PLANS to build 152 new council-owned homes in a massive £21.5m regeneration project by Tamworth Borough Council have taken a major step forward with the appointment of a developer.
The job of designing and building new housing estates at Tinkers Green in Wilnecote and the Kerria Centre in Amington has been awarded to housing and community regeneration specialist, Keepmoat Regeneration, part of the ENGIE Group, subject to contract.
In the biggest house building programme by Tamworth Borough Council since the 1970s, the project will see 136 houses, bungalows, flats and maisonettes being replaced with 152 new modern homes.
So far, the demolition of the Tinkers Green estate has been completed, with the knocking down of 100 properties, including seven outdated three and four-storey maisonette blocks. These will be replaced with 108 new homes fit for the 21st century, and an upgraded play area.
All residents of the Kerria Centre have now been re-housed and prior notification of the demolition work has been submitted to Tamworth Borough Council’s planning department. Demolition is expected to take place early next year with the knocking down of 36 flats contained within three and four-storey maisonettes. These will be replaced with 44 new homes. The five existing shops will be replaced by a supermarket retail store.
While outline planning permission has been granted for the redevelopment of both sites, Keepmoat Regeneration is now in the process of finalising the design and layout of each area before submitting a detailed planning application to the council.
The tender includes a requirement for residents living near both sites to be consulted throughout the design and development process.
The Tinkers Green estate, mid-demolition.
Martin Smithhurst, Regional Managing Director at Keepmoat Regeneraton, said: “The need for new affordable homes across the UK is well documented, so we are very excited to be part of the regeneration of Wilnecote and Amington.
“We are looking forward to working with our partners and local residents to create a community where people are proud to live, work and play.”
Tamworth Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Regeneration, Cllr Steve Claymore, said: “The redevelopment of Tinkers Green and the Kerria is the biggest council housing programme in Tamworth for a generation and it gives us the opportunity to provide much-needed affordable homes that are fit for the 21st century.
“The appointment of a developer represents a significant step forward in the project and we are confident that Keepmoat Regeneration will deliver new housing estates that everyone living in the Wilnecote and Amington areas can be proud of.
“It is also pleasing to note that the demolition of Tinkers Green estate was carried out with minimum disruption to local residents. City Demolition Contractors received praise from the local community about their successful management of such a large-scale demolition. Hopefully it will be a similar case when the demolition of the Kerria buildings takes place.
“I look forward to seeing the designs for the new estates taking shape over the coming months.”
Although a community engagement project will get underway in due course, anyone who has any questions about the regeneration project in the meantime can contact the Housing Conditions and Supply Team on 01827 709709 or via email at [email protected].
The previously approved outline planning applications can be viewed via Tamworth Borough Council’s planning portal at www.tamworth.gov.uk/planning, using the application number 0110/2015 for Tinkers Green and 011/2015 for Kerria.
TAMWORTH MP Christopher Pincher has welcomed the news that in a report by the Commonwealth Fund, a US think tank, the NHS has come out as number one in the world compared to 11 other countries.
The NHS was praised for its safety, affordability and efficiency, but fared less well on outcomes such as preventing early death and cancer survival.
It is the second time in a row that the NHS has come top.
The news comes despite critics claiming that the NHS is in its tightest financial situation since its creation.
Mr Pincher said: “Today our healthcare system has been ranked the best healthcare system of 11 wealthy countries. The NHS cam top in 5 of the 11 areas assess, including access and safety of care.
“Not only does the NHS rank the highest in measures related to the equity of health systems with respect to access and care process, but it also ranks first based on the performance across prevention, safe care, coordination, and patient engagement. This is a clear reflection of the dedication of the NHS staff who, despite increasing pressures, are delivering safer, more compassionate care than ever.
“Ranked the best healthcare system of 11 wealthy counties, the NHS has again shown why it is the single thing that makes us most proud to be British.”
PLANS for a future retail and community facility in Wilnecote went on display to the public earlier this week.
Central England Co-operative have announced that the existing Co-operative supermarket at Ninian Way, Wilnecote will be closing soon. The Society has been working with Hawkstone Vale Developments Ltd to look at regenerating the site.
There is an opportunity to redevelop the whole site and bring forward a new retail and community facility. This development is proposed to be named ‘Skey Park’ and is set to show an investment of £15.2 million.
Once the site is operational, it is estimated that it will create around 234 jobs directly, with a further 105 jobs created indirectly.
This will create a net wage of around £1.6 million which could potentially increase expenditure in Tamworth.
