Planning application for the old Constituency Office

Birmingham City Council have received a planning application for change of use for the old Constituency Office on the high street.

The applicants, Grace Church Stirchley, have requested a change of use for 1459 Pershore Road, Stirchley, (B30 2JL) from offices (Use Class E) to meeting space for church (Use Class F2), erection of single storey side/rear extension, new landscaping and associated parking.

The application number associated with this development is 2023/06920/PA. Documents can be viewed on the Planning Portal here where you can also submit comments on the plans.

Comments should be sent to the Council, via the planning portal before 20 November 2023.

Stirchley Jobs Fair

After the success of her last event, Councillor Mary Locke has organised another Jobs Fair for Wednesday 25th October from 10am – 2pm.

The previous event had over 100 people who were interested in local vacancies for jobs and employers from the NHS, police and a number of local businesses in the area were all in attendance. This event is already proving popular with employers and a number of organisations have signed up to attend.

The event will take place at Stirchley Baths and is open to anyone looking for work in the Stirchley, Bournville, Cotteridge, Selly Oak and wider Birmingham area.

Changes to bus services in Stirchley

From Sunday 2nd July, National Express West Midlands are making frequency changes to bus services as they introduce their early summer timetables. The following routes that serve Stirchley Ward will be affected by these changes:

11A | Birmingham Outer Circle: The Monday – Friday peak frequency will be reduced to every 9-10 minutes, off peak frequency will be reduced to every 10 minutes, and Saturday frequency will be reduced to every 11 minutes.

11C | Birmingham Outer Circle: The Monday – Friday peak frequency will be reduced to every 9-10 minutes, off peak frequency will be reduced to every 10 minutes, and Saturday frequency will be reduced to every 11 minutes.

45 | Birmingham – Longbridge: The Monday – Friday frequency will be reduced to every 15 minutes all day. There will be a permanent change to the 45, which will terminate at West Heath after 9pm and no longer serve Longbridge. The frequency will also be reduced to every 20 minutes, combined with the 47 service.

47 | Birmingham – Longbridge: The Monday – Friday frequency will be reduced to every 15 minutes all day. There will be a permanent frequency reduction to every 20 minutes, combined with the 45 service, to journeys after 9pm.

For information on what other services are changing, visit the NXWM website here.

Mini Caribbean festival coming to Stirchley

Leaf Creative Arts and Love Hertz are bringing Good Vibrations to Stirchley as they host a mini Caribbean festival in August.

The event, which takes place on Wednesday 9th August at Stirchley Baths, includes a steel pan troupe, reggae-aerobics & Calypso dancing, a Caribbean silent disco, dominoes tournament, and fruity refreshments.

All ages are welcome to this free event, which is family, carer and dementia friendly. The organisers have asked people, if possible, to let them know if they’re attending so they can have an idea of numbers. However if you turn up on the door they’re unlikely to send you away.

For more information, email leafcreativearts@gmail.com or call them on 07746642387.

Stirchley Co-operative Development breaks ground

An innovative, eco-friendly, affordable residential and retail premises will be coming to Stirchley next year, with the Stirchley Co-operative Development (SCD) breaking ground on their Pershore Road site.

SCD is a group of local people in housing and worker co-operatives who are developing land on Pershore Road (next to the British Oak) to house local businesses along with 39 apartments where residents will be charged affordable rent. Loaf bakery and cookery school, Birmingham Bike Foundry, and Artefact will all move into the building once it is completed, which is expected to be autumn 2024.

Members of the SCD were joined by Selly Oak MP Steve McCabe, Stirchley councillor Mary Locke, members of the Forum Committee, and a host of other guests to mark the breaking ground.

For more information on the Stirchley Co-operative Development, including registering your interest in joining the coop, visit https://www.stirchley.coop/