High Court rejects bid to save brutalist office block in Birmingham

The High Court has dismissed an application for judicial review challenging Birmingham City Council's decision to demolish a brutalist building in the city centre.

The campaign group behind the challenge, 'Save Smallbrook', claimed the local authority misinterpreted local policy concerning the carbon impact of demolishing a building.

Birmingham's planning committee had approved plans in February 2024 to demolish the 1960s concrete office block known as 'the Ringway' and for the construction of a 48-storey residential tower block in its place.

Two months later, Save Smallbrook issued its pre-action protocol letter, threatening two grounds of challenge.

The first ground argued that the planning officer's report attached to the decision materially misinterpreted local policy and incorrectly advised members there was no policy basis that would allow or encourage the consideration of embodied carbon calculations when assessing the proposed development.

The second ground meanwhile contended that the reasoning in the planning officer's report when addressing proposed alternatives to the proposed development was "inadequate and unintelligible" to the extent that it gave rise to substantial doubt about the reasons for material conclusions.

However, the group's application was dismissed on Tuesday (10 September) at an oral hearing.

In an update posted to the group's crowdfunding page, a spokesperson said:  "We are disappointed, but this is just a setback. We have lost a legal argument but not the argument that matters.

"We will continue to campaign for Birmingham's heritage, zero carbon, social housing and local democracy."

The group is currently attempting to raise a further £5,000 to cover its legal fees.

Adam Carey