1. This ‘horrendous’ bridge can go
Planning committee members asked for an informal view on the plans to revamp the Ringway Centre office block, were happy to see the Smallbrook Queensway Hurst Street link bridge demolished.
This piece of brutalist 1960s architecture should go "sooner rather than later" said Cllr Gareth Moore (Con Erdington).
2. 150 more homes will be protected from flooding
The £4 million investment in flood defences is to be funded by the development of a student apartment block on the old Pebble Mill site.
Planners had initially been cautious about the scale of the block in Selly Oak but their fears were allayed by new images showing how mature trees screen the new block.
3. This seven bedroom £465,000 house is too grand for Erdington
Apparently there is no call for such a large family home so councillors were happy to ditch their policy of protecting suburban homes and allow the empty Victorian property to be converted into a children’s nursery. This would not be allowed to happen in aspirational Sutton Coldfield, Moseley or Solihull, stormed a disgusted Erdington councillor Robert Alden.
4. Students are going to live in this lovely building
Sited in Cornwall Street in the city centre, this is a 1904 arts and crafts style building and there is a lot of love for it. Cllr Peter Douglas Osborn said: “This is a real beautiful building, a proper Brummie gem”, while Cllr Barry Henley added: “It’s a quirky building and great it can be brought back into use.” They were delighted that its conversion into 26 student flats would mean no changes to its historic exterior.
5. The Northfield Manor House can be rebuilt
Ravaged by fire and later demolished, the planning committee was happy to see it rebuilt amid a larger housing estate. The residents were generally happy too - although their requests for lower roofs on the three-storey apartment blocks, more than one road onto the new estate and some better protection for wildlife fell on deaf ears.
