NEWS: Furious Erdington families join campaign to Save Short Heath Playing Fields

Words by Adam Smith / Pics by Ed King

An almighty row has erupted over the future of Short Heath Playing Fields, with more furious Erdington families joining campaigners to help dispel Birmingham City Council‘s claim the parkland is ‘unused’.

On Saturday 15th August, a 50 strong crowd of concerned residents gathered to listen to Save Short Heath Playing Fields campaigner Stephen Hughes – following a 12hr dash to drum up local support and spread the message.

Several huge banners were unveiled and leaflets distributed, declaring ‘SAVE OUR PARK’ and informing people about the proposed development on the public green space.

Teams of residents were allocated streets to canvas, looking to raise more awareness about the threat to the playing fields – amongst a community that has, for the large part, been left in the dark about the council’s plans.

Stephen, age 52, told the crowd: “We have to save these playing fields, we cannot let them disappear forever. Just seeing how many people are here today shows the council’s claim that it is unused is total rubbish, people care about this place.

I keep on getting told it is ‘a done deal’ but it is not – the Department of Education have not agreed to the sale yet. We all need to fight to keep our fields.”

He added: “The council have not told enough people about their plans to build, people do not even know about what they are planning, that is the biggest travesty.”

The day of action saw residents rallying together, sharing memories, and declaring they are up for the fight to keep the fields – which used to be used by Court Farm Primary School and Stockland Green Academy.

Stephen added: “To know there is this much community spirit here is an amazing feeling, to have so many people turn up to support us really makes me think we can win this campaign.”

Fellow campaigner Estelle Murphy is also determined to stop the council’s plan to build 84 houses behind her Short Heath Road home, she said: “We are going to fight this all the way. This campaign is not political, it is about keeping our green fields.

We are already under the quota in this area for green space and the council still want to build on it.”

Another Short Heath Road resident Jamie Stanley, aged 31, added: “This can’t be allowed to happen. Finsbury Grove is for the elderly and vulnerable and there is no way a lot of my friends there will be able to get to another park like Witton Lakes.”

Sheila Applebly, aged 78, has lived in the area since 1966 and remembers when fields were full of school children playing with regular sports days and other events.

She said: “We have got so many other places where houses can be built, there is land across the road. It is shocking this is going ahead, is this green space being sold off because of the debt of this council?

This has been left and neglected but it is a bonus that we have still have some green space and clean air to breathe, we live near to Spaghetti Junction so we need it.”

Another Short Heath Road resident Derek Loughead at the rally wants the campaign to hire a solicitor and start fundraising for the fight ahead.

He said: “We have to play the council at their own game, we need to get a license to get it back being a playing field, but it is all in the wording. So, we need a solicitor who understands the wording of documents, we need to raise money, hold a march and agree as a group how to fight the council. We need to tie-them-up in knots.”

However, Birmingham City Council have doubled down on their claim the fields are not used and should be sold off for housing.

In an exclusive statement to Erdington Local the council said: ‘The playing fields at Short Heath are under the ownership of education services but haven’t been used for over ten years by any of the local schools.

‘Following cabinet approval in 2019, Department for Education set processes have been followed, including consultation with local ward members and local schools, and the land will be transferred through appropriation to our housing development team.’

The confirmation statement added: ‘They will look to create a proposal whereby the land can be better used and will bring this to public consultation in around 12 months time. Residents will be notified and given the opportunity to respond, comment and ask any questions at this time.

‘The playing fields are adjacent to Bleak Hill Recreation Park which is a large open space and this will not be affected by any of these changes.’

To sign the petition to ‘Save Short Heath Playing Fields’, visit: www.change.org/p/birmingham-city-council-birmingham-education-department-bob-beauchamp-jack-dormey-save-short-heath-playing-fields

NEWS: Residents rally to save Short Heath Playing Fields – protecting Erdington’s green spaces from developers

Words by Adam Smith / Pics by Ed King

Shocked Erdington residents are furious about plans to turn a local beauty spot into a housing estate.

Short Heath Playing Fields have been at the heart of Perry Common for more than a century, but Birmingham City Council wants the green space for housing through a private property developer – despite families regularly using the parkland.

So far over 800 residents have signed a petition demanding to save Short Heath Playing Fields, with many claiming they were left in the dark about the multi-million pound housing development.

The council are remaining tight lipped about the timetable for the ‘disposal’ of the 26, 912 square metre site, which has proved even more popular during COVID-19 lockdown despite the council claiming ‘the fields are not being used’.

The removal of Short Heath Playing Fields during a time of worrying childhood obesity is even more controversial – the beloved green space is just over a mile from Burford Playing Fields in Kingstanding, which is also about disappear to make way for houses.

Court Farm Road resident Stephen Hughes was so upset about the prospect of losing the playing fields he set up an online petition which clocked up nearly 800 signatures within weeks.

He said: “I live opposite these playing fields, I can see them from my window. But I was not included in the so-called consultation about selling them off for housing.

I played on these fields as a child, my children played on these fields, and now I am getting the joy of taking my two-year-old granddaughter over there… but now they could be gone forever in a few months.”

The 52-year-old automotive engineer said: “This is one of the few green spaces left in Erdington, the wildlife is amazing to see, and you always see people walking their dogs or enjoying a stroll. For the council to say no-one uses it is unbelievable.

A lot of people have messaged me saying they live in a flat and do not have a garden, they are really upset about losing their only bit of green space. Throughout the lockdown more and more people began using the park to exercise.”

He added: “We have got 800 signatures from people who live around here who did not know anything about these plans. The council put up two pieces of A4 paper up informing people about the plans to sell the land, that is why so few people know about it.”

A Short Heath Road resident, Estelle Murphy, whose house backs onto the playing fields, attended the consultation meeting at St Barnabas Church last August and branded the entire exercise as a “joke”.

She said: “The consultation was an absolute joke, this fella from the council stood and told us he was going to build on the playing fields no matter what. There are supposed to be 84 houses going up, we were told it was a done deal, how is that a consultation?”

The NHS worker added: “The wildlife is something special, I sit and watch the bats fly around at night and we have a world shortage of honey bees – but we have more honey bees in the playing fields than we ever have, and they want to build over it.

The bit of land at the back which they are saying will remain a green space is a floodplain and gets soggy immediately. I fear it is a done deal.”

The consultation was held between July and September last year – with Birmingham City Council promising to spend the proceeds of the land sale on sporting facilities across the city.

But as the Short Heath Playing Fields were originally allocated for use by two local schools, Stockland Green School and Court Farm Primary, the Department of Education will have to approve the sale.

The Secretary of State for Education will ‘take into consideration residents’ comments before making the decision – however, residents who did not know about the consultation want their opposition noted.

Birmingham City Council’s proposal said: “The playing fields have not been used by a school or any community group for 10 years.

Although the fields are not being used, Birmingham City Council continues to maintain them. There are ongoing costs for the maintenance and upkeep of these fields.

Should approval be given, Birmingham City Council is proposing to use the land to address the current housing shortage.

This will be subject to planning permission and all other relevant approvals. Any proceeds from the disposal of these playing fields will be used to provide alternative sporting facilities in the city.”

Birmingham City Council would not comment further on the matter.

To sign the petition to ‘Save Short Heath Playing Fields’, visit: www.change.org/save-short-heath-playing-fields