Residents of  Acocks Green are becoming very concerned about the future of Acocks Green Police Station.  This, 1909 building has an interesting history.

It was built when Acocks Green was still part of the County of Worcestershire. Hence the three pear ornamentation over the central doorway to the police station.  The pears are a feature of the City of Worcester coat of arms.

Look out for the three pears over the main doorway – as in the picture on the right here.   At the time when the police station was built Acocks Green, as part of the parish of Yardley,  was involved in a debate about whether to remain a part of Worcestershire, or whether to become part of the City of Birmingham.  It seems that the pretty red terracotta police station was a gift from Worcestershire in the hope that we decide to remain in Worcestershire.  Ungrateful   Yardley plumped for Birmingham!  So we have been Brummies ever since, but, in commemoration of this part of our History, showing that we were once part of Worcestershire, our  local Police Station still sports its Worcestershire pears.

For more detail, on this Grade B, locally, listed, building,  a helpful note on the Acocks Green History Society website reads:

Built 1909 for Yardley Rural District Council. Included a courthouse. Red brick and terracotta; tile roof. Two-storeys. Almost symmetrical elevation to Yardley Road. Central section with rusticated ground floor, above which is a central pedimented bay with flanking projecting bays with segmental pediments. To either side are two-storey canted bays. Sliding sash windows throughout. On corner with Alexander Road is an octagonal turret with lead dome and keyed ocular windows. Low boundary wall with mould terracotta coping.

This week we learn that the Police Authority are proposing to allocate 2.3 million pounds for a modernisation/rebuild of Acocks Green Police Station during the 2014/15 financial year.  What, in effect does this mean?  Nothing has yet been decided but it seems that options include demolishing and rebuilding (Already deeply unpopular with local activists; the multi-circulation emails have been flying this week.) or selling off and building a new police station elsewhere in Acocks Green.  However, Acocks Green Police Station is a large building.  Who would buy it?  How would they treat it?  To what purpose could they put it?  Could they afford to give it the tlc it needs?  Would they care?

There is more information on Cllr Roger Harmer’s blog

Ayoub Khan, Cabinet Member BCC Community Services & Safety Addresses a Concerned Crowd

This morning (Sunday 22 January 2012) a concerned group of Acocks Green residents and local politicians of various political shades met for an very urgent and very impromptu meeting (called last night) outside the station itself to review the situation.  The meeting was attended by members of Acocks Green Focus Group, Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum, Fox Green Neighbourhood Forum (Acocks Green), Acocks Green Conservative, Labour and Lib-Dem parties (including Cllr Stewart Stacey (Lab) and Councillors Roger Harmer and Iain Bowen (Lib-Dem), Yardley MP John Hemming.  They were addressed by Cllr Bo b Jones, Chair of West Midlands Police Authority Finance and Resources Committee and Ayub Khan, Cabinet Member for BCC Community Services and Safety.

The main points that were raised centred on the future of the building. Residents stressed that their concern is not just that there is ANY police building in Acocks Green, but that they keep THIS important and  attractive, historic building in the heart of Acocks Green’s proposed Conservation Area.  To loose it would mean leaving a huge visual hole in the area.  As Jon Morris of Acocks Green Focus Group and Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum said, nothing else would balance the surrounding buildings, like the Railway Station, Fire Station, and Glynne Edwards Hall in the same way.   Julia Larden (Acocks Green Focus Group) pointed out that selling to another ‘sympathetic owner’ is not necessarily a safe option.  Another public building in Acocks Green (1073 Warwick Road/The Churchill Club/The Knoll) was sold to a sympathetic owner who is now being forced to sell on, having been unable to undertake the planned conversion work due to financial difficulties in the credit crunch. Ann Clarke (Acocks Green Focus Group and Acocks Green Conservative Party) pointed out that part of the Police Station was, originally, residential accommodation, and that this might be a way forward.  Cllrs Jones and Khan said that they would take on board the concerns of the local people and consider the possibility of retaining the building, with some parts of it being let to other organisations.

There is likely to be a further meeting in the coming months (Indoors, and out of the wind!!) so watch this space.

