Latest news with #SuttonColdfield
Telegraph
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Britain's mad planning system is becoming more and more absurd
Across the political spectrum, we don't agree on much. But we can all agree that the UK needs more homes and must start building in earnest. So why is Labour-run Birmingham City Council demanding that Mark Jones rip down the £180,000 two-bedroom 'granny flat' he built in his back garden for his dying father? With bin strikes, rat plagues and near bankruptcy, one might imagine that this particular local authority would have different matters on its mind. Mr Jones said he believed the building complied with planning laws and lodged a retrospective planning application. But the council's officious officers found that the Sutton Coldfield IT engineer has fallen foul of their regulations as it was 'over-intensive', and have ordered it to be demolished by the end of the month. The case shows in microcosm what is wrong with Britain's planning system. Like so much that is wrong on our island, from the NHS to the post-war explosion in council housing, its origins lie with the 1945 Clement Attlee Labour government. The 1947 Town and Country Planning Act established our system of planning permission, as well as the modern system of needing consents to build on land. It also meant that all planning authorities had to come up with a comprehensive development plan. Green belts, the listing of buildings and the anathematising of building in the open countryside can all be dated back to this legislation. In some regards, we should be grateful for Attlee's innovation. Anyone who has taken the seven-hour trip from Boston to Washington DC on the Acela Amtrak train will see why. Apart from a stretch along the Connecticut coastline, the prospect out of the windows is of virtually unending urban sprawl. Or contrast the west coast of Ireland with the west coast of Scotland. While the Irish views are endlessly interrupted by the tackiest imaginable McMansions, complete with fake colonnades and naff statuary, the Caledonian vista is virtually uninterrupted. Our planning system has made large-scale developers hugely powerful to a far greater extent than in most other developed countries. Building your own house is straightforward in much of the United States. But then America is a large country with plenty of space, as defenders of the British status quo might point out. The rules in much of Europe, however, are also vastly more flexible. In France, for example, it is relatively straightforward to buy a plot of land on the fringes of a village and build a family home on it. By contrast, in the UK, to build a new single dwelling in the isolated countryside is extraordinarily difficult. One of the very few routes is via what is now called Paragraph 84 consent. This is a rule, first introduced in 1997 in the dying days of John Major's government, allowing for new country houses to be built, but only if they are of 'truly outstanding' design and 'reflect the highest standards of architecture'. We would all, I am sure, like to live in such houses – but to meet such benchmarks requires money, plenty of it. It is not something that rural Mr Joneses, middle-earning IT engineers and their like, will ever be able to afford. The British system places all the cards in the hands of the vast corporate builders, with their new housing developments. Angela Rayner's Planning and Infrastructure Bill, which is now being pushed through the House of Lords, will only make this problem even worse. It will make development easier, and that is indeed a worthy goal. It will make it easier to overrule Nimby-style objections, but its mechanisms are not there to help people who want to do their own projects. It is all about pushing through large-scale plans in the face of local opposition, be they for new homes, wind or solar farms or the latest railway wheeze dreamt up in Whitehall. It is not about allowing Sir Keir Starmer's much-touted 'working people' to realise their own building ambitions. Our planning system might seem to have been more of a success if our post-war homes were exemplars of design. But that is far from the case. Probably the only country in Western Europe that has uglier townscapes than those found in much of Britain is Germany. Walk through Cologne, and outside of its Cathedral and Romanesque churches you would be hard put to find an uglier city with less inspiring buildings. Colognians have a very good excuse. When their city was rebuilt in the 1950s from the ashes the RAF had reduced it to, beauty was not foremost on their minds. We have no such excuse for some of the horrors that urban planning has imposed on our towns and cities. And our planning laws did little to protect us from these missteps. When Nick Boles was housing minister in the Cameron government, he was evangelical about relaxing planning rules in urban and suburban areas. He wanted to allow thousands upon thousands of Mr Joneses to do pretty much as they pleased with their own land and property, and thought this would make a huge difference to our housing shortage. It would also empower local people. Such an approach would clearly be a disaster if applied to, say, the Victorian garden square of London or the Georgian terraces of Bath. They would soon be scarred with endless glass boxes and extensions which would now be on trend, but soon look very dated. If Labour really wants to empower working people, allowing the Mr Joneses to build on their back gardens could be just the thing. But don't hold your breath.
