Issue #217 April/May 2021 Twww.thevillage.coheVillage NEWS & FEATURES from Alvechurch, Barnt Green, Blackwell, Burcot Beoley, Cofton Hackett, Finstall, Hopwood, Bordesley, Rowney Green, Lickey, Lickey End, Marlbrook, The Oakalls . everywhere in between! TheVillage Issue 217 April/May 2021 Chris Chipps TIMBER WINDOWS Bespoke insideBringing you village life for more than 22 years timber windows Conservation The Future Pulls In Representing YOU! and listed Page 13 Pages 25-31 building registered Editorial: Editor: www.chrischipps.co.uk Richard Peach The Limes 0121 458 3326 Alvechurch Rev Rob Retires Worcestershire Pages 34-35 0796 8990 258 B48 7RR Tel: 0121 445 6757 email: [email protected] To advertise Bird Homes Bonus in The Village Pages 50-51 Call Louise Robinson: 0121 445 6757 email: [email protected] visit: www.thevillage.co The Village (ISSN 1466-3376) is published by Platform Publishing & Media Ltd (Reg Office: 87 Hewell Rd, Hedgehog Highway Barnt Green, B45 8NL) and printed by Pages 50-51 Buxton Press in Derbyshire. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written consent is prohibited. The publishers do not accept responsibility for any errors made in advertisements or for claims made by any advertisers which are incorrect. The publishers reserve the right to refuse advertising for any reason. All material submitted for publication is done so at the owner’s risk and no responsibility is accepted by the Sense of Wonder publisher for its return. Pages 57-63 Cover: Rapeseed fields ripen in Tutnall by Village reader Dennis Brown. Village News Indies step A LESSON IN LITTER up for polls as contest heating up INTEREST is already high in Oakalls, Aston Fields, Tarde- the county elections across bigge and Tutnall. The Village area with more After Coun Charlie than a month still to go until Hotham’s success in taking polling day on May 6. the Alvechurch Division Independent candidates away from Tory control in are standing in at least two 2017, independent candi- of the three Worcestershire dates are again throwing County Council “divisions” their hats in the ring. we cover. Coun Hotham is standing BARNT GREEN schoolboy Freddie Gibbons (above) Candidates can enter the down from the county, used his half-term break to give a lesson in commu- race right up to April 8, so while remaining a Broms- nity service – and in being organised. there could yet be more. grove district and Barnt Freddie, aged ”almost nine”, decided he and dad The Alvechurch Division Green parish councillor. Martin were to spend an hour each day collecting takes in an enormous area, Transport expert and lo- litter. And to make sure he had everywhere covered, including all of Alvechurch cal campaigner Alan Bailes, he printed out a map of the area, from Shepley Road parish, part of Wythall par- of Bordesley, is standing for right across to the Lower Bittell. He divided it up and ish and all of Beoley parish. county as an independent worked on a different area each day of half term. Beacon Division includes in his place, prompting Freddie even kept a spreadsheet of what litter they Barnt Green, Cofton Hackett independent district coun- collected, averaging more than 100 items a time. and part of Lickey, while cillor Kate Van Der Plank to Martin told The Village: “While we both really Bromsgrove East Division stand in Beacon Division. enjoyed spending the time together, the volume of covers villagers living in Village Elections: rubbish that we encountered was really distressing.” Blackwell, Lickey End, the Pages 23-30 ‘No decision has been made’ about Quaker hall CENTRAL England Quakers have land to the Barnt Green Surgery. ers will be contacted when there are told The Village that no decision has No decision has been made about changes in the arrangements to use been made about the future of their the future of the Meeting House in the rooms when Covid 19 restric- Barnt Green meeting house. Sandhills Road. tions are lifted. The building will be They were responding to the “Central England Quakers are cur- maintained by the trustees’ property statement by the Quaker represen- rently discussing the management committee.” tative in Barnt Green that the site in of the building which is presently For queries about the hall, con- Sandhills Road was to be given to closed to due Covid 19 restrictions tact the Clerk to Central England the village GP surgery. but which was previously used by Quakers Trustees by email: clerk. The trustees of the Central many community groups in the [email protected] or by phone: England Quakers said: “There are village.” 