The existing site off Ninian Way, Wilnecote
As part of the consultation on plans the company held a public exhibition this week, 12 July in store. At the exhibition display information was available to view. You can download the exhibition boards here for more detail on the proposals.
The site is described as a sustainable, brown field site and developers have said that as it will soon become vacant, it provides an ideal location for a new development.
Hawkstone Vale Developments have said: “Your views on the project are important to us and we will consider them as we finalise the proposals for the submission of the planning application to Tamworth Borough Council.
“We would therefore be very grateful if you could take the time to complete our feedback form or contact us on [email protected] or by calling 0121 233 0902″
Skey Park Proposals
Skey Park is being proposed to regenerate a central site in Wilnecote to bring forward an exciting retail and community offer.
The proposed development will include the demolition of the existing store and the petrol filling station. By re-contouring the site this will create two at areas to develop upon (the site is currently sloped).
In the west of the site it is proposed to build seven retail units varying in sizes. Two of these units will include mezzanine floors.
In the east part of the site it is proposed to build a new discount food store (seen in green), it is also proposed to develop three restaurants / cafes (seen in blue).
To the south of the site a crèche is proposed. In addition to this, a new gym can be provided on one of the mezzanine oors of the new retail units.
New planting and landscaping will also be introduced throughout the site.
A car parking area is provided including 467 car parking spaces; comprising of 433 car spaces, 27 disabled spaces and 7 parent and child spaces.
The proposed site layout
Some people may ask why is the existing Co-operative Store is closing down; well the company says that the existing store has seen a decline in sales. Like other retailers, Central England Co-operative need to constantly adapt to retail challenges at a local level. This decision was taken to close the store to protect the long-term future and growth of the Society as a whole.
As for the company that a looking at the redevelopment, who are Hawkstone Vale Developments Ltd? Hawkstone is a privately owned, property development and investment company which founded in 1997. They have gained a reputation for high quality developments throughout the UK.
Their current portfolio is comprised of retail, leisure and mixed use, residential and of ce schemes nationwide, many of which are retained within a £115 million investment portfolio.
AS fundraising continues for a new Staffordshire Regiment memorial in Tamworth, modelled after the regiments iconic Staffordshire Bull Terrier mascot, the artist commissioned to make the memorial has a stunning sculpture going on display at the National Memorial Arboretum.
Johanna E Domke-Guyot has produced a sculpture called ‘ Silent Memories’. The sculpture took over a year to make and is coming to the National Memorial Arboretum on July 22nd.
The sculpture was previously shown at Westminster Abbey for the Blind Veterans UK Centenary, commemorating the struggle and suffering of veteran’s blinded in the first World War.
The life-size sculpture depicts each soldier holding on the shoulder of the soldier in front, leading the way to an uncertain future.
The sculpture will now be exhibiting at the National Memorial Arboretum in Alrewas from July 22nd until November, with Johanna E Domke-Guyot there in person on July 22nd to talk with visitors about the piece.
Johanna said “I will be there on the Saturday from 10am, please come along for the opening around 11am. It took me over a year to produce the piece, I put my heart and soul in this work.
“I would love this to be a permanent reminder of the suffering of these young lads of WW1. Each holding on the shoulder of the one in front leading the way to an uncertain future. The comments from people that saw the piece were amazing, some people even cried and said it was so poignant.“
More examples of her work can be found at http://www.johannadomke-guyot.com/index.php
The sculpture that is to go on display. Credit: Johanna E Domke-Guyot
Cllr Robert Pritchard said, “We are so lucky to have an artist of Johanna’s skill and passion to make our new memorial. The volunteers involved in the project have been working hard and donations have been pouring in from local businesses, residents and veterans.
“We need to raise £10,000 for the bronze Staffordshire Regiment memorial for the Castle Grounds and we have already reached the £7,000 mark.”
Anyone wanting to donate to the Staffordshire Regiment memorial for the Castle Grounds can do so by visiting the Community Together CIC Activity Centre in the Castle Grounds, opposite the Tennis Courts, or by visiting www.watchmanv.co.uk.
A SMALL independent estate agency in Tamworth has been named the best in the West Midlands when it comes to achieving the advertised asking price on homes for sale.
Research by consumer body Which? found Next Place Property Agents sold 60% of its properties for the asking price (29%) or above (31%) – which is double the regional average. Just 1% of properties sold by Next Place had the final sale price reduced by more than 5%, compared with a regional average of around 20%.
