Saturday, April 08, 2006

Councillor update on Planning Applications of importance in Moseley & Kings Heath Ward – Saturday 8th April 2006

S/04560/05/FUL, 123 Moor Green Lane, Pitmaston, Moseley - conversion of existing to residential accommodation and new build- Defer for Comm Info

S/05119/05/FUL,St.Mary's Row / Alcester Road, Moseley - Erection of 6.5metre high metal 'Ent' sculpture- Report In Draft

S/06764/05/FUL, 25 Billesley Lane, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9QT, Erection of a two storey side , single storey rear and installation of two dormer windows to the rear - Awaiting Report

S/06858/05/FUL, 72 Park Hill, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8DS, Increase of fence from height of 2 metres to 3 metres. Awaiting Report

S/06949/05/FUL, 64 School Road, Land Adjacent to, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9SW - Erection of roof to existing conservatory on detached dwelling - Report In Draft

S/07195/05/FUL, 9 Boundary Drive, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8NY - Proposal
Retention of single storey side extension with alterations to roof - Awaiting Report

S/07568/05/FUL 16 Russell Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8RE- Retention of single storey side and rear extension. Refused - Decision date 23/03/2006

S/07600/05/FUL, 16-18 St Marys Row, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8JG -
Reconstruction of front facade, reinstatement of ground, first & second floors. A1 (Retail) shop to 16 St Marys Row extended. No. 18 to be A3 (Restaurants/Cafes) on ground floor & first floor to extend over no. 16 at first floor, ancillary offices to second floor. - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

S/07635/05/FUL - 154-156 Grange Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7RR - Erection of 4 dwellings - Approved – Conditions - Decision date 02/02/2006

S/00263/06/ FUL, 141 Sandford Road, Moseley - Erection of single storey forward extension, front porch, construction of new bay and bow windows to front with canopy over.- Awaiting Report

S/00447/06/LBC, 1 St. Marys Row, The Fighting Cocks Public House, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8HW - Part ground floor casement windows and doors green, installation to two floodlights to clock tower, replace lanterns and remove existing swing signs and replace with new pictorial swing sign - Awaiting Report


S/00709/06/FUL 154-158 Alcester Road, Moseley. - Removal of condition C3 of application (C/01043/00/FUL) for the restriction on opening hours of 1030-2330 – Refused - Decision date 03/04/2006

S/00788/06/FUL 165 and 167 Russell Road, rear of, Moseley.- Demolition of existing garage to 167 Russell Road, creation of access way to side of 167 Russell Road and development of 4 new bungalows and a garage within existing rear garden area – Refused - Decision date 04/04/2006

S/00935/06/FUL – 7 and 7a Park Hill - Retention of bounday walls to front and side. – Withdrawn - Decision date 09/03/2006

S/00954/06/FUL – 12a St. Marys Row, Elizabeth of York P H, Moseley - Variation of Condition C4 of permision S/02037/97/FUL to extend opening hours to 7 a.m. - 12.30 a.m. every day – Withdrawn - Decision date 08/04/2006

S/00569/06/CAC – 32 Chantry Road - Landscape alterations to front of property including upgrade to existing driveway and alterations to front boundary wall with installation of decorative railings - Withdrawn-Permitted Development -
Decision date 02/02/2006

S/01129/06/FUL, 25-29 Alcester Road South, The Pear Tree Public House, Kings Heath - Variation of condition C2 of permission S/02762/01/FUL to extend opening hours to 09.00-0030 Thursday to Saturdays – Withdrawn -
Decision date 08/04/2006

S/01161/06/FUL 1a Brighton Road, Balsall Heath - Continuation of use as vehicle paint spraying workshop and alteration to existing flue. - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

S/01321/06/FUL, 93 Alcester Road, O' Neill's, Moseley, B13 8DD - Planning consent is sought for the variation of condition C1 attached to application S/01537/05/FUL to allow opening hours from 2330 Mondays-Saturdays and 2300 on Sundays permanently. - Report In Draft

S/01332/06/FUL, 7 Park Hill, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8DU - Retention of boundary walls to front and side. - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

S/01333/06/FUL, 7a Park Hill, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8DU - Retention of boundary walls to front and side - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

S/01468/06/FUL, 2 & 4-6a Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8BE - Demolition of flats and erection of 22 apartments - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

