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!

7 Sherbourne Road

Birmingham City Council are currently giving sympathetic consideration to our proposal for a Conservation Area.   They have implied that some part of Acocks Green probably will be given Conservation Area status and have thanked us for drawing their attention to the quality of building in Acocks Green.  They need to consult with various bodies before they proceed further.

Meantime, a  number of people have recently asked us what is happening about this set  fine mid-Victorian properties  in Sherbourne Road, Acocks Green.  For many years they were owned by local builder’s merchants,  E. H. Smith’s.  1-7 are to be demolished and replaced by fourteen houses.  Planning permission was granted on 2 October 2008.  The Planning Application Number is C/02972/08/FUL.   If we had a Conservation already things might have been different.  However one of the conditions of the Planning Approval is the retention and rebuilding of the frontages of these buildings.  Also the Statement supplied by the architects reads: ‘The front elevations of No’s 1-7 will require careful numbering and careful dismantling for re-errection with the new superstructure behind.’  This looks to be starting very soon.  A fence has already appeared in front of some of the buildings.  If you have good reason to believe that conditions are not behing adhered to we have told that it would be best to contact the Council Planning Department.  (303 1115).