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Birmingham GP practice issues Mounjaro statement and the five boxes patients must tick
A Birmingham GP surgery has urged patients not to book appointments for weight loss drug Mounjaro after it was made available on the NHS. The medication was made available for weight loss prescription via GPs from this week. But Sutton Coldfield Group Practice, which includes a number of surgeries in the town, said it was not yet clear how it would be offered locally. READ MORE: Major update over Three Mobile compensation after network went down READ MORE: I live in 'UK's worst council house' in Birmingham - now the ceiling's falling in READ MORE: City station attacker who 'bit and clawed' police dies at bail hostel And it said it would initially only be available to those with a BMI of more than 40 and who had four weight-related health conditions. The full message, which the Practice issued on Facebook, read: "You may have heard that from June 23, 2025, GPs can prescribe Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight loss. "However, the Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board is still finalising how this will be provided. It is expected to be offered through local clinics, as there has been no planning from the ICB to provide it via individual GP practices. "Initially, the treatment will be available only to people with a BMI over 40 who also have four weight-related health conditions such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sleep apnoea, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes. "Please do not book appointments specifically to request this medication at this time, as this service is not yet operational. "We will notify you as soon as the service is available. When it starts, eligible patients will be invited to participate. Doctors will review patient records to identify those who qualify." Around 220,000 people with the 'greatest need' are expected to receive Mounjaro through the NHS over the next three years. It is an antidiabetic drug which lowers blood sugar levels and and slows down how quickly food is digested. Patients previously needed to access the drugs through a special weight loss service. But leading family doctors said some GPs have expressed concern about the additional workload linked to the rollout. And pharmacy experts also said there could be pressure on supplies. Prof Kamila Hawthorne, chairwoman of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'While we recognise the potential benefits of weight loss drugs, we know many GPs are concerned about the implications of the rollout of weight loss drugs into general practice, both in terms of workload and training to appropriately initiate and manage these treatments. 'The college shares these concerns, which is why we were pleased NHS England suggested a phased roll-out of Mounjaro as a treatment for weight loss. As and when this is escalated, appropriate resourcing for general practice – including access to 'wraparound' services – and training for GPs must follow. 'GPs and our teams are already working under intense workload and workforce pressures, and this must be factored into this rollout in order to guarantee it can be delivered safely. More widely, while weight loss medications have a lot of potential benefits for patients who are struggling to lose weight and who meet all the clinical criteria for a prescription, they must not be seen as a 'silver bullet' to aid weight loss. 'We also need to see a focus on prevention, stopping people becoming overweight in the first place so they don't require a medical intervention later.'
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Popular Sutton Coldfield baker who had to give up business is back with new venture
A popular baker who ran his business from his parents' front garden is back with a new venture at a boutique shopping venue. Sebastian Clough ran On The Breadline from the family home in Worcester Lane, Roughley, Sutton Coldfield. The venture was a smash hit and there were queues down the road when he was open. READ MORE: Customers 'so sad' as city bakery closing at Christmas bakes final batches But the talented chef became a victim of his own success and working 20-hour days left him in excruciating pain and needing to stop. Sebastian closed the business last Christmas with foodies lamenting the loss of his signature sourdough focaccia breads and more, which he had been selling since 2018. But after battling back to fitness, Seb is back and helping run the bakery at the Forage food hall at the Coppice lifestyle centre in Middleton, between Sutton Coldfield and Tamworth. The venue is best-known for its Fig and Olive restaurant but is expanding its other offers including Forage, which will soon have an outdoor eating and drinking area. A number of independent businesses offer wedding outfits, antiques, Pilates, children's wear, pre-loved clothes, interior design, artwork and more. But Forage is the food hall at the heart of the venue, with an in-house bakery, butchers, deli and coffee shop. Coppice Lifestyle owner Jason Smith was a fan of Seb's and offered him a role. Seb, aged 29, said: 'It came out of the blue. I had my issues with my legs, with swelling. That's when I closed On the Breadline. 'At the time I was doing 20 hours-a-day and knew If I didn't stop the hours I was doing, I would get worse. 'I had to choose my health instead of my business.' He began On the Breadline aged just 22 and shut it on Christmas Eve last year after six years. He has spent the last few months recovering his health and was approached by Jason in April. He said: 'He gave me the opportunity to take on the whole of the bakery at Forage. To do what I was doing with On the Breadline but not the hours I was doing. 'I am doing sourdough loaves, tins, wholemeal and white baguettes and specialist breads with crispy onions or olives and Mediterranean focaccia – the focaccia was what I was best known for because of its flavour.' Seb even does a sourdough made with Guinness. And he was quick to praise Forage's other new recruits – Emily, Paighten and Beth – who have all joined in recent weeks. He said: 'It's a team effort with the cakes. There's four of us doing bread, cakes and pastries. 'This is my third week and I'm slowly changing what we have and expanding it. 'It was small white and wholemeal loaves and basic sourdough. They weren't complex flavours,. 