Acocks Green Focus Group

Thanks to a bit of timely nagging at a Birmingham ’social media’ (blogging etc for community groups etc)  meeting tonight, we have now added an overdue gizmo to the site.  By clicking on the page on the right: Second Page Down -  ‘Contact Us’ and filling in the form you will find there, you can now write to Acocks Green Focus Group direct.  Please note if you want to comment on a posting on the group website here you should comment on the site, as before.   ‘Contact us’ is mainly a way of emailing us if you do not want to comment on a positing, but  have a specific question, suggestion, request etc for the group itself.

The Lost Wood (Woodcock Lane, Acocks Green)

We previously blogged on this story on 2 May.  We have just had notification that this plan, for building around the Woodcock Lane trees in Acocks Green has been approved.  You can view the now long discussed plan here.  There has always been considerable controversy around the 2006 sale, by Birmingham City Council, of the strip of land containing these historic trees, originally the avenue to Acocks Green house, home of the Acock family (demolished 1959).  Further debate errupted when it became known that a plan had been submitted for building around the land the trees are on, and a number of local objections went in to the Planning Office.

The decision was finally taken Friday 16 July.  You can view the conditions to that approval by clicking here.  (Clicking again will enlarge so that you can read this easily by using the arrows, or download and print.)

So it is ruled that the trees, which already have protection orders,  are to stay.   Some measures are in place with intention to ensure that the trees are protected.  No doubt there will be local scrutiny to ensure that these conditions, which we display here,  are being adhered to.

We would point out, however, that the main culprit in this whole enterprise is Birmingham City Council, who sold this previously  land very covertly (one advertisement in the back of The Birmingham Post, not seen by any local people) for £26,000.

Food Fair Flag on The Green

Having celebrated the final removal of the ghastly concrete placard holder from the centre of The Green, a while back,  we note that for the last couple of weeks The Green has been sporting some very prominent advertising, courtesy of Birmingham City Council.  This was at a time of the year when normally the focus would be on the glories of the flower beds. (Although something, presumably the cold start to the year, has also led to not much happening here either for the last few weeks.) The three flags have now gone, but they were very large and obvious and somewhat  dominated the whole view of  The Green.    Other areas like Moseley and Edgbaston seem to have escaped the charms of this particular temporary feature.  Is such advertising of – non-Acocks Green – events now likely to become a feature of  The Green in the future we wonder?

Flagrant Behaviour of the Council?

What do other people think?   Was this a lively  addition to The Green and are we just being joyless moaning minnies,  or were the flags spoiling your view and irritating you too?   We would like to know what your thoughts, either way!

We are proud to announce that we are now on Twitter as @AcocksGreenFG.  @AcocksGreenFG and www.acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk are now integrated sites – check out our Twitter feed on the left here, and add us to your own Twitter Account if you are on Twitter.  The micro-blogging site Twitter is fast becoming a vital social media tool to for both picking up and relaying local and national news and information.  Maybe if you are not yet on Twitter now is the time to think about it?

Our Twitter Image

St Mary the Virgin, Aocks Green, Postcard 1905 (Original is on Acocks Green History Society website)

We were intrigued when Ted Tann-Watson, seeing our posting late last year on the Stautory Listing of St Mary’s (now Stat Listed Grade II)  wrote to this site and offered  us a history of the Watsons of Acocks Green.    Ted wrote:

My Great Great Grandfather, John Watson, was involved in the committee
organising the building of the Church, and his brother, Joseph, was
 Churchwarden for several years (there is a plaque commemorating this
at the west end of the Church, on the south wall).  I have a copy
of the Book of Common Prayer presented to Gt Gt Grandfather by
 Rev Gwyther in appreciation of his work, and suitably inscribed.
Both John and Joseph, and several other members of the family,
lie in the Churchyard.

The Watsons, originally grocers and haberdashers  of Smallbrook Street (Now Smallbrook Ringway),  lived, for many years, from 1864,  in Botteville Road.   Ted has some useful information about the building of the two houses they  lived in there.

The family is also interesting.  Charles Watson was a home inventor and scientific experimenter.  His son  Ted was an an engineer who was involved in important developments at both the Morris car company, and, later, at Lucas’s, where he became chief engineer.  He recevied an OBE for his work on the areo engine, and, later an honorary doctrate for developments to the motor engine.   Ted has also offered his  nine page study to  Acocks Green History Society and we suspect it will eventually find a more permanently accessible  home on the History Society website.  However, meantime, we thought people might enjoy Ted’s Watson History, one or two bits of which might eventually find their way into our Conservation Area project.   You can download Ted’s Watson Family History by clicking on the  link here: Watson Family of Acocks Green – History

Woodcock Lane/Warwick Road corner avenue of trees, Acocks Green.  Not again?  Yes, unfortunately, again.

