Birmingham planning meeting halted as residents chant ‘shame on you’
Tensions over a Birmingham area’s regeneration project saw a council meeting descend into turmoil as residents chanted ‘shame on you’.
The planning committee were discussing the council’s huge scheme to transform Druids Heath – but faced angry questions and outbursts throughout the meeting.
The project is set to provide 3,500 new homes, green spaces, new infrastructure, transport links and more.
However, concerns over the potential impact on the community and fears that existing residents would be priced out of the area led to furious reactions during the meeting before it was eventually halted.
As the committee voted to approve the plans following a lengthy discussion, the public gallery erupted with boos and chants of ‘you vote yes, we vote no’ from the stunned and angry residents.
The meeting was then brought to a halt as they remained in the room and began chanting “shame on you” towards members of the committee.
Councillors left the room as the disruption continued, before those in the public gallery gathered outside the Council House in protest.
Tensions were flaring up during the meeting before that as the plans were discussed, with residents chanting “let him speak” after an objector explaining his concerns was told his allotted time was up.
Councillor Lee Marsham, chair of the planning committee, told him: “I don’t want to interrupt and appreciate your concerns, they have been listened to.
“We now need to let the next three minutes [for the applicant] begin, that’s to make sure this application is fair, just and done in the correct procedures.”
A number of councillors were applauded by residents as they expressed concern over the scheme, with Coun Jane Jones saying: “Something needs to be done with Druids Heath but I’m very concerned that people […] will find themselves displaced.”
Coun Gareth Moore added: “We need to provide more affordable homes and the infrastructure that the future people of Druids Heath will need.”
Summing up his thoughts, Coun Marsham said: “Druids Heath has gone decades without the investment you deserve, that’s not right, that’s not fair.
“We all want greener and warmer homes – and homes people can take pride in and can afford.
“Obviously we want to give the community first dibs on coming back.”
What are residents concerned about?
A council report, published ahead of the meeting, noted that harm could arise from the ‘potential relocation of the existing population’.
It also highlighted how the planning application only details how 400 homes will be built as affordable homes in the area, which was previously described as “forgotten” by ward councillor Julien Pritchard.
The council has previously committed to building around 1,785 affordable homes as part of the scheme, which would represent 51 per cent of homes on the development.
The report said: “The applicant, BCC Housing, are committed to fulfilling the strategic goal of 51 per cent affordable housing on this site, with a right to return policy to the site which would be reliant on this level of affordable housing coming forward.”
Following the meeting, Coun Pritchard argued: “The outline planning application had a massive reduction in genuinely affordable socially rented homes and more demolition than is needed.
“Replacing social homes shouldn’t be a vague aspiration. It’s something that should be guaranteed.”
“The application didn’t offer the written guarantees on social housing the community needed.”
“The fact the decision to approve was tied shows there are real issues,” he said. “We need plans with less demolition, which replace all the socially rented homes that are demolished and ensures all residents, homeowners, private renters or council tenants can stay in Druids Heath and aren’t priced out.”
During Thursday’s meeting, a council officer insisted that all social rented homes would be “reprovided”.
“It’s a build-first model,” she said. “The whole spurt of this is to cause minimal disruption to people on site.
“When the grant funding comes through, this means there will not be any displacement.”
The council report listed several benefits the regeneration scheme would bring, including housing, a new sports hub, improved green spaces, additional community uses, the demolition of vacant tower blocks and a network of pedestrian and cycling facilities.
Coun Nicky Brennan, cabinet member for housing, said last month that the regeneration would deliver thousands of “high-quality, energy-efficient homes”.
“We are also committed to ensuring that more than half of them will be affordable – helping to meet the urgent housing needs of our residents,” she said.
The council has also previously insisted that it understood residents’ concerns about being priced out of the area.
“For this reason, the council is looking at how we can use different financial models to give residents an opportunity to remain on the estate,” it said earlier this year.