S/01697/06/FUL, St Mary's Row, Moseley Village Green, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 - Erection of Tolkien landmark sculpture to include 6.5m high metal "Ent" sculpture, life size statues of children, laying of resin bonded crushed glass tiles, removal of three trees and planting of four new trees - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

S/01723/06/FUL, 18 Belle Walk, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 9DE - Erection of 1.8 metres high front boundary wall and 2 no. 2 metres high front gates - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

S/01755/06/FUL, 348-352 Moor Green Lane, Moseley, Birmingham, - New housing development; erection of 3 no. dwellings with new vehicular access - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

S/01541/06/OUT, 7 Park Road, Moseley, Birmingham, B13 8AB - Proposed 3-bed detached bungalow on land to the rear of 7 Park Road - Awaiting PP/Cons Exp

Pitmaston planning application is called in for non-determination

The agent behind the planning application to turn the Pitmason building into residential flats has appealed to the Government for non-determination of the application. Pitmaston is at the corner of Russell Road and Moor Green Lane. The building was built in the 1930's, although the surrounding gardens date from the 1870's.

The office building is Grade ii listed, and is in Moseley Conservation Area

The planning application involved the conversion of the existing Grade II listing building into residential accomadation and the erection of a new 3 storey residential block to the rear of the building.

All planning applications have to be determined within a set period - this can vary from 3 to 13 weeks depending on the size of the development. If the application is not determined within that period, then the applicant can request that a Government inspector determines the planning application. This is what has happened with this application.

The planning officers had originally recommended approval of the planning application, however following a site visit, the members of the planning committee deferred the decision minded to refuse - this meant that the Council Officers would have to come back with a report detailing the legal reasons to refuse the application. Members of the committee were concerned about the need to change quality office space into residential accomadation (and it's impact of Moseley as a whole) and the impact of the new build on the setting of the listed building.

The method that the government inspector will use to decide the planning application has still to be determined. However, it is most likely to be a public hearing in the summer

Monday, April 03, 2006

Survey results of tree survey of Moseley and Kings Heath Ward

I've uploaded an Excel spreadsheet showing the results of the recent tree survey of Moseley and Kings Heath Ward. This can be seen at:

http://www.martinmullaney.co.uk/images-nature-conservation/moseley-trees.xls

The spreadsheet contains two worksheets - one worksheet contains data on the trees that had already been surveyed over the last three years as part of the on-going Council maintenance.

The other worksheet shows the trees recently surveyed - this shows that we have over 1000 trees that need work doing to them. As part of the recent increase in tree maintenance budget by the Council, work has already begun on this backlog - work has recently been done in Clarence Road, Woodfield Road, Cambridge Road and Blenheim Road.

All these trees are plotted on maps and I will get copies of these in the near future.

I also need to sit down with the tree officers and pull together a 10 maintenance programme.

With regards to planting new trees, I am quite happy to set aside £10,000 per year from the Community Chest for the planting of new trees each December - this is subject to approval by the Ward Committee. I calculate that £10,000 will pay for the planting of 40 trees in paved areas. So for example 40 trees is probably enough to tree line both Cambridge Road and Prospect Road.

After the Election we need to sit down and work out where are the priority roads for tree planting and what type of trees.

The type of trees will involve much debate, since we need to decide what are the most appropriate type of trees to fit the character of the area and attract wildlife. We also need to decide, which roads limes could be planted on - limes are controversial since they produce honeydew which mucks up parked cars and front gardens, BUT they do support alot of wildlife such as songbirds.

Saturday, April 01, 2006

Extension of kerbside recycling into Moseley

At the moment 10,000 household are taking part in a pilot scheme to iron out various issues with the running of the kerbside collection. Central Kings Heath was included in this pilot scheme where plastics, cans, bottles and paper was collected from the door step

The roll out of the kerbside collection scheme is being funded from a £5million increase in the waste management budget in the new financial year.

A large chunk of the £5million will be spent increasing the kerbside collection to 100,000 households in south Birmingham. The plan is that compost will be collected one week and recycling materials the following week – they will be collected on the same day as normal refuse.

The roll out will be done in phases since new trucks will have to be purchased.

