Acocks Green Focus Group

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This picture of 20 Dudley Park Road, in the process of recent demolition, was kindly supplied by David Treadwell from Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum. The Forum are supporting The Focus Group in our campaign for a Conservation Area in Acocks Green. The picture helps to say exactly why we need one.

The link here takes you to a disturbing story in our neighbouring suburb of Hall Green. Highfield House Reduced to Rubble. Many Acocks Green people have also commented to us about this.

Watch this space for further news about our Conservation Project coming shortly.

Brendon Daly, landlord of The Inn on the Green Pub has put a lot of work into the appearance of both the pub, which is an important feature on The Green, and into the new garden outside. This has included adding trees to the front … except that they kept on being pulled out. A frustrated Brendon said:

It is a real shame that there are a few mindless idiots in Acocks Green who do not want The Green to change. Altogether we have had six trees pulled out and, of those, lost three. But we will persist in doing our part to help Acocks Green change for the better.

Acocks Green Focus Group decided to buy Brendon a new tree, a flowering hawthorn. This, so far, has been vandal proof. Julia Larden, Chair of Acocks Green Focus Group said:

Brendon has worked so hard with the pub, and the attached new restaurant La Verde, and has given a lot of support to campaigners like us. We need people like Brendon to stay in Acocks Green, and we desperately need more permanent planting like this to improve the look of the centre of Acocks Green, as well.

See below photo of some of the Focus Group with Brendon (with spade) and tree.

Focus Group with Brendon and Tree

Also see “Tree of Hope” at the Solihull Observer - however, note it is The Green we want to improve, not The Inn on the Green - Brendon’s leading the way and the pub’s been improved!!

There is another piece at  Anger at Vandels Pulling up Tree at the Solihull Times.

Someone asked a question in a comment that we felt deserved a proper answer.

Since I moved to Oxford Road in 2006 there has been a great increase in through traffic using this road rather than wait in queues on Warwick Road. I see the bus lane is still in place causing single lane traffic 2 years after the meeting about this, so what (if anything) is being done about it?

We do agree that there are serious problems with bus lanes in Acocks Green, especially on Dudley Park Road. We did our own survey on this.  One of the problems is, indeed, traffic peeling off into other roads.  As you note from information on our blog here, we have discussed this problem with The Council.  In principle they have agree with us that the bus lane should go.  However, it was also agreed that, instead of rushing through an expensive scheme, just to replace the bus lane, things should be properly thought through and coordinated with a bigger plan for a more comprehensive re-design for Acocks Green centre.  For this a feasibility study is needed.

Money for a feasibility study was promised last year.  This money (£20,000) is still there to be spent. The funding of the feasibility study was placed on hold last year awaiting the Local Services team to put in place a Town Centre Manager who could best represent them in further discussions about what the study should cover.  The Town Centre Manager post has now been filled.

At time of writing we are awaiting developments.  Watch this space!