Plans by a developer to convert the rooms above the shops on Bearwood Road into nearly 50 bedsits have been rejected by Sandwell Council’s Planning Committee.
The committee heard from residents in Herbert Road, and Ward councillor Bob Piper, that the scale of the development would not only impact on neighbouring properties, but would also have an adverse impact on the character of the area.
There were also objections from West Midlands Police, who expressed concern that so many flats with no off street parking would mean cars parking way outside the sightlines of residents and would be likely to lead to car crime. The police and highways officers also said to put so many bedsit apartments in a small space would place excessive demands on already congested streets.
Bob Piper told the committee that local residents and Abbey councillors welcomed the investment in the shops, and didnt object entirely to some living accomodation above the shops – some already have tenants – but that the overintensity of these proposals would be damaging, and residents and councillors were happy to talk to the developers to see if there was a solution which would be acceptable to everyone.
The Bearwood Blog 
The public deserve good quality housing – i.e. self contained decent flats, not bedrooms with shared bathrooms and kitchens. This low quality, high density, high profit housing isn’t wanted by anyone. Disgraceful it was even proposed! For once sense has prevailed.
A very welcome result for people of bearwood.Thank you to all involved for helping in the refusal of this application.h
I agree it would cause a lot of issues , parking is hard as it is
That’s great news Bob. Well done!
About time sandwell council stsrted to say no !
The planning committee refuse quite a lot of applications in my experience, but they can only refuse an application on planning grounds, and those regulations are quite strict
Three cheers, common sense has prevailed ! For once, the planning committee appear to have listened to local residents & councillors.
Concerning that group of shops, did anyone else notice that Tesco ruined the appearance & roof – line of the group of shops by removing the dormer & chimney. My husband worked as a builder on quite a lot of Bearwood properties in the 1950’s & notices things like that. He worked for H.C. Hadley & sons based in Lightwoods Road. We wish now that we had reported it to Sandwell Council, but didn’t think that the buildings would be listed, so not much action could have been taken ?
Bob, do you know what is happening about the New Talbot site ? A half-hearted attempt to make a car wash appears to have been abandoned lately.
Hi Linda, he’s got planning consent for a restaurant with a car valeting facility on site. I insisted at planning that he should open the restaurant AND the car valeting place because I wasn’t prepared to support just a car wash.
If I can trace his phone number I’ll give him a ring and see what’s happening.
This is the second application to be rejected submitted by the same developer. I believe they’ve just changed the address of the application. Surely now this is the end of the matter and Sandwell Council won’t entertain any further applications by the same developer!
The council has no option but to consider all planning applications. The first refusal for an 11-bedsits HMO is being appealed by the company and I suspect they will appeal these refusals too. The appeal will be heard by the government’s Planning Inspectorate based in Bristol
You can see the tendency to revert back to what we saw in the 1800s, greedy developers/landlords cramming people into ever smaller spaces, is just under the surface. And this is just the thing that we should be keeping in check. Protecting people and the character of those houses is vital for Bearwood to be a thriving place people want to live in. I would fight this to the end until a suggestion fitting for Bearwood is submitted.
Hello all, could I just ask whether any body has been informed about the planning application which was submitted for 409 Bearwood road, ? On the corner of Belmont Road and Bearwood road. This corner plot was originally the police station when I was growing up, then was converted into solicitors offices.
Apparently the site went to auction , was sold and the new owners have submitted a planning application for change of use to a place of worship.
This bothers me as we the local residents already have parking issues (inability to park any where near our houses) and I feel that this would cause further chaos.
Yes, lots of people have been informed and many of them have lodged their concerns with the planning authority.
Thankyou, I only found out this week about the proposals.
Many thanks for hearing this good news,it is the shops we need to be reopened in Bearwood