: it will remain an office-led development, of the highest design quality, with appropriate ancillary uses to help create activity and foster positive place-making in the centre of Birmingham.
“On this basis it is considered that the ‘in principle’ acceptability of the proposed development is not altered, and continued to comply with the Development Plan.”