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CBSO launch new project within Selly Oak
In January 2012, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra will take up a three-year residency within the Selly Oak area, as part of the CBSO's ongoing commitment to bringing music into local communities.
The residency will begin with the formation of the Selly Oak Constituency Community Choir, an un-auditioned chorus open to anyone aged 18 or over and living locally, which offers a great opportunity to develop talent through working with the CBSO's inspirational singing leaders.
Project leader Matt Beckingham, Assistant Conductor of CBSO Young Voices said: 'This is a great project and one I am very excited to be involved with. Music-making is something that everyone can be involved in.'
This is the latest in a long line of exciting projects run by the CBSO in its capacity as one of Birmingham City Council's Arts Champions. The Arts Champions Scheme is an initiative that brings the arts into local communities, and supports the Orchestra's ongoing commitment to bringing world-class music to as many people as possible, without them having to travel to the city centre.
The CBSO's various community projects work to bring together diverse groups of people from across local communities, regardless of experience or musical knowledge, enabling them to engage not just with the Orchestra and its outstanding musicians, but also their own neighbours.
For further details about this, and the work that the CBSO undertakes in local communities, contact Katie Gardner Assistant Manager Chorus and L&P Community Engagement at kgardner@cbso.co.uk or 0121 616 6531.
Latest local crime update
HIGH PRESSURE SALES HARRASSMENT: In one parts of South Birmingham Officers have been made aware that some residents have been experiencing high-pressure sales calls from a marketing company.
The company are targeting people by telephone, offering to help people to appeal for refunds in council tax due to incorrect council tax bandings for a fee. However, they have been aggressive and persistent in their sales techniques, targeting older people in particular.
As with any high-pressure sales calls, the police advise that you do not enter into conversation with them or hand over any personal details. Should you experience such a call please contact Birmingham Trading Standards on 0121 303 6031.
On the evening of Wednesday 30th November a resident in Kitchener Road temporarily parked their car outside their house to unload. The resident went inside the house with the first load and on returning to the car a minute later discovered a man who had opened one of the (unlocked) car doors crouching down behind the car.
The resident challenged the man who immediately ran away without managing to steal anything. So please be warned that it is not safe to leave your car unlocked and unattended even for one minute! For other crime information about recent muggings and burglaries in Selly Park please see article below.
The good news, however, is that when the Editor spoke with local police officers on the morning of Thursday 8th December there had been no further reported incidents. That said, care and vigilance need to be maintained.
Local crime alert
WARNING ABOUT THEFTS FROM THE PERSON (MUGGINGS) IN THE LOCAL AREA:
On Tuesday 15th November at around 11.45pm in Cecil Road a person leaving their car was threatened with a knife by an assailant who demanded the car keys. The attacker did not manage to steal the car but did steal some money. The victim was unharmed but understandably shaken by the experience.
Detectives have released an image of a man they want to speak to in connection with a street robbery in Selly Oak on Saturday 22nd October 2011. Please click here.
The offence took place on Eastern Road, Selly Park, at around 8.45pm. It is alleged that two offenders approached the victim, a 22-year-old local man, from behind before demanding valuables. The victim initially refused to empty his pockets so the offenders punched him and threatened him with a knife.
The offenders then made off with a wallet, cash cards and mobile phone and later tried to withdraw cash from an ATM using the stolen card. Detectives continue to try to trace one of the men captured on camera who is described as approximately 5ft 11in tall and of medium build. He was wearing a dark hoodie, black trousers and a black scarf.
Detective Inspector Jim Foy from Bournville police station said:'This was a particularly nasty robbery and therefore we would very much like to speak with the person identified in this CCTV image. Offences of this nature are rare in south Birmingham and I would like to reassure the community that we are working hard to trace and remove these offenders from our streets.
Therefore, if anybody has any information about his identity, please contact the Edgbaston CID team based at Bournville Police Station.'
