West midlands Tower Blocks 2

[BullsEye12]

Aston/Newtown View

[BullsEye12]

View from Sapphire Tower, Aston

[Tony Bear]

some great shots there. This youtube vid of Castle Vale in the ealry 90s makes you realise just how big that estate was.

[Butterfield]

Epic bits showing sheer scale of estate at 4:51 and from 5:58

[MichaelWolves]

Would it of cost the council too much to refurb all the castle vale blocks. Imagine how long it would of taken. Another thing i wish i could have gone to that estate just to see it out of my own eyes but judging by that vid i was only about 1 or 2

[Nacho]

Posted twice

[Nacho]

Article and photos for the revamped block in Wednesbury .I've seen this from close quarters and its transformation is impressive .It also looks pretty smart when viewed from the Metro line.I had my doubts when the project stalled but I'm glad they pushed on and completed the work .I wondered what the top wires were for : http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2...nesbury-flats/

[brum2003]

So impressed with Sandwell homes and the refurbs - why does Birmingham seem to want to knock everything down that's over two storeys

[Nacho]

Spring Hill blocks : http://goo.gl/maps/movPa

[Nacho]

Canterbury Tower Spring Hill : http://goo.gl/maps/KSqBe

One of its flats for sale if anyone is interested : http://www.zoopla.co.uk/for-sale/det...m_medium=feeds

[Erebus555]

I'm doing my dissertation on Birmingham's tower blocks and that means going bonkers on the research. The story of construction of the tower blocks is far more complex than I thought - the politics of it is insane and it seems that they were considered a necessary evil from the outset.

One particularly interesting thing I found out was the council planned to build a 10,000 home estate down around Wythall but this was rejected in 1961 by central government. This meant that the council ended up looking at Chelmsley Wood as the main way to alleviate the housing crisis.

Also, I found some of the early plans for Castle Vale... they practically planned a new city there...

[Nacho]

I look forward to more information Erebus .

Here are two nice ones in West Brom : http://goo.gl/maps/N0SGt

Another view with the Kenrick Park towers in the background (now they have their blue cladding) : http://goo.gl/maps/fF5Q6

[Reanswolf]

Here is a link to Wolverhampton' s Scotlands estate in 1973, shows some old photos of people living there. The end ones show more of the desperate poverty that typified this estate. Indeed the first 4 rows of photos don't look bad at all..........

http://www.gravitaslondon.com/the-sc...erhampton-1973

I am hoping to shortly link some old slightly blurred photos of a very run down Low Hill in the late 1990's. Also Heath Town and Blakenhall/All Saints prior to redevelopment. Not Wolverhampton at its best, and to be fair mis-representative of the areas today.

[Reanswolf]

To see a slightly different & better quality set of these old Scotlands photos you can go to;

http://www.retronaut.co/2012/02/the-...mpton-1973-74/

This second link does not always work, but if it says link is broken go the top and select "1970's", & the Scotlands snaps are listed and shown on page 2. Well worth looking.

[Smileyface]

Here are the Heath Town photos Reanswolf referred to a couple of posts back. I've hosted them for him on my Photobucket account along with the Low Hill ones which can be found on this thread

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1499305

[Reanswolf]

Many thanks Smileyface.

Heath Town is much much better these days! As is most of Wolverhampton.

Shows how much improved things are these days!

[Dudley bloke]

.......

[Nacho]

Excellent news as 15 Sandwell tower blocks are going to get refurbs : http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2...et-43m-revamp/

I imagine they will be of the same good standard as other towers recently refurbished in the area.

[sefton66]

apps have also gone in recently for a few tower blocks to be reclad in Newtown

[nigeman]

Originally Posted by sefton66

apps have also gone in recently for a few tower blocks to be reclad in Newtown

Shame Brum can't replicate Sandwell when it comes to tower block refurbs. That said I do like the lighting on the ones on Lyndhurst in Erdington