Hundreds of estate agents selling more than 100 properties per year were assessed and the findings put Next Place above all others looked at in the West Midlands region.
The single branch sales and lettings business was set up by Anton Plackowski three years ago out of frustration following the poor service he had received during his own experiences of buying and selling homes.
Originally from an IT and sales background, Anton uses a business-to-business approach to provide a high level of service to every customer looking to buy, sell or rent a property.
For Anton, the findings from Which? come as little surprise.
“Considering we are just a small independent business, operating alongside some major chains, the findings from Which? are brilliant news for us. However, I’m not surprised by the figures themselves because we don’t overvalue properties to win business,” he said.
“We tell people what they need to hear, rather than what they want to hear and by valuing a property correctly in the first place, we are able to sell it for what it’s worth, and sometimes a bit more.”
“The way we do things is very different,” Anton explained. “We are open until 8pm, seven days a week; we can get properties listed within 24 hours and we use social media and hundreds of websites to market properties effectively.
“We do not employ pushy sales tactics and we are in constant communication with customers. People appreciate our straight-forward, honest approach and the fact that we always deliver on our promises. As a result, most of our business is through recommendation.”
In the three years since opening, the business has experienced incredible growth. It now employs six members of staff and has been the top selling agent in the B77 and B78 areas for the past two years, according to Rightmove.
The achievement by Next Place was highlighted as part of an in-depth feature in a recent edition of the Which? magazine.
The report claimed that sellers across the country are losing billions of pounds due to inflated house prices as overvalued properties often suffer several price reductions, take longer to sell and eventually sell for a much lower price compared to homes which are realistically valued in the first place.
To uncover the scale of the overvaluing problem, Which? analysed more than 370,000 property sales in England and Wales between October 2015 and September 2016. It used data from property portals to reveal the differences between listed prices and sold prices.
The investigation found homes which had been heavily reduced by more than 5% of initial asking price took 64 days longer to sell than other properties.
ON Monday 10th July academic and author Dr Oliver Tearle visits Tamworth to talkabout his latest work, ‘The Secret Library: A Book-Lovers’ Journey Through Curiosities of History.’
Oliver’s revelations inThe Secret Library highlight some of the most fascinating aspects of our history and reveal the surprising connections between various works and historical figures.
Learn about the forgotten Victorian novelist who outsold Dickens, the woman who became the first published poet in America and the eccentric traveller who introduced the table-fork to England.
The talk, organised by Tamworth Literary Festival, takes place in Tamworth Town Hall, 7.00pm for 7.30pm start.
Tickets, which include refreshments, cost £3.50 per person available by telephoning07562 653565/07913 686295 or email[email protected]
Local author Heide Goody, who gained second prize inthe Tamworth Short Story competition, for her entry ‘Wilfrith and Rowena’ will also be presented with her prize.
Sara Read will also be on hand to sign copies of her book, ‘Maids, Wives, Widows: Exploring Early Modern Woman’s Lives 1540-1714.’
TAMWORTH’S second blue plaque is to be unveiled this weekend to celebrate the Co-Founder of Reliant.
The Blue Plaque which which has been awarded by Tamworth Heritage Trust is to be placed on the former house of a Reliant co-founder at Kettlebrook Road on Saturday, 8 July at 11am.
This Reliant prototype was built at Bro-Dawel on Kettlebrook Road. It is seen her in 1935 in Polesworth.
In June 2016 Elvis Payne, Chairman of Reliant Motor Club and local Historian; along with fellow Reliant enthusiast Mark Cropper set up Reliant Motor Club with an aim to build a large online Reliant archive of information at www.reliant.website.
To date they have over 510 documents on there and climbing.
The president for the club is former Reliant executive, Barrie Wills and H.R.H The Princess Royal also accepted honorary membership to the club earlier this year
Elvis told Tamworth Informed: “The club aims to capture the history of Reliant for both this generation and the next and so one of our main ambitions was to campaign for a blue plaque to be placed on Tom Williams’ former house, Bro-Dawel, at 29 Kettlebrook Road.
“In 1934, he and Ewart. S. Thompson built the first Reliant prototype in the back garden in a brick shed, which is still standing! The van was then registered in January 1935.
“The Reliant Motor Club joined the Tamworth Heritage Trust last year and with the Trust we have been working together to get a blue plaque placed. We were delighted when it was then accepted by the committee if the Tamworth Heritage Trust.”