The Lost Wood (Woodcock Lane, Acocks Green)

The story is that the group of trees,  pictured behind the fence, here,  is, historically, the avenue of trees which led to Acocks Green House; the seventeenth century house owned by the Acock family, so, ultimately a place of great historic  significance to all those who live in, and care about, Acocks Green.    Acocks Green House was compulsorily purchased by Birmingham City Council in 1959 and three blocks of flats were built on the site  This small avenue of trees was left as a single marker of the Acocks family land.  It was an attractive  oasis of greenery, known well to Acocks Green residents.   There were bluebells under the trees around this time of the year.  Local elderly residents, without their own gardens in the, sadly, aptly named Needwood House next door to the trees enjoyed overlooking the small wood, and reguarly walked in it.

In 2006 it came to light that the Council had sold the  small wood to the house alongside.   Almost no-one knew about this, until too late.  Required legal niceties,  for making a public announcement of intention to sell Council land, were covered by a single, small, advertisement appearing at the back of The Birmingham Post; needless to say, no-one saw this.  Tree preservation orders were placed on the trees, when Acocks Green people raised the alarm, but no-one was able to do any more.  Acocks Green residents generally, but residents of Needwood House in particular, were incensed.  The sale duly went through, and a large fence appeared in front of the, previously,  common land, with all the trees now behind it.   That was that.

The picture above was taken from over the road, and holding the camera up.  The view seen by local people now is, a lot of the time, more like this one:

Can't see the Trees for the Wood ...

There is now one more of a series of plans  which have, since the sale, been put forward, involving the trees:

Acocks Green Tree Avenue Plan

When Acocks Green Focus Group members inspected yesterday it looked as though quite a lot of the trees were being prepared for ’something’ : a number of branches had clearly been recently removed from a number of trees.  A two storied building is to be built on part of this site.

The official deadline for comments is 13 May folks (Though they will probably be accepted until a few days later.)  Need we say more?

Apparently yes: we  have now had a  report of  holes dug in the ground which may have already disturbed tree roots.

Important update: We have now managed to have a discussion with the relevant tree officer, Rick Wood.  Mr Wood has visited the site.  He confirms that the application does not involve the removal of any more trees, but the oak tree referred to in the application is to be pruned rather than removed.  That, is a relief to know.   Permission was given to prune the higher branches.  Barriers are to be put into the ground to protect the roots of the trees.  Soil recently left around the roots, which could cause damage has, hopefully, been removed.  (We await confirmation)    However, this leaves the issue of a two storied building being built on the land, and aesthetic questions around this.  We will be looking into this further.

Our members have been keeping their ear to the ground!   Recently two different members have written to us with details of two different urban design events, for non-specialists,  within travelling distance of Acocks Green.  Either of these  events  should provide  a lively, informative, experience where you can learn more about the current street design thinking, and about the broad design ethos of Acocks Green Focus Group.   On costs, the good news is that at £5.00 in the case of one and £10.00 in the case of the other, even in these economically difficult times, neither is set to break the bank.

On 13 May,  at 5.45 pm one of our favourite traffic engineers, Phil Jones will give a talk ‘Quality Streets are for Sharing:

What are quality streets? Are they places for people, for cars or both? Phil Jones will share new thinking on the importance of well designed streets – and will discuss how we can create a sense of place through the streets we use every day.

With 25 years experience in the planning and design of  development infrastructure, Phil Jones specialises in achieving synergy between transport planning and urban design, with the aim of creating places and spaces that meet aesthetic, social and functional aims. Part of the team behind Manual for Streets for Department of Transport, Phil is a member of the CABE Space Enabling Panel and MADE Expert Panel member.

Cost: £10 on the door, or pay in advance via PayPal (making payment of £10 to  gerard@made.org.uk)
Venue: School of Jewellery, Vittoria Street, Birmingham B1 3PA
www.schoolofjewellery.co.uk

Talking Cities is organised by MADE, Birmingham City University and Birmingham Architectural Association, with support from CABE and Arts Council England.

Secondly, there is to be an event organised by Civic Voice, in association with English Heritage.   Street Pride is a series of campaign workshops being held around the country:

Street Pride is focused on the four most widespread sources of street clutter: bollards; signs; posts (including lampposts and traffic lights) and guard rails.

The Kind of Cluttered, Outdated, Look Street Pride is Trying to Help Eridicate

Street Pride builds on the excellent initiatives already undertaken by a number of civic societies and responds to the enthusiasm for addressing the issues expressed during the recent debate undertaken by the Civic Society Initiative. By joining the Street Pride campaign your efforts can make a real difference to reducing street clutter locally and by working together we can produce a national picture which will help Civic Voice make places more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive.

Over 75 other local groups are already involved and you can also sign up to Street Pride by sending us your details at info@civicvoice.org.uk

Campaign workshops are being run in

•Wakefield, West Yorkshire Police Headquarters, 8 May
•Winchester, The Guildhall, 22 May
•Warwick, The Court House, Castle Street 12 June
•London, The Gallery, 70 Cowcross Street, 19 June
•Manchester, The Briton’s Protection Hotel 26 June

They run from 10.30am to 1.30pm and each is expected to have a practical session on undertaking a street clutter survey in the afternoon. The workshops cost just £5 to cover light refreshments and places are limited to 30 so please sign up here today! To attend a workshop contact ian.harvey@civicvoice.org.uk or on 0151 708 9920

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