Acocks Green is an internet savy community of bloggers.  There a set of Flickr slide show/set of pictures of the meeting here  and two more descriptions of the meeting here and here (And we will add any further accounts which appear.)

The long awaited Morrison’s plan for Acocks Green has finally arrived.  The various documents involved are on the Birmingham City Council website here Acocks Green Morrison\’s Plan whilst the associated Retirement Village plan is here: ExtraCare Shaftmoor Lane Retirement Village  There is clearly a great deal of material to absorb in both applications.  Here we only offer a few preliminary observations.

The Morrison’s plan documents claim a high percentage of community support in their ‘Supporting Statement on Community Involvement’  It has become apparent that there is  some desire for this plan around the Yarnfield area of Acocks Green, and in Tyseley, where residents are clearly keen for there to be a supermarket.  Some residents also appear to have  accepted the virtually standard issue supermarket plan promise of 400 jobs (Please think about this, people.  Some ‘creative’ estimating’ goes into these figures.  How many supermarkets do you know where there are 400 employees?  Do not allow yourselves to be cleverly conned.)   At the same time, there is also considerable disquiet amongst other inhabitants of Acocks Green.  This  has been reflected in the steady filling up of ‘Stop Morrison’s'  petition sheets around Acocks Green centre.  There are already more signatures on these sheets than the support figures claimed for the Morrison’s scheme.   Pop into Jeffrey’s Hardware, The Swan Trio or Bal’s Supermarket, amongst others,  if you will like to add  your name.  Many Acocks Green residents have voiced to us their own concerns both about the gradual closing down of Acocks Green Centre which the Morrison’s scheme could help increase, and about the loss of a site where skilled jobs could have been created in Shaftmoor Lane.

Meantime, the plot thicknened when we discovered that the Morrison’s plan has a potential rival: A  ‘Tyseley Regeneration Scheme’ has been mooted by Mucklow and Helical Retail.  This contains a large Asda supermarket, but, also, would offer over 1,000 jobs, including, it would seem,  skilled jobs.  This scheme, which describes itself as ‘putting Tyseley back on the map’ is based on a 13 acre site at Reddings Lane in Tysley: the old Eaton Electric site.  This plot, further from Acocks Green centre,  would include  a 71, 600  sq foot Asda, a 70,000 ft retail park, but also an industrial manufacturing scheme involving Eaton Electric and EDF.  Whilst the Morrison’s scheme involves  a ‘Retirement Village’ (the drawings have been described by some as ‘a block of flats’) the Mucklow/Helical scheme  includes a site with previous planning permission for five acres of residential development and up to seventy new homes.  You can read more about the scheme in this Birmingham Post report.  The 60 m. Regeneration Scheme for Tyseley    It is expected that plans will be submitted by the end of November.

An extra twist in the plot: Mucklow/Helical say that if the Morrison’s plan goes ahead then they are likely not to submit their own plan.

So do Acocks Green Focus Group, or any other Acocks Green organisations, yet hold any  position on the battle of the plans?  As of yet Acocks Green has not formulated any general view on the two schemes.   The Mucklow/Helical ideas were only on view a week ago.  Morrison’s plan was only available on line this week and it is too early for any meetings to have taken place.   However, there will be a discussion between representatives of Acocks Green organisations and Mucklow/Helical taking place soon.  Watch this space.

I don’t think any of us are pleased with this at all. I would like to see that site redeveloped, I don’t see the need for another supermarket.

The poster reproduced below, currently on display in the exhibition,  is causing particular bemusement.

Morrison's claim to have identified a gap ...

Firstly, it  is clear from the comments in the Birmingham Mail (See link above) that Fox Hollies traders  are considerably less than convinced about the supposed ‘revitalisation’ on offer to them here!!

Secondly, there is also puzzlement over claims of discomfort and overcrowding at peak times in Acocks Green Sainsbury’s.  When,  exactly, would that be?  If anybody believes that they have experienced these conditions please let us know.  We plan to add some date and time stamped pictures of  Sainsbury’s tills at peak times as soon as this can be arranged.

