Edgbaston Mill (Tally Ho Site)

[Biosonic]

The Planning Dept recommended Aldi for approval yesterday despite many more objections than support.

Anyone know what the councillors decided on?

[Biosonic]

It does make you wonder:

Consultation/PP Responses

Local residents, Ward Councillors, MP and resident associations notified. Site and Press
notices posted. 23 support cards/letters received from residents in Hemisphere and
surrounding residential units, 13 individual letters of objection and 30 standard letters of
objection from residents in Hemisphere and the City Centre including 3 received from Gisela Stuart MP on behalf of her constituents. Councillor Deirdre Alden has passed on the concerns of residents of Odell Place and the surrounding area, who are concerned about traffic congestion and chaos at an already busy junction.

Letters of support report the following:
 Not far to travel and within walking distance of a significant number of local residents.
 Quality food at low prices helping the community to get through the recession.
 Would add to the facilities in the local area.
 The design looks bright and modern and would fit in with the flats and the Edgbaston
Mill development as a whole.
 It is not a Tesco.
 Provision of employment opportunities to unemployed people in Edgbaston.

Letters of objection are based on the following grounds:
 The operator provides budget shopping within a basic architectural building out of
keeping with the area.
 It would provide a poor impression of Edgbaston opposite the cricket ground.
 The site requires a sophisticated upmarket leisure development – the proposal will
quite literally ruin the reputation and standing of Edgbaston.
 Aldi is an inappropriate store for the site.
 The area is already served by Aldi in Sparkbrook and Selly Oak, therefore building an
Aldi store in this location does not serve the residents of the area and is anticompetitive
behaviour from the supermarket chain.
 The traffic generation would cause undue traffic delays on match days at the cricket
ground.
 The site and location on a busy commuter route is more suited to a smaller express
outlet and not a major supermarket chain.
 The Ashes road is too narrow and used for residential parking, the proposed
development would change the character of the road.
 The types of retail development intended for the site were of higher quality than an
Aldi and this brand would not take the Edgbaston Mill development in the right
direction.
 This would downgrade the development and will attract a different type of customer
to those using the MAC and the cricket ground.
 An Aldi will certainly drive down the prices of the apartments which are quite
prestigious and the proposal is not fitting with the image of the Hemisphere complex.
 The Edgbaston Mill development is aimed at creating an attractive location to match
apartment prices and the upgrading of the cricket ground – Aldi does not sit in this
band as a limited range retailer who has a greater attraction to discount consumers.
 The car park and delivery entrance should be nearer to Edgbaston Road if not
directly off Edgbaston Road.
 It would be better as a Tesco or Sainsbury’s.
 Anti-social behaviour should be factored in along with crime, loitering, criminal
damage and littering along with the increase in vermin that a food store would create.
 Deliveries should not be before 0630/0700 hours and not after 2000 hours and the
car park and store outer lighting should be directional and turned off 30 minutes after
trading.
 The traffic should not come past the flats due to the substantial disturbance this will
cause, plus the road is already difficult to negotiate with parked cars.
 The proposal is not in accordance with the master plan for the site.
 A cheap standalone building with very little consideration to its surroundings is not a
demonstration of high quality design or development. The design is inappropriate for
the site and Edgbaston in general.
 The store should be located in a mixed use scheme and form part of a ground floor to
a larger scheme.
 The Ashes has a weight restriction that would prevent lorries using the road to
service the store.
 This is a large supermarket that will increase traffic and the filter light on Edgbaston
Road is not designed to allow a large volume of traffic that will lead to a backlog that
will affect residents in Hemisphere accessing their properties and causing delays for
emergency vehicles.
 The original plan was for offices in this location which would have had a lower traffic
impact and at different times of the day.
 Insufficient car parking would be provided for a store this large leading to overspill
parking on The Ashes.
 The Ashes surface is not sufficient to sustain the heavy traffic flow associated with a
supermarket and certainly not suitable for the large delivery lorries required to service
such a large supermarket.
 Noise and disturbance created by such a large store with deliveries accessing the
site early in the morning and late at night.
 Loss of privacy from a use that will be open into the evening.
 The store is larger than the 1300 square metres previously approved.
 A food store of this size is not required as there are 19 other ‘chain’ food stores
operating within a 4 mile radius of the site.

