CONSULTATIONS

Jon Hunt started the meeting with a slide show of what needed to be discussed at the group tables.

These included:

• ​3 local centres marked on the maps provided​ which were Tower Hill, Thornbridge Ave & Turnberry Rd

• 3 pieces of backland that would have local consultations on, discussions were around whether they should become Open spaces, used for development or leave them out altogether.

• Consideration & consultation on the relocation of beeches pool or development of existing pool site

Jon also discussed some of the work being done locally which included:

• Summary of local history

• Mapping of waterway access 

• Defining local centres 

• undertaking local consultations 

John Warr led the group discussion, explaining that our 3 Local Centre’s for the 3B’s area are:

• Tower Hill

• Turnberry Road

• Thornbridge Avenue

and John gave information on which roads & areas they cover.

1. Tower Hill Improvements

Tower Hill is seen as the central area of the three and includes the Co-op, Badshah Palace and various smaller shops/businesses bordering Walsall Road. It also includes Rocky Lane Shops at the Dorrington Road Roundabout.

John read details of intended improvements –

• Improving the area to make it greener and more pleasant to the eye

• Softening hard areas – with careful landscaping (inc: parking areas)

• Creating a ‘community feel’ by introducing a coffee shop

• Improving the library

• Developing Bescot Court

• Lowering railings & pruning back shrubbery on Freeth Bridge area

• Improving run off/drainage in parking areas

We discussed the dire need for landscaping (possibly trees) to mask the hard-concrete walls of The Badshah Palace, improving the whole Tower Hill area with some greenery/beds.  Cleaning up or covering up hard walls with planting in Co-op parking area.  Coffee Shop agreed a good idea.  Also, the possibility of demolishing Bescot Court to rebuild 2 stories to include business units (eg: Chiropodist, Meeting rooms etc)

Agreed Freeth Bridge needs: railings lowered. Shrubbery cut back

Rocky Lane Shops area: improve hard surfaces (parking areas - introduce flower beds/shrubbery) Sustainable drainage of sloped parking area in front of shops. Also mentioned – roundabout creates a pool of water – needs drainage or adding flower beds.

1. Turnberry Road Local Centre

• Includes Calshot School & shopping area opposite

• Improve pedestrian crossings

• Add landscaping by shops to soften and make more welcoming

• Create drainage of shop front parking areas

• Add small areas of landscaping on parking area/shop fronts

• Create planted area on roundabout

• Park entrance needs highlighting & improving

The group agreed with all planned improvements, particularly softening the shop front parking areas and making the whole area greener with flower beds/shrubbery/trees to make it more welcoming.

1. Thornbridge Avenue

There are already components of a garden suburb.

• Essential enhancements – SUDS programme to include the two roundabouts to create easier soak away of rainwater

• Tarmac shop frontages – improve with porous paving material

• Add flower beds or similar on shop fronts to soften

The group agreed with all planned improvements.

WHAT DO WE THINK OF THE IDEAS?

The group thought that all planned works on the 3 areas will make vast improvements to the look & feel of the areas and create a more welcoming environment.

There was a concern that although these ideas were excellent & lot of work had already gone into planning them, how were we going to ensure that it all gets put into action and more importantly – who is going to do the work?

WHAT ARE THE ISSUES?

• What can we do to achieve these plans?

• Will we have to rely heavily on volunteers to do some of the work?

• If so, how do we recruit these volunteers?

• City Council – with their limited budgets, it will be a challenge to get them on board and ringfence budgets for our planned work.

• How will we get residents & businesses on board?

• How will we get businesses on board when we want to change their frontages and they may lose parking space?

• Promotion of the plan will have a cost issue – have we got funding to produce and provide the whole of the 3B’s area with documentation? The plan would have to be condensed.

• Flood areas - Would we be able to reopen the Brook to ease run off water during heavy rain? Is this included in the plan?

ANYTHING MISSED OUT?

• No.  All-important/essential improvements have been included

ANYTHING TO ADD?

• We could introduce an internet café at Tower Hill and create a communal meeting area

• We want Tower Hill to be the 3 B’s ‘hub’ particularly as Walsall Road with be part of the Commonwealth Games gateway to the stadium from the M5 & M6 motorways.