Short Heath Fields Trust

Words & pics by Ed King

On Friday 11^th December, the campaign to Save Short Heath Playing Fields took a significant step forward – following a meeting with Birmingham City Council Leader, Cllr Ian Ward.

Set up by Erdington MP Jack Dromey, the meeting was also attended by Cllr Sharon Thompson (North Edgbaston / Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods), Cllr Penny Holbrook (Stockland Green) and Cllr Josh Jones (Stockland Green) – with Stephen Hughes and Estelle Murphy from Short Heath Fields Trust representing their community.

In 2019, the 2.71 hectares green space situated between Bleak Hill Park and Short Heath Road was earmarked for a new housing estate – with planning application sought to allow up to 108 new homes to be built on the beloved playing fields.

Following botched community consultation, alongside objections from Erdington Councillor Robert Alden at Council meetings, the local community established themselves as Short Heath Fields Trust to fight the proposed developments and establish a two-way debate about the best use of the open space.

Earlier this year, a proposal was written by Short Heath Fields Trust outlining an alternative use for the green space and submitted to Birmingham City Council – following an intervention by Jack Dromey MP.

Birmingham City Council are now bringing the proposed development plans back to the table, with Council Leader Cllr Ian Ward looking to revisit the concerns of the community – following a meeting with campaigners last week.

Birmingham City Council leader Cllr Ian Ward said: “This was a very constructive meeting and, having listened to the proposals, we are keen to engage with residents to find a way forward that meets Birmingham City Council’s objectives and delivers for the local community.”

Looking to strike a balance between the increasing frustration from his Short Heath based constituents and the Council’s wider agenda for social housing, Erdington MP Jack Dromey has been acting as a go-between in a fiercely contested situation that had previously looked gridlocked.

Jack Dromey MP said: “I’m pleased with the positive and constructive meeting between Birmingham City Council and Save Short Health Playing Fields campaigners to discuss the plans for Short Heath.

“The campaigners gave a passionate and detailed presentation that outlined their vision for Short Heath Playing Fields. Throughout this process I have been impressed by their vision and determination, and these are why the campaign has generated the momentum it has.

“I’d like to thank Birmingham City Council for agreeing to the meeting and for how responsive they have been since I first contacted them on this matter. The meeting showed they are listening to the community and that is warmly to be welcomed.

“Both parties have agreed to move forward in partnership to build a plan for Short Heath Playing Fields that the community can be proud of. They have my full support.”

Whilst social and affordable housing is an issue across Birmingham, a wider problem not unrecognised by Short Heath Fields Trust, the decision to tear up an urban oasis and area of natural beauty has been severely questioned by local residents.

Birmingham City Council’s own Strategic Housing Land Availability Assessment (SHLAA), published in December 2019, made no mention of Short Heath Playing Fields as a possible site for development – whilst citing various alternatives to meet the City’s need for social housing.

The initial consultation further failed to include residents of Short Heath or Perry Common, only inviting those from Stockland Green who neighboured the playing fields.

Following months of campaigning, amassing support from people across Erdington, the 11^th December meeting with Birmingham City Council seemed to mark a reversal of fortune for the beloved green space.

All those present at the start of the meeting, including Council Leader Cllr Ian Ward and Cabinet Member for Homes and Neighbourhoods Cllr Sharon Thompson, have agreed to work alongside Short Heath Fields Trust to find an alternative – one that would meet both the need of social housing and to secure valuable green space for the community.

However according to the members of Short Heath Fields Trust present on 11th December, Cllr Josh Jones (Stockland Green), who arrived late to the meeting, is still maintaining his position that the entire of Short Heath Playing Fields should be used for social housing development.

On behalf of local residents and the Save Short Heath Playing Fields campaign, Short Heath Fields Trust said:

“As a community we have fought hard and while the battle is not over, positive first steps have been taken towards a solution that would see sports and community back on the playing fields as it always should have been.

“Councillors Ian Ward and Sharon Thompson have agreed to come and meet our community in the New Year, finally giving them a voice, with a view to building a plan for the playing fields that meets the needs of everyone.

