MORE MOORPOOL

14-05-2007

Residents ofthe historic Moorpool Estate in Harborne - one of the country’s original garden suburbs - are fighting back against plans for a new housing development which they say would rob their area of itsunique character. Here the campaigners explain why their area is so special.

“We live in one of the most beautiful parts of Birmingham and one of the first Garden Suburbs in Britain. The Moorpool Estate was started shortly after Bournville, 100 years ago and about the same time as Hampstead Garden Suburb.

“The Garden Suburbs were intended to provide a healthy and attractive environment for their residents, as well as a ‘green lung’ for the rest of the city. They are characterised by low density housing and above all by green spaces - gardens, allotments, green verges, mature trees and breathing space between houses.

“For the first time in its 100-year history, the Moorpool Estate is under threat from developers. Many residents will have been shocked by the sudden letter from the Estate’s owners, Grainger PLC, who wish to insert a large number of dwellings into areas of the Estate.

“Some residents will be particularly badly affected, but the Moorpool Estate may be spoilt for us all - and Birmingham would be poorer - if these proposals are allowed to proceed unchallenged. Grainger PLC claim to be ‘improving’ the Estate!

“Yes, it does need maintenance in some areas (like the Valley Site), but maintenance should mean improvement, not increasing the housing density with all the accompanying problems of extra traffic and parking.

“All this seems especially ironic given the recent voluntary agreement of residents to extra planning controls to be exercised in any alterations to their houses - in order to maintain the character of the Moorpool Estate!

“Considerable income is, and will be, extracted from our Estate. We oppose the extraction of such income if as a result the Estate will be permanently damaged.

“Grainger PLC are presenting their second set of proposals for the building of new housing on the Moorpool Estate on Sunday May 20th (1030am and 2.00pm). We wish to raise some questions for further discussion on the agenda:

“ 1. Some parts of the Moorpool Estate may be a bit run down, but why is the initial response to build more houses? Surely the initial solution is to spend some of the considerable income the Estate has already generated (from sale of houses) on basic improvements and only then to consider a range of development options.

“ 2. Why have the garages on the Estate [which it’s proposed should be demolished and the land built on] not been actively maintained nor actively advertised for renting? Surely there was a duty to ensure the continuation of this steady source of revenue to the Estate?

“ 3. Clearly some allotments have been allowed to fall into disrepair, but the responsibility for this rests equally with those who rented them and the Estate for failing to enforce the terms of the tenancies, for not advertising the availability of vacant plots and for allowing unrented allotments to become derelict.

“ 4. How did it come about that the Residents were persuaded to enhance the conservation status of the Estate by voluntarily signing up to severe planning regulations for their houses, yet it was not made clear at the same time that others retained complete freedom to consider development affecting garages, allotments and other areas apparently without the same restrictions?

“ 5. As well as undermining the character of our Garden Suburb, building any new houses and removal of any garage facilities would exacerbate the traffic and parking problems that already exist on the Estate and in Harborne itself.

“ 6. We consider the parking and allotment facilities on Valley Site as integral to the Estate as the Moorpool pond itself and the Bowling Green. Would building on the Valley Site produce an unbalanced development that will overstrain particular parts of the Estate infrastructure?

“ 7. One of the unique factors of the Estate is the even distribution of allotments throughout. How can it be beneficial to build on some allotments, forcing some holders to vacate and others to hand over their allotments to be carved up into smaller units?

“ 8. Why replace allotments with “biodiversity sites” and “public amenity spaces”?

“ 9. Why have eviction notices already been served on some allotment holders before any consultation process has taken place? Why do some eviction notices contain the sinister wording “We should reiterate that the Notice to terminate your Allotment is effective and will terminate your occupation of the Allotment on 6 April 2008, regardless of the result of the consultation process”?

“ 10. Because allotment evictions will proceed regardless of the consultation process, what’s to stop the consultation process being an empty exercise with essentially the same plan proceeding to planning application no matter what residents suggest?

“ 11. Is an extremely dangerous precedent set (threatening all allotments on the Estate, even threatening all throughout Birmingham?) by giving planning permission to build on even a single allotment on the Estate? As soon as their first development plan is complete, do all other allotments remain under perpetual threat?

“Residents from the parts of Wentworth Road, Pereira Road, Ravenhurst and Oakham Road bordering the Estate should also attend the meeting on the 20th. Many would be affected in some way by any new development and many may be completely unaware of these issues and the building proposals.

“The development proposals may form the biggest threat to the integrity of the Estate since its existence. With this hanging over the Estate, how can we plan enthusiastically for the centenary celebrations? Should centenary celebration plans be postponed until this threat to the Estate is resolved?

“The Moorpool Estate is one of the jewels in Birmingham’s architectural crown. It will need everyone on the Estate to become involved if we are to ensure that the Estate is cherished and ends up as securely funded in perpetuity as its close relative, the Bournville Estate.”

(Signed by numerous local residents. For more information see http://savethemoorpoolestate.blogspot)

To see our previous article about Moorpool click here.