Bid to overturn reservoir plan fails
ABID to stop flats being developed on the site of the old Tower Ballroom besides Edgbaston reservoir has been overruled, despite backlash from local residents who described it is “outrageous”.
Plans to build private housing and to enhance the local nature reserve site – known as the Edgbaston Reservoir Master Plan – were agreed at a cabinet meeting in October.
However, there have been widespread concerns in the community over the potential for public space besides the reservoir to be privatised.
At an economy and skills overview and scrutiny meeting, Tory group leader Robert Alden and councillor Richard Parkin argued for the plans to be called in and the decision reconsidered.
But council leader Ian Ward spoke in favour of the masterplan to create thousands of homes in the area and the bid was voted down.
Cllr Ward said the opposition and controversy was “not a surprise”, but that the decision to build housing on the Tower Ballroom site was made under the Birmingham Development Plan (BDP), which was published in 2017.
That document sets out policy for the city as a whole and the “objection should have been made then”, he said.
Cllr Robert Alden said: “Residents have raised serious concerns about the impact of the council plans to build so close to the reservoir, the negative impacts this could have on local flora and fauna and the loss of green spaces.
“It is also clear the council has failed to consider aspects of the council’s own policies that these plans conflict with.
“Residents’ voices should be heard and the council should continue working with local residents in that area on what would be acceptable to local residents instead of ploughing ahead.
“This is another example of the council ignoring residents in consultations”.
Campaigner Tom Jones said: “It’s outrageous; we were subjected to the same stone walling assertions.
“There is still no evidence to show that building thumping great buildings on the edge of the reservoir will protect and enhance its status as an local nature reserve.
“The statement that it will have no effect flies in the face of common sense.”
Another opponent of the scheme, Carol Booth-Davis, said: “What I was really disappointed to hear was Ian Ward suggest the ‘actual users’ of the reservoir would be the water sports users.
“This disregards the position we have where the informal users and the wildlife itself are users of the reservoir and should have equal representation.”
David Gaussen said: “What Ian Ward said was incorrect in parts.
“He said the Birmingham Development Plan had already allocated the land for housing and that is not true; it was allocated for mixed use of housing, commercial, and community use.”