Finally, Acocks Green Town Centre Manager, Melinda Brown pointed out,  in connection with the statement that Acocks Green Sainsbury’s is trading at 164% of company average, that Acocks Green Sainsbury’s presently has little competition.  However, this is about to change because of the new Tesco’s Yardley (‘Swan’) development, to open in 2012,  the Parkgate Shopping centre scheduled for Shirley and a new supermarket in Sheldon.  In the light of the fact that the poster wording clearly suggests that Morrison’s expect to take trade from Acocks Green supermarkets, Melinda  went on to express concerns, also, about the existing 188 other, smaller, units in Acocks Green, not mentioned in the exhibition. Melinda said:I

If you look at the current lack competition around us it isn’t that surprising that Sainsburys is ‘statistically’ over-performing but we are more than just Sainsburys!  I would be delighted to see a report that evidenced that the 188+ other businesses in the Village (many of which depend on the footfall created by our larger stores)  were also over-performing.   What these reports also do not capture is the  sustainability of the businesses in the Village.

She went on to list a number of, mainly long established,  Acocks Green businesses which have recently closed like Wave Fashions, Acocks Green Cafe, Freshey, Prontaprint, Tiffin Lounge and Retro Hair.  Beyond these, though, Melinda believes that, in the face of the impending supermarket competition with Acocks Green centre, long established ‘absolutely treasured independent’ shops which are currently ‘solid businesses’ could also be ‘pushed’ too far.

On a more positive note Melinda added

We are working hard to find ways to revitalise the Village with the proposed ‘Business Improvement District’.  No matter how large  a supermarket may be or how vast a product range it stocks, it doesn’t offer the local flavour of our Village. We have listened a great deal to what local people have to say about their local shopping centre and if we get the Yes Vote from businesses I do think we will keep many of our shoppers coming to the Village, and I hope, some new ones too. 

We hope she is right.  Meantime, though, there seems plenty here to worry about.  Acocks Green shopping centre  is undoubtedly vulnerable and a the report referred to on the poster by  Roger Tyme and Partners  – see link to Pdf for ‘Retail Needs Assessment Summary’ – noted that access to the village facilities is still an issue.  The village has difficult parking and we have been campaigning on this for years.   If people drive to a big supermarket with lots of facilities and easy parking what will happen, as Melinda asks, not only to our supermarkets, but to our smaller shops, our banks, our cafes   and maybe other facilities like our library. Will these be less used?  Could Acocks Green village become a ghost town?  Will we cease to run into each other ‘in the Green’ because with so few facilities left we don’t go there much?   If  so, how would that affect the life of our community round our centre, as well?

We are told that there will be more local jobs.  This does not, however, take into account the likely loss of jobs from the present Acocks Green centre.

What happens next? Morrison’s have said that the plan will be submitted to Birmingham City Council Planning Department by the end of August.   If you are concerned about these plans download the petition at the top of this post and watch out for the petition appearing in local shops.  Also, drop us a line and let us know what you think and do drop Morrison\’s a line

Updates

See, also, this post on The Birmingham Press for more info on the present worrying trend, this summer, for new supermarket plans in Birmingham, and the recent work of campaigners.

Interesting programme on towns.  Ludlow, ten thousand residents, actively campaigned for a Tesco’s IN town, as opposed to away from their centre – for all the kinds of reason we give below.  See near the beginning of the programme on this  link: BBC iPlayer – \’Town\’

The Guardian magazine carried a very timely article this weekend \’The People vs The Supermarkets\’ by John Harris

‘Once planning permission has been granted and another supermarket goes up, the inevitable happens: local traders suffer, and many go out of business.’   (John Harris, The Guardian 6.8.2011)

Anyone who thinks that that Morrison’s is just another addition to a merry smorgasbord selection of new supermarkets around Acocks Green, please note!

Below is a potentially important extract from Vol 1 of Birmingham City Councl’s Retail Assessment Needs Survey. p. 93. (BCC website.)  Trading in Sainsbury’s will go down anyway when the other three supermarkets planned for around are built, but this extract suggests that the over-trading argument put forward by Morrison’s about Sainsbury’s is not going to be at all useful to them.

