27/03/2024 at 9:20 am | Posted in Food, Green Spaces, Trees, Wildlife | Leave a comment
Tags: Balsall Heath
Is there wildlife in Balsall Heath?
As spring comes, bees are buzzing . Volunteers are being recruited to learn and help identify pollinator insects and other mini beasts working with the B12 Postcode Gardener and Fruit & Nut CIC. email to fruitandnut at gmail.com
Time to plant
Fruit & Nut also invite residents to join in planting fruit trees, beginning at Calthorpe Park (Cheddar Road entrance) Weds. 3rd April – 11 to 2 and in the orchard (towards Pershore Road) Thurs. 4th April – 1.30 to 4.30 . Other dates and work locations going through April in Balsall Heath, and nearby. MORE details are on website to email fruitandnut at gmail.com
Our Garden of Balsall Heath
16/08/2022 at 2:34 pm | Posted in Gardens, Green Spaces, Trees | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath
With the 2022 Commonwealth Games came an arts project called Our Garden and this has produced some great videos about people appreciating green spaces and trees in our neighbourhood. With the heat wave people have really appropriated the shade of all the trees planted over the last 40 years in the greening of Balsall Heath.
Watch the videos
NOT Widening the Moseley Road
21/09/2021 at 4:02 pm | Posted in Cycling, Streets, Trees, Walking | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath
An update on the scheme to widen the Moseley Road through Balsall Heath of 2019 has finally been posted in 2021.
In the Revised scheme, the following have been removed from the scheme; the widening of Moseley Road for a fourth lane, the narrowing of the pavements and removal of street trees through Balsall Heath.
That leaves some bus lane and parking restrictions to be implemented in the next few months. Birmingham Council has other money for minor improvements to the public realm, in 2021.
This was after a lot of objections and a petition against the scheme. It shows that people power can work. Although much time and money may have been wasted in getting to this point. We shall see if the promised savings to bus times actually materialise.
The 2019 scheme is discussed in this blog . Details of the Revised Scheme are now on BeHeard
Moseley Road plan “shelved”
25/06/2020 at 10:59 am | Posted in Cycling, Streets, Trees, Walking | Leave a commentThe plan to widen Moseley Road and narrow the footways through Balsall Heath has been “shelved” according to Cabinet member for Transport Waseem Zaffar. He was speaking to a Brum breathes meeting yesterday, held by SUSTRANS. Instead, he said that modifications to encourage walking and cycling will be designed. Clearly that would not be possible if a fourth lane of traffic was to be inserted.
The case for bus priority has much reduced but there are some ideas from the public consultation that could be progressed and Cllr Zaffar has said he will investigate time savings by making lights at the Middleway respond more quickly to the approach of every bus.
Meanwhile, two dying trees are to be replaced on Moseley Road, and bright orange umbrellas have signalled the reopening of the Mix Cafe as a pavement facility in front of the Old Print Works. On Ladypool Road, pedestrians are getting more space, where some parking spaces have been removed to allow physical distancing against COVID19 virus. See below
Future of Balsall Heath
03/02/2020 at 4:35 pm | Posted in Streets, Trees, Walking | 3 CommentsPeople in Balsall Heath are being asked what they want by Cllr Waseem Zaffar, following his recent visit to Moseley Road. He is Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet member for Transportation and wanted to see how Balsall Heath centre would be affected by the road widening scheme being proposed by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) . The Local Ward Councillors Zhor Malik and Shabrana Hussein participated . We looked at how widening the road would change things for pedestrians, cyclists, bus users and local businesses. People from The Old Print Works, Art School , the Baths and National Trust explained how Balsall Heath’s wide pavements are encouraging visitors to the heritage buildings run by social enterprises which are leading economic regeneration..
Cllr Zaffar said he has to make this decision very soon, and he wants to hear from anyone who has anything relevant to say about why TfWM’s scheme should now proceed, or not… Councillor Waseem Zaffar can be contacted at Waseem.Zaffar@birmingham.gov.uk
Could you fit in a 3 metre wide bus lane here? John Newson, BHIOP
Taking to the Streets
26/01/2020 at 6:20 pm | Posted in Green Spaces, Streets, Trees, Walking | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath, Moseley
Moseley Road through Balsall Heath is getting more beautiful and welcoming. Derelict planting boxes have been removed along the Moseley Road. This long-standing problem was tackled when BHIOP organised the demolition of five rotten ones, with the good soil being removed to a nearby garden, the City Farm and the church on Cromer Street, for future growing projects. Sanje and his team drove the heavy wood and metal to the ‘tip’. The boxes that are still in fair condition have been planted up and many bulbs are already showing themselves, to give a display in springtime. Thanks to the volunteers who helped with all this physical work, and to Lidl for donating plants. We have given more space for pedestrians to reoccupy and to appreciate Balsall Heath’s wide pavements (pic below).
