Birmingham Council has unanimously rejected Stephenson Hamilton Risley Studio’s proposal for the Trifecta Residences, a 41-storey build-to-rent development in the city center. The decision, made on 28 November, cited concerns over the lack of affordable housing and potential harm to heritage sites.
The Trifecta Residences plan included 550 rental flats, with just 6% classified as affordable, alongside two smaller towers (11 and 7 stories), 590m² of commercial space, roof gardens, and other amenities. Several low-rise buildings on a 0.6-hectare brownfield site would have been demolished for the project.
Councillors criticized the design, calling it a "monolithic block" and describing the housing mix as "poor." Heritage groups, including the Victorian Society and Twentieth Century Society, opposed the development, arguing it would harm 14 heritage assets, including the Rotunda, St Martin’s Church, and the Grade II-listed Wellington Hotel. Concerns about carbon emissions and insufficient consideration of retrofitting options were also raised.
Although planning officers supported redevelopment, calling the design "distinctive" and suitable for Birmingham’s housing goals, councillors found the trade-off between affordable housing and heritage impacts unacceptable.