07538076912. no plans to gift the building and The trustees added: “Regular hir- Village Views: Page 23 The Village April/May 2021 5 Village News image interiors Calagate pressure still ‘on’ l l THE PUBLIC right of way from Barnt Kitchens Bedrooms Bathrooms Green through the Cala Homes estate to the Lickey Hills will “one day” be open, the parish council heard. Gates were installed by the developer at either end of a section of the intended footpath, despite planning officers asking for them to be removed from the plans. Cala Homes has since described the public footpath as “an aspiration”. District coun- cillor Charlie Hotham told the parish council’s March meeting that he was not able to say too much about the dispute, which is being HAPPY ENDING: Alicia Stanford (cen- The new paddock, in the centre pursued by Bromsgrove’s planning tre) and her horses Treacle and Tuffy of the village, was owned by Geoff officers. settle into their new Alvechurch Crow, who ran EJ Crowe butchers for “As I have said before, it is a slow paddock with the help of (from many years. Geoff died a year ago and long process, but as long as the left) Melissa Crow, Mia and Jorga after contracting Covid-19. Image Interiors are appointed stockists for pressure is kept on, we will get there,” Broomhall and John Hall. Alicia told The Village: “Geoff’s he said. “I am keeping the pressure Village readers responded to daughter Melissa came to our rescue Symphony, Neff Master Partner, on, I know the officers are working on Alicia’s plight after we reported that and gave us a new home. Her dad it in the best way they can, so hope- she had been asked to leave her would be so proud of her.” and Crown Kitchens, Bedrooms & Bathrooms fully, one day that gate will open,” paddock of 50 years because the Alicia also thanked all the other added Coun Hotham. landlord, St Laurence Church, was people who contacted her via The selling the land to raise money for Village offering help. repairs to its church tower. Village Views: Page 20 Visit our showroom for a free plan and quotation Pitch battle “IMMENSE PRESSURE” is being felt by Alvechurch Parish Council over its Help on high against tippers stance on an application to build 25 A parish councillor has given a big with the perfect thing to help safe homes on the site of Alvechurch Foot- lift to a campaign to stop the scourge installations: a hydraulic cherry-picker ball Club’s ground at Lye Meadow. of flytipping in village lanes. platform that can lift the installer The council objected formally to The scheme, which is being run 24ft into the air. “I got it because I the plan because it contravenes the on community donations, covers don’t like heights,” Coun Urry told policies of the Alvechurch Parish Alvechurch, Portway and Beoley and The Village,” and it is just the thing for Neighbourhood Plan and was also in involves solar-powered cameras be- placing cameras up high.” the Green Belt. ing installed on private land watching For more information on the Council chairman Marc Worrall told gateways. Now Beoley parish council- Community Scheme and to donate or councillors: “There is immense pres- lor James Urry has come forward volunteer: www.flytips.co.uk sure from the football club to relook at this.” COFTON HACKETT Parish Council is to investigate what is planned for the He added: “It is a difficult one for us former Bilberry Tea Rooms at the foot of the Lickey Hills after a resident Visit our showroom at Aston Fields Industrial Estate, because the football club is an impor- asked if the now-empty building could be listed. The boys’ organisation which had been using the property was now Sherwood Road, Bromsgrove B60 3DR tant part of our parish, nevertheless, from a planning point of view it is defunct and the keys handed back to its owner, Birmingham City Council. difficult for us to consider anything The council also heard that Cofton Hall, a Grade II* listed building, may www.image-interiors.co.uk other than our formal stance.” have been sold, but this was not verified. Call for a FREE Design Consultation 01527 576565 The Village April/May 2021 7 Village News Chim, chimney . Chim, chimen-no . Chim, chimney! Roof goes back to stack THE developers of the former post The developers received a further in Swan Street, Bromsgrove District office building in Alvechurch have setback in March over their applica- Council threw out the plan saying the rebuilt the chimney stack on the roof tion to turn one of the two ground proposed use would “adversely affect of the village “heritage asset”. floor shop units created in the the amenities of adjacent residential This follows the recommenda- building into a drinking establish- properties”. tion of Bromsgrove’s conservation ment, with a smoking area in the rear Planners said increased use of the officer after the chimneys on the19th garden.