A Birmingham charity helping students reclaim missed chances at higher education has secured its Edgbaston base, thanks to retrospective planning permission backed by Marrons’ expert support.
Scholars School System – a registered charity and project of the UK Curriculum and Accreditation Body – provides education and career development opportunities to students from diverse and, often, disadvantaged backgrounds. The charity moved into four floors of a high-rise building in Hagley Road with planning permission for office space and some educational use in 2023.
However, as the facility continued to grow – enrolling more students and employing additional staff – a full change of use was required. Shazina Taimoor, operations manager at Scholars School System, said: “We are absolutely delighted retrospective planning permission has been granted, allowing us to continue our important work in this vital location.
“We are proud to empower individuals and create opportunities for real, positive change in Birmingham and beyond. Our mission to provide equal access to quality education remains at the heart of everything we do.
“This decision ensures we can continue to offer a nurturing environment where students gain not only academic qualifications but also the skills and confidence they need to succeed in their careers.” The charity also operates campuses in London, Leicester, Manchester and Bradford, and has partnerships with several local chambers of commerce, enabling students to gain practical experience and sector-based knowledge.
Sachin Parmar, planning director at Marrons, who led the proposals, said: “Scholars School System’s work is having a lasting impact on individuals and the local economy.
“We’re proud to have helped secure the future of such a remarkable educational institution that’s contributing significantly to the social and economic fabric of the area.” Marrons is a multi-disciplinary development consultancy, delivering planning, architecture, design, heritage and socio-economic services to help clients realise their project’s potential and get their schemes the green light.
The consultancy acts on behalf of a range of clients across the UK to deliver economic, social and environmental regeneration through preparing and submitting planning applications, promoting development sites through the local plan process and providing representation at planning appeals. Part of legal and professional services group Ampa, Marrons is a certified B Corporation, meaning it has been verified by B Lab to meet high standards of social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.
The consultancy has been listed in Best Companies 2022 as one of the top 100 best large companies to work for in the UK. It also ranked as a top 75 East Midlands company, top 75 West Midlands company, and top 50 large London company to work for. Marrons has hubs in London, Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Solihull, Southampton, Stratford-upon-Avon, Bristol, Nottingham, Leicester, Lincoln and Sheffield.