[morestoreysplease]

That looks like about 90% in favour of objections!!

[Erebus555]

I love how one of points of support was "It is not a Tesco."

[morestoreysplease]

I wonder how much blood has been spat by the Cannon Hill Residents Association??

[woodhousen]

Not enough it would seem, although it wouldn't suprise me that they would hate the erection of new floodlights but would love havin a nice convenient supermarket being built close by lol

[Erebus555]

Forgot to mention that I saw a headline at one of them Birmingham Mail newspaper booths "Outrage as posh flats get Aldi" or something like that... I figured it was to do with this.

[feltip]

Edgbaston residents oppose Aldi plan
Jun 22 2010 by Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

GERMAN discount supermarket chain Aldi will be setting up shop next to Edgbaston Cricket Ground despite complaints from some residents that it will lower the tone of the area.

As well as worries over traffic congestion, particularly on busy Test Match days, residents have turned up their noses at the scheme, saying that the cut-price grocer does not ‘fit in with the leafy suburb’ and will drive down house prices.

The supermarket is the first part of the wider commercial development which will see upmarket hotels, offices, shops, apartments, bars and restaurants built opposite to the cricket stadium – itself undergoing a major redevelopment.

Aldi has submitted a detailed application for a 14,000sq ft store on the Edgbaston Mill site owned by Calthorpe Estates, due to be decided by the Planning Committee on Thursday.

There has been a mixed response from residents, with 23 writing in favour, and 43 against. Many of those come from the exclusive Hemisphere apartment complex.

Supportive comments back the design and welcome a supermarket within walking distance of many homes.

Those against demand a ‘higher quality’ retailer, saying Aldi will downgrade the development and cut house prices.

One comment says: “This Edgbaston Mill development is aimed at creating an attractive location to match apartment prices. Aldi does not sit in this band as a limited range retailer who has greater attraction to discount consumers.”

There are also concerns, backed by local councillor Deirdre Alden, that there will be traffic chaos. Coun Alden (Cons, Edgbaston) said: “There is potential added traffic congestion in an area which is already very congested on big match days.”

A report to the planning committee points out that the image of a store is not a planning consideration, dismisses traffic concerns, says a supermarket is needed in the area and recommends approval.

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/t...7319-26699283/

[Biosonic]

Goes to planning committee TOMORROW.

[Soul_13]

Hunger strike anyone?????

[woodhousen]

looks like this will get through unless any councillors have kicked up a fuss???

[morestoreysplease]

At least little Aldi identikits are easy to dismantle in the future....

[brum2003]

To be fair it looks a little better than the standard aldi's with the pitched red tile roofs and 90s brickwork - at least looks clean and modern - still no ideal for location though - see what happens with rest of site

[KHvillan]

Reported in Planning Magazine last week that David Lock Associates appointed by Calthorpe Estates and Stonen Developments to develop plans for a 200 bed hotel at Edgbaston Mill for the Crowne Plaza chain...

[Biosonic]

They will be delighted with their new neighbours

[feltip]

Originally Posted by KHvillan

Reported in Planning Magazine last week that David Lock Associates appointed by Calthorpe Estates and Stonen Developments to develop plans for a 200 bed hotel at Edgbaston Mill for the Crowne Plaza chain...

Well i guess it could still be Holiday Inn express that was mused then as they're all part of the group. Be interesting who the hotel is and which hotel the Cricket Ground get on their development.

[feltip]

From planning

2010/04995/PA

209 Edgbaston Road Edgbaston Mill Edgbaston Birmingham B5 7QS

Mixed use commercial block comprising 200 bed hotel and ancillary restaurants and meeting rooms, health and fitness facility, cafe, restaurant and ancillary roads, service yard, car park and landscaping

Registered 31-08-2010

[KHvillan]

Looking alright. Pity there is no bar but plans show one of the restuarants / hotel as having a bar area.

Interestong to note the claim that the hotel could be a destination for the USA or Jamaican track and field teams - would suggest they are going to throw it up before 2012.

[simbastyles]

I'm sorry but i think its just bland crap

[Erebus555]

It does look OK, of course could be better. My mine irritation with this is the Edgbaston Road elevation - the northern most element is the shortest yet this is pretty much going to be the most viewed section. I'd expect something far more prominent at this point.