Community celebrates as planning application betting shop in former HSBC building, Erdington High Street rejected!

Local residents, members from Erdington Litter Busters and Erdington Councillor Robert Alden, who has been leading the campaign to stop the betting shop, held a second protest this morning at the Birmingham City Council Planning Committee who met to determine the planning application. 

The application from BoyleSports (UK) Limited to convert the old HSBC into a betting shop had drawn dozens of letters of objection from the local community.

Cllr Alden paid tribute to the community response to the application saying "a massive thank you to everyone who signed the petition I have been collecting, combined with all the letters of the objection and the great efforts by Erdington Litter Busters this sent a clear message to the planning committee that Erdington was saying enough is enough. Our High Street has suffered from anti-social behaviour related to drinking, drugs and some of the existing betting shops already. We simply did not need yet another one in Erdington".

The planning committee determined to reject the application for the following reasons: 

·         The proposed development would provide a non-retail use that would fail to maintain or enhance the vitality and viability of the Erdington Local Centre or protect its primary retail function. As such, the application conflicts with Policies TP21 and TP24 of the Birmingham Development Plan 2017 and the National Planning Policy Framework.

·         The proposed development would result in an increased fear of crime and anti-social behaviour and would fail to create a safe environment that promotes positive social interaction. As such, the application conflicts with Policy PG3 of the Birmingham Development Plan 2017 and the National Planning Policy Framework. 

Planning committee member and Erdington Ward Cllr Gareth Moore commented "The application threatens the viability of and regeneration plans for Erdington High Street. When you combine that with the ASB and crime that residents in Erdington have highlighted to the committee this application is clearly inappropriate and so should be rejected".

Cllr Alden concluded: "This rejection of the application is a victory for people power. Once again Erdington has come together and we have managed to stop this inappropriate application from being approved. Our levelling up bid, if successful will transform Erdington and start regenerating the High Street, that is partly why it was so important this application that doesn't match the aspirations that we all have for Erdington High Street, was rejected".