OPEN FORUM MEETING & SPECIAL GENERAL MEETING

GUEST SPEAKER: KEITH FENWICK, PLANNING DIRECTOR OF SPRING UR

Brett Lovatt, Design Director, Spring UR,
 Majella Lynch, Mere Green Site Construction Manager,
 and a representative from Signature Senior Lifestyle, will also attend to answer your questions.

As you will now be aware, Spring UR’s proposed development of Mere Green received planning approval on the 9th. of  August.

Three members of the Mere Green Neighbourhood Forum Management Committee attended the Planning Committee on behalf of local Residents.

At the meeting of the Planning Committee a strict protocol was observed.

The Forum Secretary spoke very eloquently for three minutes about Residents’ reasons for objecting to the proposed plans.

A representative of Spring UR was also given three minutes to speak in support of the development.

The number of individual letters and signatories to petitions were mentioned.
A written statement by a local Councillor, listing a number of Residents’ concerns, was read to the meeting.

The Planning Officer’s report was wholly in favour of Spring UR’s proposals
A Transportation representative assured the Committee that traffic & parking will not cause a problem.
There was no discussion about this, although the Chairman said Residents might not agree with him.
There was very little further discussion about any other concerns raised by Residents.

Thanks are particularly due to those Residents who spent time and effort organising the petitions.

Uncertainty has now been removed.
We know the development is going ahead, but we will continue to liaise with SpringUR where possible.

There will no doubt be issues during the build and beyond, so we will need to make sure that Residents still have a voice in the proceedings

Change is inevitable in all our lives and nothing stays the same for ever.
We must now brace ourselves for the changes that will come to Mere Green.

Mere Green has experienced many changes in the past and yet has remained a community.
Let us “think positive” and work together for the future good of our neighbourhood.

A meeting was held this evening to assist residents wishing to comment on the planning application (N/03458/07/FUL) submitted to Birmingham City Council by Spring UR.

The presentation is available here and also as a menu item

The consultative phase, held by SpringUR, the developers has been concluded and they have submitted their plans to the Birmingham planning department for approval.
So, what happens now is anybody’s guess.

The number of residents attending the meetings held by the Mere Green Neighbourhood Forum has indicated the concern felt locally. Many of which have been addressed by the developers before the plans were submitted.
However, the main objection from residents, the lack of customer parking, still remains an issue. We have been told that the allocation has been further reduced since the last public meeting.
SpringUR have stated that they are following government guidelines by so doing but this will be of little comfort to people driving around and around trying to find a parking space. We also presume that Sainsbury’s will not be happy that their car park is being utilised by visitors to the new development.

We will publish information on the planning application as soon as it is made public so watch this space.