BCC Retail Needs Assessment Survey Vol 1, p.93

‘You get more, you get more with a Morrison’s store.’  So went a 90s TV advertising jingle, for those old enough to remember.   So it would seem.  Acocks Green residents are just waking up to the fact that Morrison’s are intending a sixty million pound development on Shaftmoor Lane: the site of the old Lucas factory:

‘At the heart of the develoment is a new Morrison’s supermarket which will unlock the funding for an Extracare retirement village.’

the flyer tells us.  This is to provide 400 jobs.  OK – sounds good, but .. what is to happen to Acocks Green village shopping centre?   Already it is feared that people will leave our local centre to shop at the new Tesco’s on the old  ‘Swan’ site in Yardley,  when that is finished in2012.   The Lucas  development, about a mile from the centre of Acocks Green village could further help to haemorrhage shoppers away from the heart of our centre, possibly killing our smallish local Sainsbury’s and leaving more boarded up shops.  Four hundred jobs – yes, maybe, but what will happen to the jobs of those who work in Acocks Green’s shopping centre?

Do we want our community shopping centre, at the heart of our village, to suffer this kind of competition?  Do we want to replace our urban village shopping centre: a place where many people meet as they  cross through the village to use not just the supermarkets, but greengrocers, hardware shops, small clothing retailers,  charity shops, repair facilities for shoes and clothes and other facilities too, like the library, the local adult education centre, churches, pubs, banks, building societies and friendly small cafes with an efficient trip purely to get in the weekly shopping, as soon as possible, from under one roof?  What effect would this have on the spirit and identity of Acocks Green community?

Many local communities are already struggling under the weight of ‘out of town’ hypermarkets.   Do we want this to happen to us?

Concerned?  We suggest you go to the exhibitions at the times advertised on the flyer reproduced above: August 1st 6-8,  2nd 10-7.00 or 3rd 10-4.00  at Yarnfield school, to find out more.   Acocks Green Focus Group members will be looking in too, as, we suspect, will a lot more of our community; we are already picking up concerns.  We will update with more info in due course.

First updates:  Acocks Green Town Centre manager says that the Acocks Green village Sainsubury’s is 18,000 Sq. feet.  The new Morrison’s will be 35,000 sq. feet – i.e. more than double the size of Acocks Green’s present largest supermarket.

Local councillors are expressing concerns at the plan.

7 Sherbourne Road – new   frontage – work still ongoing.

7 Sherbourne Road - new frontage - close up of corbel detail at top, patterned blue bricks below and window arches

7 Sherbourne Road with 9 Sherbourne Road showing, for comparison

The original number 7 Sherbourne Road, in 2009, before the house was demolished.

The new frontage is fairly similar to the older one next door, in appearance.  Acocks Green people would still rather have had the buildings they had before (see comment on our previous post) and we will continue to press for a Conservation Area in the vicinity of this development; a walk with Conservation Officer Mike Hodder to make initial plans for our own DIY Conservation Area takes place next week, and after that we will be inviting the involvement of local people and putting up updates.  However,  despite the ugly new window frames and the other missing features the care and attention paid to the now surviving detail in this rebuild shows what can be achieved in a work of reconstruction – other developers please take note.

Acocks Green people living around Sherbourne Road Acocks Green were very sad when a set of fine Victorian houses: 1-7  Sherbourne Road were demolished a couple of years ago.  This is part of an patch of Acocks Green long ‘ear marked’ to form the core of a Conservation Area and we have frequently been asked what is now happening to the land there.   The company, Mighty Fine Developments, which bought the properties from E. H. Smith’s, Building Merchants, promised at the time that they would rebuild the frontages: along the lines of assurances they gave to Birmingham City Council Planning Department to reconstruct frontages only in original style.

It was also noted that building materials from the original buildings were being retained, and there  has now, for around two years or more, been a visual promise, also, in the form of this displayed notice:

which mentions eight four bedroom ‘high quality Victorian style houses’ – with frontages presumably to be as illustrated, above, here.  (Double clicking on our imges always enlarges.)

