More than 600 people have signed a petition in a last ditch bid to halt plans to convert a historic home into luxury student apartments.

The plans to convert and extend the Beechenhurst Victorian mansion in the heart of the Selly Park conservation area has been recommended for approval when it goes to the city's planning committee for a second time on Thursday, January 21.

It was put on hold last month for further consultation.

Residents say that the student block will double the population of Serpentine Road and set a precedent for further high-density student development in the Selly Park area.

Developer Four Oaks Green claims it has addressed fears over parking problems by ordering a car ban on residents, many of whom it argues will come from overseas anyway.

It has previously described the development as 'world class' and appropriate for the suburb.

Retired professor Stewart Buchanan, who lives close to the site, said: "We're not opposed to students - far from it. But this isn't a student road.

"Not unnaturally, students like to party. But this is a settled community of families and pensioners. We want peace and quiet."

And mother-of-three Emma Cook said: "We moved here precisely because it's a peaceful, spacious environment to raise our family in.

"With a nationwide shortage of homes, why can't the site be used for new houses or apartments for the open market?"

There are also calls to protect the conservation area from such development.

The planning application was put on hold in December for further consultation over the historic merits of the building.

According to a report for the council's planning committee, the city's conservation advisory panel was "generally positive" about the regeneration of the 1862 building.

The panel was also told that, while Beechenhurst was a historic building, it was "of poor architectural quality" and not on the local list of significant buildings.

Critics have claimed the extension of the former home of renowned social reformer John Sutton Nettlefold could harm a piece of Birmingham's history.

The panel did recommend that they look into putting a blue heritage plaque on the building.

According to the committee report, the developer could now be liable to pay almost £200,000 under the Community Infrastructure Levy, introduced on January 4, to mitigate against the impact of development on an area.