The appeal comes during a forcewide crackdown on robbers' codenamed operation Serve and Protect. Since the launch of the initiative in July, there have been over 700 fewer victims of robbery compared to the same period last year. Anyone with information is urged to contact CID officers at Bournville police station on 101.
Alternatively people who do not wish to speak with police officers directly can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Also there have been two further recent muggings, one in Sir John's Road and the other in one of the Avenues between Pershore Road and the park.
FURTHER BURGLARIES HAVE BEEN COMMITTED IN OUR NEIGHBOURHOOD:
Unfortunately continuing the recent increase in local burglaries, two houses in Fashoda Road were burgled on Saturday 19th November. One was a case of forced entry with a window being smashed. In the other entry was gained via an insecure window. The police have reported that three quarters of the recent burglaries in Selly Oak Ward have been carried out via insecure doors and windows, including open upstairs windows. These burglars climb! You are urged to make sure that your house is kept secure and please be vigilant - if you see or hear anything suspicious taking place, call 999 and ask for the police to attend.
For crime prevention advice from the Police on avoiding burglary during the dark evenings and in the run-up to Christmas. Please click here.
For more police information please see Link to our Neighbourhood Police Team on our Home Page.
New Road Signs for Selly Oak
New road signs have been installed on some of the local main roads informing people that they are entering and welcoming them to Selly Oak.
The signs carry a graphic of the iconic oak tree after which the Ward and Constituency, of which Selly Park is part, are named.
The Oak element of the name Selly Oak comes from a prominent Oak tree that formerly stood at the crossroads of the Bristol Road and Oak Tree Lane and Harborne Lane. The original spot is still commemorated by an old Victorian street sign above one of the shops on the north-side of Oak Tree Lane, which declares it to be "Oak Tree Place" and has the date of 1880.
The Oak that stood here was finally felled in May 1909 amid fears about its safety, due to damage to its roots caused by the building of the nearby houses. The tree was cut up and the stump removed to Selly Oak Park, where it remains to this day, bearing a brass plaque that reads 'Butt of Old Oak Tree from which the name of Selly Oak was derived. Removed from Oak Tree Lane, Selly Oak 1909'.
By 2011 the stump had become quite rotten and the brass plaque was no longer secure. It was removed by the Friends of Selly Oak Park and replaced with a replica plaque. The original was retained by the Friends for conservation. The remains of the stump were left in the park.
(Information courtesy of Wikipedia. To read the full article about Selly Oak For further details please click here).
Pictured above the new road sign on the Bristol Road close to the University South Gate. (Image courtesy of Wendy Pearson).
Police launch new 101 phone number
West Midlands Police, together with other police forces in the region, launched a new, non-emergency contact number for the public from Tuesday 8th November. The new 101 number has been introduced to improve access to police, ease pressure on the 999 system and to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. The 101 service is part of a national programme to improve access to the police and will give the public an easy way to get in touch with the police for calls that do not require an urgent response.
The system will work by redirecting people's calls, wherever they are in the country, to their nearest police force and is intended to be easier for people to remember.
Callers using the number will incur a flat rate charge of 15p no matter how long the call lasts and whether their call is made from a landline or mobile.
The 101 number should be used to report a crime or anti-social behaviour which does not need an emergency response. For example, it could be used to report a crime that has already happened, seek crime prevention advice or make police aware of local policing issues. In an emergency, members of the public should continue to use 999. The current central switchboard number 0345 113 5000 will continue to function. Calls for 101 will be answered in the same way as the 0345 and 0845 numbers.
Neighbouring forces - West Mercia, Staffordshire and Warwickshire are also adopting the new number from today. The number has already been launched across southern England and parts of Wales and is set to be rolled out nationally by early next year.
As with 999, calls to 101 will be handled 24 hours a day, seven days a week by specially trained staff who can deal with enquiries. For people who speak no or little English, they can also dial 101 where their call will be connected with an interpreter. Callers who have a hearing or speech impairment can use a textphone to call: 18001 101; or in an emergency: 18000.
