A proposal for a modern roof extension on one of Birmingham’s most prominent Edwardian buildings has angered conservationists.
Birmingham City Council planners are being asked to approve three new storeys on the Grade II* listed Methodist Central Hall in Corporation Street.
The move is outlined in a planning application to turn the interior of the distinctive terracotta-clad structure into apartments and offices.
The new roof would provide a “landmark feature in the skyline” when viewed from the nearby A38 Aston Expressway, according to the company behind the scheme.
Leicester-based firm The Development Factory already has planning permission to put one additional storey on the Central Hall, which would be contained in the eaves and hidden from view.
But in a new proposal lodged with the city council, it is proposed to build two further floors which would be visible from Lancaster Circus.
Both the Victorian Society and the 20th Century Society are opposing the scheme, which they believe would spoil the 1903 building.
Eva Ling, a spokeswoman for the Birmingham 20th Century Society, said: “It would be quite out of keeping with the original design to allow new storeys above the roof line. This is something that must not be allowed to happen.”
