Thursday 27 March 2008

HIGHFIELD HOUSE PLANNING DECISION

The report to the Planning Committee re Highfield House in Hall Green which has been much criticised in the press recently, clearly showed that there was no Planning grounds to prevent the developers gaining permission, for their proposals regarding Highfield House.
If the Committee had agreed on emotional or Political grounds, not to allow this planning proposal, the decision would clearly have been appealed by the developers and their appeal would have been granted by the independent inspector on legal grounds.
It was also very sad to see how this property, a grade 2 listed building has been allowed to go to rack and ruin through lack of interest by all concerned and it is surprising that now it is to go there is renewed interest in the building.?
All this said I have contacted both Councillor Whitby(Con) and Councillor Hassall (Lib) the Leader of the Council and Cabinet member for Leisure Services respectively and asked if the Council could look in the long term, to make arrangements to purchase this property, in order for it to be saved for the city, as I think it deserves another chance. I am still awaiting a response. Perhaps they can swop some of the Council land they are so keen to sell off, with the developer?

4 comments:

OscottLocal said...

Its a great shame to see buildings liek this dissapearing. Birmingham is already the uglist city in Britain and i don't understand why no one seems to care. We seem to take the American approach to town planning i.e a new building of poor quality and of no arcitectual value is put up only for it to be pulled down after ten years and be re-replaced by another heap of junk. The character of Bimringham was based on red bricks and now all we have is concrete and glass.

Anonymous said...

The Council should be ashamed of its self letting highfield Hall get into such a state over the years. Its no good the Liberals bleating on about this either, they are part of the farcial Council leadership we we now have. Why did they do nothing earlier? and are they only making a fuss to get votes.
The Council should buy this building.

JJ said...

It is sad to see old building go.
Why was it allowed to be destroyed?

Big Al said...

I agree the Council should be responsible for this property and should find the funds to buy it.