City planners have hailed designs for a new 26-storey tower block as a "fantastic" and "bold" addition to Birmingham's skyline.

The warm welcome from the council's planning committee means the proposed replacement for the 1970s built NatWest Tower, in Colmore Row, is likely to be given the green light.

Committee members were particularly enthusiastic about plans for a rooftop restaurant with 360-degree views, a ground-level winter garden café and meeting place and a dramatic rooftop 'lantern' structure which will make the building a night-time landmark for miles around.

Chairman Mike Sharpe (Lab Tyburn) said: "It's fantastic. It shows that this is a city which is going forward."

Developer Sterling Property Ventures, its financial partner Rockspring and their architect outlined details of the £60 million development to the councillors who will decide their application.

Coun Maureen Cornish (Con Sutton Four Oaks) said: "It looks fantastic, very nice in that position. I, for one, look forward to visiting the restaurant when it opens."

Coun Martin Straker-Welds (Lab Moseley and Kings Heath) commented on the placement of a modern tower in a historic conservation area.

"It represents a challenge to what you would expect in that location. It's bold, it's new, it's dramatic. It's going to be with us night and day," he told the meeting.

The only voice of disapproval came from Coun Gareth Moore (Con Erdington) who thought it too modern for a site so close to the Council House and Birmingham Cathedral.

"It's a nice design but it's in the historical centre of this city. It's out of character."

The councillors confirmed they viewed the existing tower, designed by John Madin, as having no architectural merit. It was described as the tallest and ugliest building in the Colmore district.

Coun Peter Douglas Osborn (Con Weoley) said: "This is a great improvement, attractive and fits in with other buildings. It's blazing a trail for the city, a 21st century building."

He added only the elegant bank doors designed by artist Henry Haig were worthy of retention from the Madin tower. The developers confirmed the doors would either become a feature in the new building - perhaps in the restaurant - or handed to the artist's family to place in a museum.

The developers also agreed to consider some etching on the glass or artistic design feature to reflect Birmingham's industrial heritage before the final planning application goes to committee.

NatWest Tower in Colmore Row
NatWest Tower in Colmore Row

It was also confirmed the ground-floor winter garden feature had been assessed by experts and there would be no wind tunnel effect.

The building at 103 Colmore Row, which will stand at 346ft and more than 800ft above sea level, will create 500 construction jobs and, once completed, house 2,000 workers.

Proposals for a steel, aluminium and glazed structure come after Birmingham City Council planners had previously deferred an application to knock down the old building without seeing what was replacing it.

The scheme is one of the most long-awaited in the central business district with the 22-storey building having lain empty since 2003.