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Work can begin on the largest Jewellery Quarter residential scheme in a decade after plans were submitted.

The £80 million St George’s Urban Village scheme, which encompasses the Kettleworks and land up to the Perry Beeches School, will see more than 600 homes created across a six-acre plot which has stood idle for years.

After the £42 million redevelopment of the Kettleworks, set to begin this summer, proposals have gone in for a further five apartment blocks and four rows of townhouses around private squares nearby.

The plans, on largely vacant land near the Assay Office development, will see studios, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments created as well as a 400-space car park set around a space created for a tennis court.

The work, to be led by Seven Capital’s sister company Colmore Tang Construction, will also see a new road created, extending the existing Tenby Street North which heads towards the Chamberlain Clock.

Seven Capital managing director Phil Carlin said the plans would see distinct buildings created, rather than a homogeneous scheme, to better fit in with the Jewellery Quarter environment.

He said: “If we get planning, there will be more than 600 homes on St George’s Urban Village. We will start the first building as soon as we have planning, with the others to follow shortly after.

“There are some very distinct buildings. We didn’t want to create a big place without any identity.

“Rather than just putting up buildings A, B, C, D, E and F, we wanted to give them their own individual style in the urban village. That seems more in keeping with the Jewellery Quarter.”

Mr Carlin said he expected to start work in the summer after submitting a planning application.

The scheme will become one of the largest in the Quarter and the most significant since New Hampton Lofts.

The proposals, drawn up by architect practice BDP, would see the Kettleworks will become 313 apartments, with a further 315 homes across the rest of the scheme.

Mr Carlin added: “Any refurbishment can be difficult but it is a fairly level site with no horrible obstructions so we should be able to move quickly as soon as we are on site.

“The Kettleworks building will take at least a year. We will be looking to launch some time at the end of next summer but the sales and marketing operation will begin long before that.”

In terms of prices, Mr Carlin said they were still “nowhere near” 2008 levels, with the apartments expected to sell for about £300 a sq ft, which will mean between £100,000 and £300,000.

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