'But I am bringing my bread that people used to rave about. My passion is bread,' he added. READ MORE: Dad who built £180k back garden bungalow for ill father has days to tear it down Sebastian started baking aged just 11 and going to a Saturday course at University College Birmingham (UCB). He left school and went back to UCB to train as a professional baker. After a gap year, he travelled to Chicago in the United States to train at the French Pastry School for a year. On the Breadline was essentially a one-man band with a little help from his mum and sister, who helped sell his baked goods. But the work became relentless and he was up early to bake and then sell, before prepping the next day's goods. Seb said: 'I was doing sourdoughs, croissants, cakes, treats, prepping sandwiches throughout the day. 'I was doing it all by myself. I was the only one doing the baking side of it.' Now at Forage he still has the early starts but he's part of a team so works from 5am to 1pm or 2pm and sales are handled by the Forage team, and with three others baking, its less onerous. He said: 'It's manageable but perfect for what I want to do. 'I'm head of bread but there's others doing the pastries and cakes. 'We supply the Fig and Olive with its breads. 'I will be bringing all of what I did with On The Breadline – focaccia, chocolate and cherry and crispy onion. Different breads will be coming. 'The only thing we aren't doing, which we had, is different sandwiches. But what makes the Sutton baker's breads stand out from the rest? He said: 'It's the process. I like to leave my doughs for 48 hours of fermentation. Normally it's 24 hours. 'But 48 hours adds more depth in flavour. The most flavoured breads I do is my focaccia. 'It's part science, part passion and skill.' Seb said he was thrilled to get the offer from Jason. He said: 'This came along and it's woken my dream back up. 'I am still doing my passion in my skilled area.. It's woken the dream back up in a different way. 'When I came here Jason showed me around and told me what he wanted. 'He said the bakery was lacking and he wanted to make the bakery stand up a little bit. 'This is something I want to do. I wanted to stay in baking and it was finding the right opportunity. 'The timing was perfect. I'm able to control my health a lot better. 'It's my passion. I was so excited to start. It's what I love.' Get the latest Sutton Coldfield news delivered direct to your inbox He added: 'It's been amazing, the welcome. The people are all lovely. 'Normally, I am a shy person and get anxious at new things but it felt like it was right for me. 'The bakery team is new but we are working well together and creating ideas. 'The breads are beautiful. The cakes are beautiful. We are developing every day.' Forage's bakery uses herbs, fruits and spices grown at what was the old Newlands Garden Centre – now Coppice. 'I want the bakery to stand alone,' Seb said. 'I want people to say 'I'm going to the Forage for the bakery. I want it to have its own identity.'
Telegraph
4 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
‘I spent £180k on garden flat I now have to tear down'
An IT engineer has been ordered to tear down a £180,000 bungalow he built in his garden without planning permission. Mark Jones, 55, replaced an old garage in his back garden with a two-bedroom 'granny flat' and hooked up the electricity, water and internet to his house in March 2019. The 83-square-metre annex, featuring a kitchen, two bedrooms, a bathroom and storeroom, was completed six months later. He did not apply for planning permission, believing it was legal owing to its size and the utilities being connected to the main house. Mr Jones hoped his ill father Tony, 71, would move into the property in Sutton Coldfield, West Midlands, but he died of bowel cancer months later so it was used by his grown-up daughter and her boyfriend during the Covid lockdowns. But after three neighbours complained, claiming it was 'over intensive', Birmingham city council ordered him to tear it down in 2021. Mr Jones said he believed the building complied with planning laws and lodged a retrospective planning application. The plan was rejected and, despite making a second application, he was told the property broke planning regulations. He has been ordered to demolish the bungalow by the end of the month or face possible further legal action. Mr Jones, who moved into the building after he and his wife divorced, said he will be homeless if he is forced to demolish the building. The father-of-two said: 'The bungalow was within the permitted development rights and could have habitable rooms. It was meant for my father and reliant on the main house.' He said because several nearby properties had two-storey buildings in their gardens 'I thought it was fine' and saw his original £60,000 plans double after adding in a kitchen. Mr Jones completed the inside and appealed to the planning inspectorate after being warned he needed planning permission. But in February 2021 the inspector refused and said the bungalow was 'alien' to the area. Mr Jones said: 'There is no public interest in taking the bungalow down, so I don't know why they're making me. You look at other houses on the street and I can't see why we wouldn't get permission for it. 'It was never meant to be a separate building, it was supposed to be part of the main house. It doesn't have its own water, internet, council tax or waste. 'It is still part of the main house. I should've waited for planning permission but people can see why I haven't. I was in a hurry to get my dad moved in.' Accusing the council of 'bullying' him, he used Google maps to investigate his neighbour's gardens and 'thought it was safe'. 'Loads of people have done this. If I tear it down I've got nowhere else to go so I'll probably be on the streets. To me the council is bullying me.' Mr Jones has applied for a new permitted development certificate application with the council. Even if it is granted, he will still have to tear down the original bungalow and build it again to comply with the council's rules. A spokesman for Birmingham city council said: 'Mr Jones is currently in breach of the enforcement notice that was served to him in 2021, and we have given him ample time to comply with the notice by the end of June 2025. 'A decision will be made imminently on the lawful development certificate that Mr Jones has submitted, and a case officer will then be in contact with him to advise further.'