The BUPA Great Birmingham Run
Crowds from the local community and parish church turned out on the Pershore Road through Selly Park on the morning of Sunday 23rd October to watch the 15,000 runners in the BUPA Great Birmingham Run half marathon pass by both on their way out of the city centre, from where the race started near the NIA, and on the return stage towards the finish in Broad Street. The front steps of Christ Church Selly Park and stretch of pavement along Pershore Road outside the church were full of enthusiastic spectators for the BUPA Great Birmingham Run 2011.
To read a report on this and to view photographs of the event please see the FEATURES page of this website.
Neighbourhood Forum Public Open Meeting
Fifty people attended the public open meeting of the Neighbourhood Forum which was held at Christ Church, Pershore Road, Selly Park on Tuesday 11th October 2011. Visiting speakers gave information, answered questions and listened to the views of residents about the forthcoming REBUILDING OF DOGPOOL LANE BRIDGE including planned access restrictions and traffic and bus diversions, the RECENT PERIMETER HEDGE CLEARANCES AROUND THE KITCHENER ROAD PLAYING FIELDS and THE IMMINENT BUPA GREAT BIRMINGHAM RUN which passes through Selly Park.
For a report from the meeting on THE PROPOSED DIVERSION ROUTE FOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC WHILE DOGPOOL LANE BRIDGE IS CLOSED FOR RECONSTRUCTION please click HERE. Please note that the bus route diversion is to be amended and this will be explained at the Special Open Meeting on Tuesday 29th November as detailed in the Forthcoming Events section of our HOME PAGE.
Selly Park Technology College for Girls 1911-2011 Centenary Celebration
100 year ago in October 1911, the school in Selly Park first opened its doors. The school consisted of a Boys Junior, Girls Junior and an Infants Department. The first Headmistress of the Girls School was a Miss Helena Barnes and she had 260 pupils on her books. Now 100 years on, the school is celebrating the Centenary. Selly Park has enjoyed an eventful history and would like to share some of those events with you.
On Saturday 1st October the school opened between 11:00am and 3:00pm to past and present pupils, their friends and family and the community for its Centenary Day. There were exhibitions and displays as well as performances from the choir and musicians. The Deputy Lord Mayor and Deputy Lady Mayoress were both be in attendance (The Deputy Lady Mayoress being herself a former pupil of Selly Park.)
To view a set of photographs of the event please click HERE.
Recent flood alert on the River Rea
The Environment Agency precautionary Flood Alert issued for the River Rea at 21:02BST on Wednesday 24th August was ended at 06:25BST on Thursday 25th August. From 00:00BST to 03:00BST the level of the Rea at Calthorpe Park rose from approx 10cm depth to approx 1.0m depth. The record level reached during the flood of 6th September 2008 was 2.20m for reference. The level of the Rea at the Selly Park Gauge rose from 0.3m at 01:00BST to 1.0m at 03:45BST and then started to fall back. Flood Warning level for the gauge is set at 1.46m.
Birmingham Selly Oak Weather Station situated in Selly Park recorded a total rainfall for the 24 hour period ending 09:00BST on Thursday 25th at 16.8mm. There was generally lighter showery rain during the late evening with the main rain belt passing through between 00:00BST and 06:00BST. The heaviest rain occurred in a number of pulses between 02:00BST and 05:00BST. There was no river flooding in Selly Park although residual water on the road in Dogpool Lane between the junctions with Cecil Road and Fashoda Road indicate that surface flooding (as usual in such events) occurred there. If members of the public have any further information to report on this heavy rainfall event please email it to sps.webeditor@yahoo.co.uk
Selly Oak New Road (SONR)
THE NEWEST SECTION OF THE ROAD WAS OPENED TO TRAFFIC ON SUNDAY 21ST AUGUST 2011.
