Anger as old building makes way for Islamic school plans
A COUNCILLOR has hit out as it was revealed a historic Birmingham building is to be bulldozed to make way for a new Islamic girls school for 600 pupils.
The landmark building in Hob Moor Road, Small Heath, is believed to date as far back as the 1920s.
Most recently it served as an annexe for Starbank Primary School, housing year 5 to 7 pupils between 2010 and 2017.
But it is to be demolished to allow a wider access road into the new Eden Girls Leadership Academy being built behind it.
While the property does not benefit from any listed status, a Birmingham City Council conservation officer raised concerns about its loss, describing it as a ‘good quality building that is worth retention and capable of re-use’.
Councillor Gareth Moore, on the planning committee, agreed: “I appreciate its educational use is maybe limited, but I don’t see that’s why we should destroy a piece of our history, especially when the school application could proceed perfectly well without the demolition of this building. If it can’t be used for educational purposes, another use could be found for it, rather than destroy it simply to create an even wider access route which I don’t think is necessary.”
Planning officer Tony White conceded the building had ‘some architectural merit’ but concluded it did not meet the criteria for listing and was therefore only a nondesignated heritage asset.
“The access at the moment does allow a car to enter the site but it doesn’t leave sufficient space for manoeuvring or providing car parking, dropping-off said.
“So we have concluded, in order for the development to proceed, we do need this additional width to allow satisfactory access and dropoff. The school has looked at the building and it’s not something that they could work with. It would compromise their development.”
Eden Girls Leadership Academy will be a four-form entry school to be run by Star Academies, employing around 67 full-time equivalent staff.
It is needed after a decision to axe secondary years from Al-Hijrah School in Bordesley Green after its controversial segregation of older girls and boys.
Earlier this year, the council approved the £25 million business case, funded by Department for Education grants, to develop a temporary Islamic girls secondary school for 360 students at Clifton Road in Balsall Heath, as well as the permanent facility on Hob Moor Road.
facilities,” he