Safari park plan blocked by Historic England
Loss of spaces at hospital will drive more people into streets
PLANS for a new walk-through safari park in Worcestershire have received a setback after a Government body blocked its proposed location.
Historic England has said it will not give the go-ahead for the Heart of England Wildlife Park to be built at Forge Mill in Arrow Valley Country Park in Redditch, as it would ‘negatively impact’ on a protected ancient monument.
The planned site for the ‘zoo without bars’ which was to house up to 300 animals next to the Bordesley Abbey ruins – a 12th century Cistercian abbey, which is a designated ‘scheduled monument’. The area had been earmarked for a zoo back in the 1960s.
Former Birmingham teacher Martin Blyth, who used to work at MPW sixth form college in Edgbaston, had given up his job last year and set his sights on the new wildlife venture.
But now his plans are back to the drawing board.
He said: “Despite receiving an outpouring of support from the community since announcing our preferred site, it was always a realistic probability that Historic England could prevent us from fully realising our proposals for a wildlife park at Forge Mill.
“Our initial proposals were rejected but we genuinely believed that a second set of outline proposals submitted to Historic England would have safeguarded the important historic assets and surrounding area of natural beauty.
“In a full pre-application report issued by Historic England it acknowledged that Heart of England Wildlife Park had good intentions in bringing benefits to the Bordesley Abbey site but it was their view that the proposals would be incompatible with the protection and preservation of the ancient monument.”
A spokeswoman for Historic England told the Post: “We have given two rounds of detailed pre-application advice on this scheme, at two different sites.
“After careful consideration of the information provided, we explained that we would object to the planning applications if they were taken forward.
“And would recommend in our formal advice to the Secretary of State that Scheduled Monument Consent be refused, as we consider the proposals likely to negatively impact the scheduled monument/s and that the public benefits would not outweigh the harm. We strongly suggested alternative sites are considered.”
As his preferred site has been rejected, Mr Blyth is now looking for alternatives in Redditch.
He said: “We’re committed to bringing Heart of England Wildlife Park to Redditch and we know that our development has the ability to put this town on the map and create wider economic benefits for the whole region.”
A TINY Brum park faces one gigantic problem... bizarrely, one of the world’s tallest trees has been planted in one of the city’s smallest green spaces.
But after complaints from a local community group, the Balsall Heath Pocket Park is set to lose its new attraction just days after it was planted.
Locals fear the dawn redwood wouldn’t be able to draw enough water from beneath the A435 Moseley Road and would eventually be in danger of toppling over. Now the conifer is going to be removed and replanted elsewhere.
Architect and Post columnist Joe Holyoak said: “The Balsall Heath Forum made the pocket park with funding from the Department of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
“The city council is working on a plan to enlarge the pocket park into the Balsall Heath Town
Square, one of the policies of the Balsall Heath Neighbourhood Plan
“The tree has appeared without any local consultation. This is a big forest tree from China and is vigorous, grows up to 25 metres or 80ft. It would block the view of the heritage buildings in the centre of Balsall Heath and cast shade over the park’s seating area which is a welcome sun trap at present.
“It is on top of a grassed bank and hence will suffer drought and lack of space and soil for an adequate root system. I would anticipate its falling onto the A435, at some point. This is not a good place to plant a giant tree.”
A Birmingham City Council spokesman said: “This tree is a replacement for one removed due to its poor health and condition which was planted in the near vicinity. Following engagement with the local community, arrangements are now being made to have the tree relocated elsewhere within the ward.”
The dawn redwood species is originally from central China where it is said to be endangered. According to the Royal Horticultural Society, the deciduous conifer can take 20 to 50 years to grow to more than 80ft, with a spread of more than 25ft. Balsall Heath Pocket Park opened in October 2016 as a means of adding green space to an urban area dominated by heavy traffic.
Mr Holyoak said: “Putting in an enormous tree without consulting the people making plans for this area is not the way to do things.”
PLANS for a new pregnancy and baby-loss bereavement services building at Birmingham Women’s Hospital have been opposed by residents because of fears over parking.
The proposals – submitted by Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS – are due to be considered by Birmingham City Council’s planning committee this week.
The plans seek to create a singlestorey extension to the existing hospital at Mindelsohn Way, to the north west of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston.
The area around the hospitals and university is a nightmare for locals who suffer parking and traffic chaos along their streets every day.
A report to councillors states the new building would “provide a therapeutic environment, away from the clinical main hospital building, where families can receive the support they require”.
The building, named Woodland House, would include a series of
spaces arranged around a central garden area and have a lounge, counselling rooms, offices and private terrace areas.
But the loss of 36 car parking spaces to make way for the building has been opposed by residents groups and Councillor Deirdre Alden (Con), ward member for Edgbaston.
The report to councillors states the concerns of Edgbaston Residents Association to be: “Concern the displaced cars would seek parking along residential roads, creating further traffic jams and pollution.
“Edgbaston Residents Association has been making representations to Birmingham City Council for the last 25 years about inadequate infrastructure and parking provision at the QE and University.
“Travel plans, surveys and assurances provided have been incorrect and misleading.”
The scheme is recommended for approval by the council’s planning team. The recommendation states: “The parking, traffic and highways objections have been carefully considered. The plans have been amended to increase the length of the ambulance bay and retain the current number of disability parking space currently on site.
“A draft travel plan has been provided which sets targets for the site, and a condition is recommended for this to be approved prior to occupation of the building and reviewed annually. The parking strategy provides a ‘back-up option’ of utilising the site of Norton Court [flats to the west of the planned development, due to be demolished] for parking following its demolition, if the travel plan is not approved by this time.
“This approach is considered to be acceptable.”