The newly opened A38 two lane, single carriageway road to relieve the Bristol Road through the Selly Oak Centre (Phase 2 of the sceheme) runs between the junction of Bristol Road with Edgbaston Park Road (University South Gate and Tesco site) to the roundabout on the previously opened section between Harborne Lane, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the Medical School - University Station (Phase 1A of the scheme).
Bristol Road through Selly Oak Centre has been reclassified as the B38. Phase 1B will eventually complete the scheme and entails Sainsbury's building a new store on the former Birmingham Battery site which would then release land in Harborne Lane for a widened road.
To see a plan of this final proposed part of the scheme please click here. Many thanks to Selly Park resident who has very kindly provided us with the weekly updates on the progress of the New Road throughout its construction.
How do you think the opening of this latest phase of the New Road has affected traffic flow? How is it affecting your own journeys? If you have views on this, please do let us know via the Contact Us page of the website. We will publish shortly a summary of comments received.
Photo above: The junction of the newly opened, latest phase of the A38 Selly Oak New Road and the Bristol Road (now the B38) taken on Sunday 21st August.
The Latest illustrated project newsletter was published by the contractors at the end of July with much more information and photographs connected with the project. To see this please click here. Please note that this is a large pdf file and may take a few seconds to download.
Latest news on the Dogpool Lane Bridge Replacement Scheme
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Amey is committed to an early completion date of the scheme (target during 2012) and will continue to use its best endeavours to plan and carry out the work as soon as possible and to press other parties to do the same.
Final approval of the construction programme is hoped for very shortly from the Environment Agency.
The bridge carries several main service utilities through its deck and so negotiations are currently ongoing between Amey and Severn Trent Water, National Grid (gas), Eon - Central Networks (electricity), and BT and Virgin Media (telecommunications and cable TV) regarding the scheduling of the diversion of these services.
Amey has appointed a main contractor, R and C Williams Ltd, to carry out the work including the construction of a temporary bridge to carry these services, pedestrians and cycles across the river, and to carry out the removal of the present road bridge and construction of the new one.
The preparatory removal of the large tree which used to stand by the existing bridge has already been carried out. It is hoped that other preparatory works will commence during autumn 2011 although this is dependent on final approvals.
Amey has promised to keep the Neighbourhood Forum management Committee informed of progress as it occurs and news of this will be relayed to residents via this website.
This photograph of the bridge was taken on 1st November 2009 with the River Rea in flood following heavy rainfall. The image shows clearly how the bridge, with its temporary concrete piers and steel jacks shoring it up in order to make it safe to carry road traffic, obstructs the flow of the river.
To watch a short video of the SPS Flood Action Group Coordinator explaining the flooding of September 2008 and subsequent action taken, please click here
An old local landmark makes way for a new one
On Monday 13th June 2011 a major local landmark, the large tree which stood at the corner of Cecil Road and Dogpool Lane, was felled by contractors. The work was carried out in preparation for the rebuilding of Dogpool Lane Bridge and was necessary because the root system of the tree will have to be removed when excavations are carried out to allow the construction of the new bridge foundations on the western bank of the River Rea. The bridge needs replacing because it is structurally unsound and supported by temporary steel jacks on concrete bases underneath its arch. These impede river flow when the river level is high and were one of the major contributors to the serious flooding of property in September 2008. The building of the new bridge will meet modern road bridge safety standards.
Many local residents are sad that it has been necessary to fell the tree which has stood for at least 100 years, but equally there is widespread acceptance that the new bridge is essential and could not be constructed without the removal of the tree. The work was carried out by the Acorn Environmental Management Group and commission by Amey plc as part of the Birmingham City Council and Amey Highways Private Finance Initiative Agreement.
Flood Action Plan exercise successfully carried out
On Saturday 22nd May the Selly Park South Flood Action Group held their annual main exercise of the Neighbourhood Flood Action Plan. Twenty members of the Group, all of them local residents took part and the exercise was attended by officers from the Environment Agency
and Birmingham City Council's Reslience Team. A member of the Witton Flood Action Group also came along to observe.
