Acocks Green Focus Group

42 Flint Green Road

44 Flint Green Road

NB if you arrived here from a Google search please check our most recent posting on this story by going to the top of our website, here and scrolling down.  We have noticed that lots of people are ‘tuning in’ today with search terms like ‘Flint Green Road’ or 42-44 Flint Green Road.  Yes,  They have been sold off auction.  The news started to filter through on Thursday 11 March.  The information we have at present is that they have gone to a ‘consortium’ of builders who approached and offered a ‘a substantial figure above the guides’  for the two houses plus the land at the back. ( This was despite a previous refusal of the owners to consider selling any other way than individually, and at auction.)  The land at the back has existing planning permission (2010) for five four bedroomed town houses.  That planning permission involves keeping numbers 42-44 more-or-less as they are, but modernising as offices/flats.  (They have already been used for these purpose, we think, since at least the 1950s, judging by fittings inside.

There is also a previously existing permission (2007) which still stands.  This involves knocking down all but the frontages  of 42-44, making those two frontages into one, and higher,  and building high flats which would side on to Arden Road.   This, plan, never popular with local residents, was abandoned by the previous owners, E. H. Smith’s, on the basis that building new blocks of flats has not brought a good return for developers since the recession started.

The properties and land have NOT been bought by ‘Mighty Fine Developments’ who are the firm presently building on the land of 1-7 Sherbourne Road, opposite.  This was confirmed to us by John Shepherd, but the name of the new owners has not yet been revealed.   Residents, and Birmingham City Council,  look forward to finding out more, as soon as possible.  Meantime, if you happen to have any more information then we would be delighted to hear from you.

(If you are new to this site, and this story, check out earlier postings below.)

We have had excellent coverage and support in this campaign from the national organisation Save Britain’s Heritage, who have considered these two buildings  so important that they have featured them jointly as ‘Building of the Month’ on their website, which you can visit here.

We are aware that many people log onto our website looking for information about the redevelopment of the old Swan shopping centre.  There are aspects of this development which may touch Acocks Green, especially concerns over potential competition, which may be even be worrying in the light of indefinite delays on some aspects of our own re-design.    Otherwise, this is more of a Yardley issue, however, we are aware that Yardley does not yet enjoy the kind of rich internet presence Acocks Green has (scope for someone … ?) so in order to help our neighbours in Yardley we offer this, latest, link, which has come to our notice: Mr Knight Adams’s own website is available here.

We have recently learned that the Birmingham Landscape Practice Plans for Acocks Green (see link on right, combining the two islands &etc) have now been put on indefinite hold as a result of the recession.  This is very depressing news.

The  summary of the recent opinion surveys on the Warwick Road/A41 plans is now available on the Warwick Road website – see link on right at top of Local Links.

(Please note these plans  are for the whole of the Warwick Road and should not be confused with the Landscape Practice plans for Acocks Green only.)

Alternatively, to  slightly simplify matters for Acocks Green people we have also downloaded the sections of the plan, which are relevant to us, and made a special page for these plans with some additional access  instructions:  see link on right (first set of links, for pages)  or link here

The Focus Group’s views are also available on this page in the form of an easy to read downloadable Word document which lists all the major points on the five plans.    However, in a nutshell,  we are concerned about aspects of these plans which seem to highlight the convenience of drivers over those of pedestrians.  We do not think that the zebra crossing should be moved.   We do not think that any action needs to be taken over the supposed danger of the central island car park.  As long as car parking in Acocks  Green, as without the Landscape Practice plans it looks set to be for the foreseeable future,   this car park will remain vital.  Having people crossing and to and fro at this point, without any obstructing  street furniture,  also enforces a certain amount of ‘informal’ Shared Space, and pedestrian power,  on what would otherwise become even more of a race track, around The Green.  We will be submitting these views to Birmingham City Council and the Warwick Road Project Team, shortly.

Market Survey

If you see any of these people around when you are out shopping in Acocks Green find out what they are after.  One of our members has just been interviewed by a member of a market survey team clearly checking out people’s views on the new plans for the A41/Warwick Road.  The member was asked if he used the shopping centre, what others shopping centres he used, whether he used buses, what he thought of the service, what he thought of parking in Acocks Green, how he believes the layout could be improved etc.

Grab one of this lot with a clipboard and share your opinions!

Acocks Green Prontaprint - with its fascia board now missing - closed for good, it seems - Did the guard rails play a part?

We are told that the new plans for the Warwick Road/A41 currently being drawn up in conjunction with Birmingham City Council, Solihull Council, Centro and Atkins Global, will be available for viewing on the Warwick Road website from around Friday 4 December.   These plans are the result of consultations with local groups so far.  There is a link to the Warwick Road Project Team website here These plans will be for the full length of the Warwick Road from Stratford Road to Lode Lane, Solihull.   The earlier plans, however, looked promising for Acocks Green, and, hopefully, local suggestions are now being taken on board.  There will be a second phase of consultation at the end of January when details like the precise locations  of items like  trees and traffic lights will be added in.

Meantime, we are sad to note that Acocks Green Prontaprint closed recently.  The franchise print and business admin services shop has served the local business community and local organisations, including The Focus Group, for many years.

We  hope that the new plans will continue to take  account of issues like the poorly planned layout of the Warwick Road as it enters Acocks Green village from town, with its present chaos of notorious and unloved  bus lanes which cause hold-ups for all (including buses),  three crossing stages between Wilkinson’s and Barclays,  central paved section, guard rails and generally wasted space.  Shops caught behind guard rails in the section between Barclays and Pizza Express  have long complained of difficulties of access for both deliveries and customers.  Stephen Andrews of Prontaprint was reported in the local press as far back as 2005 noting that he was tired of seeing 60 year old delivery men having to vault the railings in front of his shop.  Stephen repeatedly warned us that he was not sure how much longer he could carry on, given that getting supplies delivered on time was becoming a worry because of the guard rails.  The Vitamin Shop owners complained of similar difficulties at an Acocks Green Village Partnership meeting in June this year.  We witnessed this for ourselves, with staff having to leave the Vitamin Shop to collect deliveries passed to them over the rails; something very difficult with larger items.   The Focus Group has also had discussions with the management of Pizza Express on problems caused by the railings.

This is just one of many issues which urgently requires redress.  We eagerly await the new plans.

There is also some further information on immediate plans for this part of Acocks Green Centre, on Cll Roger Harmer’s site here.