Meanwhile, the Birmingham Cycling Revolution has come through with some new green cycle stands, placed outside Lidl and the Baths/Library, which we asked for. They are already well used.
The avenue of trees lining Moseley Road have acquired signs saying ‘Don’t Cut Me Down’ and yellow ribbons and yarn. The Cabinet member for Transport, Cllr Waseem Zaffar will very soon visit the area and hear the concerns of Balsall Heathans about plans to narrow the footways, cut down the trees and to add another traffic lane here.
Greener spaces, better places
Opposition to widening of the Moseley Road
21/11/2019 at 4:33 pm | Posted in Air pollution, Cycling, Streets, Train station, Trees, Walking | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath, Moseley
It appears that the Bus Priority scheme, to widen the main road and reduce the foot ways so as to add another lane of traffic, after cutting down the street trees, is heading for a big Dislike, Local organisations are objecting and a petition with hundreds of signatures calling for it to be halted has been collected. The saving to bus passengers would be small and the cost high for our local community. This was the feeling of this month’s Ward Forum, attended by about 40 people, which were unconvinced when local concerns were dismissed as’ myths’ by the officer from Transport West Midlands. It is clear that no-one from Highgate, or Balsall Heath or Moseley was involved at any stage in drawing up these plans, therefore a huge opportunity has been missed to make a scheme that would speed up buses and benefit our communities as well.
Bus lanes may not be universally the right answer to bus travel, just as cycle lanes are not always best thing for cyclists. Public consultations is set to close on Friday night 22nd November. Beheard website
More on Road Widening
07/11/2019 at 6:23 pm | Posted in Air pollution, Cycling, Green Spaces, Streets, Train station, Trees, Walking | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath, Moseley
The Ward Forum for Balsall Heath & Sparkbrook will discuss the Moseley Road widening scheme on Wednesday 13th Nov. The 3 Ward councillors will attend, with members of the public. I have been asked to give an explanation of the scheme and its impact. Please come along if you can, since the councillors are there to hear and represent local opinion back to the City Council.
Meeting starts at Balsall Heath Church Centre at 7 pm, but the item is some way down the agenda (attached).
Online, there is an opportunity to comment on the reopening of Kings Heath station, people may want to support it and ask for Balsall Heath to get the same . Use application number 2019/08129/PA here
Birmingham Friends of the Earth’s petition saying No to road widening continues to gather signatures here
Comments on the scheme can be made at Beheard until 22 Nov. BeHeard website
Trees planted in Calthorpe Park
14/12/2018 at 5:49 pm | Posted in Green Spaces, Trees | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath
Three new trees were planted on 13 December in Calthorpe Park, with a lot of approval from park users who were there on the day. Trees for Life paid for them and planting was done by the council’s team. They include a magnolia, which will have large white flowers in summer, a plum tree and a weeping willow. They replace trees damaged last year by flood and drought. Balsall Heath Is our Planet suggested them, to provide more variety and colour. Look out for the witch hazel, planted last year, which actually flowers in winter.
Weeping Willow in Cannon Hill Park
Learn to Prune Fruit Trees
04/12/2018 at 3:54 pm | Posted in Green Spaces, Trees | Leave a commentTags: Balsall Heath
Learn to Prune Fruit Trees. You can learn this practical craft in a morning; pruning to help fruit trees to to ensure crops of large, disease-free fruit next summer.
Date; Tuesday 11th December Ladies only. 9.30 start at Balsall Heath City Farm, Clifton Road, B12 8NN . With an experienced tutor. To be repeated for men+women on January 16th. Free of charge. Let us know if you are coming. bhiop[at]jericho.org.uk
AND.. or
Community Tree Planting in Calthorpe Park. Thursday 13th December. We start 9.30 See how trees are planted and help to plant some beautiful trees. Please come down and find us in the park Edward Road B12 9LJ.
John Newson Development Officer Balsall Heath Is Our Planet 0121 647 1960 bhiop@jericho.org.uk
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