Well, it does appear to be happening: see below – double clicking will enlarge. It is difficult to get good photographs because the area is heavily fenced off to keep intruders out, which is understandable.  However, the buildings are now high enough to get some pictures.  What we note from this is that reclaimed bricks (hopefully the originals) seem to be being used.  We note also that arched windows are being used, and, although you have to look hard in this picture, there are proper brick arches above the windows.  Will these properly reproduce the original, much mourned, houses?   Too early to say yet, but we will be watching and living in hope.  Watch this space (and the houses, if you live near enough!) better pics as soon as we can get ‘em.

Meantime, whilst expressing (cautious) gratitude to Mighty Fine Developments for appearing to make some effort here, we are concerned to prevent any more heart stopping losses like these,  if we can.  We are currently in talks with our new local Conservation Officer, Dr Mike Hodder, and there will be a walk around Acocks Green to make a preliminary survey of the area in the next few weeks.  After that, watch out for a local public meeting to discuss our Community led  Conservation Area Scheme -  we will be putting together a new style  community Conservation Area proposal.  We will need all concerned local hands to the deck to help log everything in the chosen area.  Lets hang on to what we have left folks!

The  AcocksGreenBid website will  keep businesses up to date with developments  in the plan to make Acocks Green a Business Improvement District.   Other local suburbs,  e.g. Kings Heath and Erdington are already BID suburbs.  These suburbs have extra funds to spend on their shopping centres.  To become a BID area, local businesses must first vote to pay funds into a pot which is then available for centre improvements like Christmas lighting, floral displays, better appearances for vacant properties, community toilets, seasonal street events, or extra street cleaning.  Businesses pay in according to their size.

It has been calculated that a ‘BID’ in Acocks Green would raise £100,000  a year, or £500,000 over five years.  (This is typical; in Kings Heath the amount raised in the first year was £120,000 and in Erdington £100,000.)  The extra money to help improve and promote Acocks Green centre would help at a time when the local economy is under threat from the soon to be finished Tesco development at the old Swan Centre in Yardley and plans for Shirley.

In the first stage of consultation with local businesses 93% who responded were in favour.   There are still more processes to be completed, but it seems likely that Acocks Green will become a BID area.  Check out the AcocksGreenBid site for more details about how a BID works and how this could help improve our local shopping centre.

We are delighted to announce that we have now had responses to our questions from all five candidates.  These are there answers to our questions (see our last post).  How would they care for Acocks Green?  Who will you be voting for on May 5?  Read and decide.  Any thoughts?  You can leave a comment – click on ‘comments’ either here or on the individual candidate’s page.

In alphabetical order, here they are.  Click on the candidate’s name to be taken to their answers page.

Amanda Baker (Green)

John Butler (UKIP)

Joe Edgington (Conservative)

Stewart Stacey (Labour)

Penny Wagg (Lib-Dem)

Acocks Green Focus Group is concerned with the fixed features of Acocks Green, roads, buildings, trees, green spaces.   We aim to help protect that which is good and change the not so good.  We are asking the five Acocks Green Ward candidates for the 2011 May 5 Council elections for their answers to some questions about their own policies;  how would they help protect and enhance the future appearance of Acocks Green?  The questions are below.  We will publish answers verbatim, without comment, only adjusting appearance for uniformity where necessary.  We hope that before May 5 we will have a set of answers in order to help Acocks Green residents, who care about their suburb, to decide which candidate’s name to put their ‘X’ by when they drop their bit of paper into one of those black boxes.  Although we will not be commenting, our ‘post’ comments section will be open as usual and it will be possible for readers  to comment on answers if they wish, or, indeed for candidates to comment on each other’s answers.

The Acocks Green Ward candidates are (in alphabetical order) Amanda Baker (Green Party) John Butler (UKIP) Joe Edginton (Conservative Party) Stewart Stacey (Labour Party) Penny Wagg (Lib Dem).