Bro-Dawel at Kettlebrook Road where the first Reliant prototype was built in 1934 and registered in January 1935
The blue plaque will bear the names of the Tamworth Heritage Trust and the Reliant Motor Club.
It will be officially unveiled by Pat Afford, daughter of Reliant co-founder E.S.Thompson at 11am on 8th July 2017.
A number of former Reliant employees have been invited and they would like to invite more along so that they can meet up with former employees and share their stories.
The house is currently owned by Marc and Jaymie Rogers and they are delighted that the house is being awarded the plaque. They have assisted in every way to help achieve the goal of the plaque being placed
Despite its historical importance, Tamworth only has one blue plaque which is on the Bank House in Ladybank so this will be the second blue plaque in Tamworth.
People can find out more about the event by visiting the Tamworth Heritage Trust hub in the Middle Entry, Tamworth or online at www.reliant.website
Pat Afford (left) taking a peek at the plaque prior to unveiling. On the right is Elvis’ wife, Caroline Payne who is also the Secretary of the Reliant Motor Club, and 6 year old son Harvey Payne.
A TAMWORTH café is calling for youngsters of all ages to get drawing to be in with a chance to be named its ‘Junior Baker 2017’.
Popular patisserie, Druckers, which is based at Ankerside Shopping Centre and is home to monthly Stay & Play mornings, is asking Tamworth children to enter the national competition with a drawing of their dream gateau to win the prestigious title and have their creation made by Druckers’ expert bakers.
Jenna Deacon, assistant manager at Druckers Tamworth, said she is looking forward to seeing some brilliant dessert drawings from local youngsters. “Druckers Junior Baker competition is a national contest, across all of our branches, but we are really rooting for the families of Tamworth to get involved and create a fabulous gateau.
Aspiring young bakers have until Friday, 1 September to submit their dreamy dessert to Druckers. “We are encouraging youngsters to come along to the café, throughout the summer, to pick up an entry form,” she said. “Once they have drawn their gateau, they will need to tell us what is in their creation, take a photo and either hand into one of the team at Druckers or through the café’s social media channels.
Jeff Wigley, Centre Manager at Ankerside Shopping Centre, said the Druckers competition is a great way to keep children busy during the summer. “Druckers ‘Junior Baker 2017’ will really keep the youngsters’ imaginations ticking during the school holidays,” he said.
“We would really like to see someone from Tamworth become the patisserie’s competition winner, so we are encouraging local families to get involved,” he said. “We would like to wish everyone the best of luck in the contest and we look forward to seeing the final gateau creation later in the year.”
*Contestants can submit their entries to Jenna at Tamworth’s Druckers café, upload them to the Druckers Facebook or Twitter page, using #JuniorBaker, or email to [email protected] before Friday, 1 September.
THEY battle infernos, fight crime and save our lives. As a thank you, for their devotion to duty and courageous work, Drayton Manor Park is offering Emergency Service personnel from across the country free entry into the park throughout the 2017 main season*.
Inspired by the selfless and dedicated work of the Emergency Services, Drayton Manor Park wishes to acknowledge these brave men and women for their commitment to keeping the community safe.
The popular family attraction is celebrating Emergency Service heroes who are always first on the scene, from now until Friday 27th October and including Magical Christmas 2017**.
William Bryan, Managing Director at Drayton Manor Park said: “Our selfless first responders put us first and themselves second every day. They are heroes in every sense of the word and we all owe them our gratitude. We’re delighted to be able to show our appreciation to our invaluable emergency services by welcoming them here to the park for a well-deserved day out with their families.”
Emergency Services covered by this offer include all those who are first responders; Fire and Rescue Service, Police Force, Ambulance and Air Ambulance Services, including Emergency Medical Dispatchers, Emergency Care Assistants and Paramedics.
To take Drayton Manor Park up on their good will gesture, a valid personnel ID card or a Blue Light Card must be presented upon arrival at any ticket kiosk, advance booking is not necessary.
A discount rate is offered for friends and family with a Blue Light Card, pre-booking is essential for this.
* Not available on park buy out days, please check the calendar before travelling. No friends and family discounts are offered through Drayton Manor Park at this moment in time.
** Offer valid on park entry tickets only, does not include Father Christmas visit for Magical Christmas.
WITH special thanks to JAGraphics we are able to bring you the moment the results for the Tamworth Constituency were announced, as well as an interview with Christopher Pincher.
This is the moment that Christopher Pincher was named as the Member of Parliament for Tamworth.