Initially, the pilot area will be doubled in size – there is the capacity to do this, since half the pilot area is having recycling materials collected on a weekly basis. It was found that overall, there was no difference in amounts collected whether material was collected weekly or fortnightly. Collecting weekly cost twice as much as collecting fortnightly.

Which area will be covered in this initial expansion will be announced in the coming week.

The composting scheme will then roll out to all 100,000 households – this is because the summer months provide the highest demand for compost.

When we reach October, the roll out of material recycling will begin.

The recycling scheme will not include the inner city areas in this financial year, since previous experience shows very few recycling items are collected.

The remainder of the £5million will be used to provide regular 10 weekly clear-ups to every Ward. Each Ward will be provided with a crew to help tidy up the area – this could include removing dumped rubbish, graffiti, to washing the pavements in shopping centres. Local Councillors and Wardens will be consulted on what needs doing.

Councillor walkabout of kings Heath (from my house in Southlands Road to Highbury Road and back) – Wednesday 31st March 2006

Graffiti – Councillor Request mu01157 raised for items 1 to 6. Councillor Request mu01159 raised for items 7 and 8.
1) green and black coloured ‘CLUE’ graffiti tags on the wooden fence of golf club at the corner of Springfield Road and Brook Lane – photograph supplied
2) graffiti tags ‘NEMO’ ‘J’ and CLUE ABC’ on brick wall across the road from 148 Addison Road
3) red coloured graffiti tag ‘CLUE’ on brick wall across the road from 120 Addison Road
4) yellow coloured graffiti tag ‘CLUE’ on brick across the road from 114 Addison Road
5) graffiti tags on wall across the road from 226 Grange Road – photograph supplied
6) large blue ‘AVFC’ graffiti tag next to 133 Highbury Road – photograph supplied
7) wooden door across the road from 133 Highbury Road needs painting over – door is part of 122a Highbury Road – photograph supplied
8) graffiti tag on yellow ‘ATTENTION’ sign at entrance to Silver Street car park

Dumped rubbish for Lifford Lane depot to remove Councillor Request mu01158 raised
9) wooden boards and bags of rubbish on pavement in front of 139 Billesley Lane – can they be removed?
10) litter bin in front of shop on the corner of Institute Road and Goldsmith Road is full and over flowing –the immediate area needs litter picking especially the first 40 yards of Goldsmith Road
11) litter bin in front of Bishop Challenor school entrance on Institute Road is full and overflowing
12) can we get the mechanical pavement sweeper to regularly sweep pavement in the cul-de-sac that is formed by house numbers 27 to 39 Balaclava Road? – photo of cul-de-sac is attached

Action for the Selly Oak Hit Squad to remove – Councillor Request mu01159 raised
13. grass verge in front of Tyre Sales is full of litter – photograph is supplied
14. large amount of litter on the grass verge around St.Dunstans private car park, at the rear of Woolworths – two photographs supplied
15. grass verge next to Quids Worth, Silver Street is still a mess. There is now a settee dumped in the car park next to this grass verge – photo supplied
16. large amounts of domestic rubbish being dumped on land to the rear of 47 Silver Street – this is an abandoned shop unit. Land is accessed from Fairfield Road Bin bags on pavementnone

Large domestic furniture items in front gardens – Councillor Request mu01159 raised
17) settee and rubbish in front garden of 118 Westfield Road
18) mattress in front garden of 108 Westfield Road
19) rubbish in front garden of 52 Westfield Road
20) mattress and bed in front garden of 64 Station Road
21) carpet in front garden of 37 Station Road
22) wooden piano in front garden of 29 Station Road

Section 4 notice required on property to remove litter/rubbish that attracts rats or provides them with a place to nest – Councillor Request mu01159 raised
23) front garden of xxx Cambridge road is mess – full of litter. Is this house abandoned?

Miscellaneous items – Councillor Request mu01160 raised for items 24 and 25. Councillor Request mu01162 raised for items 26
24. rubbish still needs clearing from next to Council owned garages in Balaclava Road
25. evidence of prostitution taking place next to Council owned garages in Balaclava Road – neighbours are complaining and there are lots of used condoms there. Need to investigate getting a barrier installed.
26. Ruprai Food and Wines, 112-114 Station Road are still leaving wooden crates on the pavement of Westfield road – can we take enforcement action?