Questions for Candidates:

Are you concerned that the new Tesco development at Yardley could cause the decline of the shopping centre in Acocks Green village?

If so, and if elected, what measures would you encourage Birmingham City Council to adopt in order to ensure that Acocks Green centre remains economically healthy and vibrant?

Do you support the Birmingham City Council/Solihull MBC/Centro scheme for a Smart Route on the Warwick Road from Stratford Road to Lode Lane?  (A Smart Route is a red route with special facilities for buses.  If you are unfamiliar with this scheme there is a report on a meeting between Birmingham City Council Transportation Department staff and Acocks Green delegates below here.)

http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/2010/10/16/acocks-green-meets-with-birmingham-city-council-transportation-planning-regeneration-department-re-warwick-road/

If you are elected, and if you support this scheme (funding is still to be arranged) will you  support, as the first major part of it,  the implementation of a single carriageway through part of Acocks Green centre, to replace part of the present dual carriageway there?  (See post for more details.)

If elected, will you actively also support ‘de-cluttering’ (removal of excess street furniture) as part of the implementation of this scheme?

There are presently plans under discussion for Acocks Green people to propose their own Conservation Area,  working towards presenting their own proposed boundary and an appraisal of the area, with some guidance from BCC officers.  If elected, would you support such a scheme, in principle, and support it in the process of your work as a councillor, e.g. speaking and voting in favour where possible.    If the answer is ‘this depends’ please elaborate.

There is currently concern in the community about a scheme under discussion to demolish The Glynn Edwards Baptist Hall (corner of Yardley Road and Alexander Road, Acocks Green.)   The Hall would be replaced with a new, plate glass design.  The owners of the Hall claim that the scheme would enable them to finance proper maintenance for the two statutorily listed buildings on either side.  They say they would be able to let small rooms in the new building.     See our main Glynn Edwards Hall posting here .  (A subsequent post on the building reproduces a letter from the owners.)

http://acocksgreenfocusgroup.org.uk/2011/02/05/grade-a-listed-glyn-edwards-acocks-green-baptist-hall-under-threat/

If elected,  would you support or oppose this scheme, in its present form.  Please give at least one reason in your answer.

The idea behind this document is that it sets a plan for Birmingham City Council to work towards, until 2026.   Birmingham people and Birmingham organisations are being asked for their opinions.  The closing date is 11.59 pm tonight – slightly extended.    Why bother?  Are the Council really going to do what we want them to do?  We retain a degree of healthy cynicism.  However, as we see it, the Council will have more justification for doing something we don’t want it to do if we have not made our views known.   Once policies are enshrined in the strategy, and if the  Council can show there was little opposition to a policy,  it will become harder to oppose its implementation in the future.  On the other hand, if enough people call for a particular strategy, and always depending upon budgetary costs, this may make implementation more likely.  We are, in principal, supporting the Smart Route Plan for Acocks Green, though pointing out the particular way in which Acocks Green people would like this to be adopted. (Removing the dual carriageway on the Warwick Road in Acocks Green is our first priority.)

We are also pressing, ideally, for a Conservation Area for Acocks Green.  However, failing that, it would not be particularly costly to formally designate Acocks Green a ‘Mature Suburb’.  We have been experiencing a very worrying number of threats to important old buildings, trees and green spaces in Acocks Green in recent years.  There is also a threat of higher density housing.  This appears not likely to affect ‘Mature Suburbs’ in the same way though, although other non formally designated ‘Mature Suburb’  areas are then likely to experience more high density building.   Mature Suburb status could also help protect Acocks Green’s buildings green spaces and trees  in the future, so it is something we are particularly calling for.

Our ‘take’ on the Core Strategy’ is in our submission here  Birmingham Core Strategy – Our Comments If you live in Acocks Green, and think you might want to support these policies our document will also give guidance on the areas to go to for comment.

For comments on the main policies for Acocks Green (8) East Birmingham (E4) Please see our cutting from the site below.  Note we have commented on three other areas too.   (Our comments are registered and will appear on the site shortly, but the team is currently innudated.)

To begin the comments process go to here

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