“In Jack Dromey’s own words our community is no longer banging the door to be let in, we now have a seat at the table.

“Short Heath Fields Trust made a promise to our community to get their opinions heard and moving forward will continue to do that – working with the Council and local residents to find a solution to this problem.”

For more information about the campaign to Save Short Heath Playing Fields, visit the group’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/1007069176404521

To further support the Save Short Heath Playing Fields campaign, you can donate through the official GoFundMe fundraising platform: www.gofundme.com/f/save-short-heath-playing-fields

Words & pics by Ed King

On Saturday 3^rd October, around 50 local residents are holding a socially distanced ‘grass cutting protest’ on Short Heath Playing Fields in Erdington – continuing their fight to save the ‘beloved parkland’ from property developers.

Meeting at 2pm, friends and families from the local community will organise themselves on Short Heath Playing Fields – cutting the overgrown grass with handheld gardening tools and scissors.

The ‘grass cutting protest’ is being organised after Birmingham City Council’s refusal to cut the long grass, or to allow privately owned motorised equipment onto the land – such as lawn mowers.

Organised by the Short Heath Fields Trust (a recently formed community action group, dedicated to protecting the 26,912 square metres of cherished green space) the demonstration will be following all the coronavirus crisis guidelines – ensuring the community endeavour is fully COVID-19 safe.

Campaigners are wanting to help make the area more accessible for local children and elderly residents, by stripping back the long grass and thistles to encourage healthy outdoor activities for people of all ages.

In a statement from Short Heath Fields Trust, representing the wider community, protest organisers Estelle Murphy and Stephen Hughes say:

“We have asked Birmingham City Council to cut the grass on Short Heath Playing Fields, so that whilst our community cannot meet in their homes and gardens (due to coronavirus restrictions) they have a space to be outside and safe.

“There is a fight going on to save Short Heath playing fields, as Birmingham city Council want to build a housing estate on the beloved park land. But in the interim we can see no reason why the green space cannot be used to help keep local residents healthy and happy during this global pandemic.

“As the Council have refused to help make the playing fields safer and more accessible, and won’t allow any third party to help with the appropriate motorised equipment, we have organised this grass cutting protest to help everyone in our community.”

The ‘grass cutting protest’ is the latest challenge to Birmingham City Council, following outrage across the community about the proposed housing development on the park land.

There have been further concerns about the lack of community consultation, with many local residents not being informed about the huge housing development that would take place on their doorstep.

In July 2019, Birmingham City Council sought approval to ‘dispose’ of the park land from the Department of Education’s portfolio – where it had been held as playing fields for local schools, including Court Farm Primary and St Mary Margaret Primary.

So far, the campaign to Save Short Heath Playing Fields has attracted thousands of supporters across the Erdington constituency – including a petition signed by 1500 local residents, that was presented to Birmingham City Council on Tuesday 15^th September.

Erdington Councillor and leader of the Birmingham Conservatives, Robert Alden, has also been challenging the proposed developments in Council meetings for months.

“Short Heath Playing Fields are vital to the local area,” says Councillor Alden. “They are a green lung – that helps clean our air, helps provide residents with an area to go to help exercise, and improve their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

“In the post Covid-19 world even the Council admits that it is vital to provide green space yet despite us making it clear to them at numerous Council meetings and in petitions presented to Council that Erdington and Perry Common have a shortage the Council refuse to scrap their crazy plans to build on this valuable green space.”

Erdington’s Labour MP, Jack Dromey, has also called on the Council to listen to the concerns of local residents.

“It is clear the Council have not done a good enough job of consulting with concerned residents,” states Jack Dromey, “and local people understandably feel that they have been ignored and the sense of anger is palpable.

“Going forward, I will continue to argue that it would be wrong to go ahead with these proposals without proper consultation that involves local voices at every stage.”

Campaigners continue to challenge Birmingham City Council’s plans to develop a housing estate on Short Heath Playing Fields.

For more information about the campaign to Save Short Heath Playing Fields, visit the group’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/1007069176404521

To further support the Save Short Heath Playing Fields campaign, you can donate through the official GoFundMe fundraising platform: www.gofundme.com/f/save-short-heath-playing-fields