A full report with photographs appears now on our FEATURES PAGE.
New City Dental Hospital proposed for former
BBC Pebble Mill site
Birmingham Community Healthcare Trust is hoping to build the new City Dental hospital and School of Dentistry on the vacant site of the former BBC Pebble Mill studio complex. For more details about the proposal please click here. Please note that this is a large pdf file which may take several seconds to load.
Now ASDA announces new store plans for Stirchley
ASDA is proposing to develop a foodstore with a sales area of 33,750 sq ft on the former ArvinMeritor site between Pershore Road and Fordhouse Lane, with access from both Pershore Road and Fordhouse Lane. Key features of the development include a new landscaped public area accessed from Pershore Road, a new pedestrian and cycleway linking Pershore Road and the River Rea cycle route and the addition of traffic lights and other improvements at local road junctions.
This follows the recent confirmation of plans for a new Tesco superstore at the opposite (northern) end of Stirchley Centre. For full details of this, including a map of this proposed development, please see the article below.
We hope to have representatives from ASDA at the Forum's AGM on Tuesday 12th July to talk about the ASDA plans and to answer residents' questions.
Tesco superstore confirmed for Stirchley
TESCO have signed the contract to purchase the land from Birmingham City Council to the east of the Pershore Road in Stirchley south of Hazelwell Street which is currently occupied by the Stirchley Community Centre and the Indoor Bowls club. The store chain already owned a large area of unused land further back towards the river. This will now enable them to build their superstore in Stirchley along with various other developments.
The City Council will then use proceeds from the multi million pound deal to regenerate that part of Stirchley Centre.
They will restore the Stirchley Baths site and convert it into the new Stirchley Community Centre. They will also rebuild the
Indoor Bowls centre at a new site. In addition, there will be huge regeneration of this part of Stirchley and the demolition and replacement of a large area of run-down buildings either side of the British Oak pub. The reclamation yard opposite the pub will be also be landscaped and hopefully the old abandoned KwikSave will be redeveloped.
Writing in the Conservatives Bournville Ward news leaflet on 5th April Councillor Tim Huxtable said, 'Not all of the details have been decided yet but nevertheless this is a huge step forward for Stirchley and something your three Conservative Councillors have ceaseless been working towards for the last 10 years.' However at a public meeting of Stirchley Neighbourhood Forum on Monday 11th April a number of residents expressed their concerns that the store will adversely affect the Co-op Superstore just a few hundred metres away - the Co-op having been based in Stirchley for more than 100 years.
The Co-op themselves had made an earlier bid to develop the land to the east of Pershore Road but this was turned down by the City Council and Tesco declared the preferred developer. Concern was also expressed by residents about the effect the Tesco store will have on small retail businesses in Stirchley and the problems that are likely to arise from increased traffic.
The Council will now proceed with obtaining Compulsory Purchase Orders to buy a number of properties which stand in the way of the development, a process which could take at least two years to complete. These properties include a house owned by the Co-op and also Stirchley United Working Men's Club.
A map of the proposed development can be viewed on Stirchley Forum's website by clicking here.
Selly Park Technology College Centenary Celebrations
Selly Park Technology College for Girls, on Pershore Road, formerly known as Selly Park Council School, is looking forward to celebrating its centenary in October 2011.
They see this very important event as an ideal opportunity for former pupils and staff to share their memories, not only with past and present students and staff, but also with our local community of which the college has been an important part for the last 100 years. Celebrations and events will be ongoing throughout 2011.
For further information please click here.
Mapping the Wild Side in the Rea Valley through Selly Park
The 'Mapping the Wild Side' project which will help add missing links in the Rea Valley Walkway and Greenway on the eastern side of the Rea between Pebble Mill Play Fields, through Moor Green Fields to Dogpool Lane and crossover to the Rea Valley Path and Cycleway.
Please take a look at a video of the project which reveals some of the patches benefiting from the 'Mapping the Wild Side' plan 2011-12 by clicking here.
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