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Sutton Coldfield dad who built £180k back garden bungalow for ill father has days to tear it down
A dad said he faced being made homeless after he was ordered to tear down a bungalow in his ex-wife's back garden in a planning wrangle. Mark Jones, 55, spent £180,000 on the project but has until the end of June to comply. He accused Birmingham City Council of "bullying" him and said he would move to Spain if it had to be bulldozed. He began the build in Walmley Ash Road, Sutton Coldfield, without planning permission in March 2019, hoping his late father could move in. But he died that October and Mark's daughter and her boyfriend used it during the pandemic before he moved in himself. READ MORE: 'Health hazard' at school after bins not collected for 9 weeks But a neighbour had already complained and Mark had been told by a council officer that he needed planning consent. Six years on, Mark, who initially believed he could build the bungalow under permitted development rules, has less than a fortnight to meet the demolition deadline having twice been refused planning permission and lost an appeal. He told BirminghamLive: 'We thought we could do permitted development, two bedrooms and a bathroom, and a dining room/living space. 'It was a separate building within the permitted development size. "But a planning officer came out and said I could not continue and needed planning permission. 'I put in for permission but carried on building. Unfortunately, a builder left us in the lurch. 'We started in March 2019 and the planning officer initially came out in April 2019. 'Within two days we got a planner to redo the plans, and with the plans we put in a kitchen to make it liveable. 'The application was rejected late in 2019 and again in 2020. My dad died in October 2019. 'At the time, my daughter was training to be a paediatric nurse and moved into the bungalow with her boyfriend because of Covid. 'We had a date to have the building down by March 14, 2022. We put our head in the sand.' READ MORE: Fury as cemetery's baby grave section 'looks like a bomb has gone off' Mark said he initially continued building despite his planning problems because his dad was gravelly ill and he was convinced he would eventually secure consent. His first application was rejected in October 2019, the same month he lost his father, because the "siting, design, appearance and plot layout would adversely affect the established mature character of the existing residential area". The development work continued with the roof and windows completed at the end of November. A second application - also refused - was submitted that month, for the retention of the bungalow with a kitchen/dining area, two bedrooms (both approximately 12 square metres), bathroom and a store. There were three objections from residents raising parking issues, privacy and light concerns, and concerns from Walmley Ash Allotment Association. The residents said the building in a back garden was 'over-intensive', 'contrary to planning law' and would 'set a poor precedent for other home owners in the area'. READ MORE: Mum 'looked in eye' by thief as gang stole BMW and Porsche off driveway Undeterred, Mark completed the internal works in June 2020 and appealed to The Planning Inspectorate. But in February 2021 inspector, Samuel Watson refused the 'backland' development. He said homes in Walmley Ash Road mainly featured undeveloped gardens and described the bungalow as 'alien'. In November 2021, Mark was told to take the bungalow down by March 14, 2022. He submitted a new permitted development certificate application for a single-storey outbuilding but that has yet to be decided. He said he was told even if it were granted, and he was convinced it should be, he would need to pull down the original bungalow and build it again. He said: 'We were told it's got to come down by the end of June.. The council is taking me to court. 'My ex-wife is a midwife and can't get a criminal record. READ MORE: Popular dad died at Good Hope after medics made scan error "The council is supposed to have done things it hasn't done. 'The council should look at alternative uses. 'Page 20 of its police framework document says all the things the council should do to reach a solution. One of them is negotiation. 'It's bullying. It wants us to knock a house down that's perfectly reasonable. "From the street or a neighbour's garden, you wouldn't see anything. You can't see into windows. 'We back onto an allotment and I have offered to plant trees. There was a garage there before. 'The council made silly comments like it was not the right shape for the area. 'My dad was dying and the urgency was there. In all honesty, I wouldn't do it again.' Get breaking news on BirminghamLive WhatsApp, click the link to join He added: 'It's 100 per cent within permitted development certificate limits. 'It doesn't have separate water or internet. We don't pay separate council tax. We can't have all three utilities until we have planning permission. 'Every single thing has been refused by Birmingham City Council. 'I don't want to knock it down. It's a waste of time and money. If I get the permitted development certificate, we are going to sell the house with an annex. 'The council should have put an enforcement on me to stop me building it. If I lose, I am moving to Spain and I will take the house down. 'Ultimately, I acknowledge I am at fault. However, I believe the council also bears significant responsibility due to the initial misguidance, followed by a severe lack of communication, support, and adherence to its own procedures.' Get the latest Sutton Coldfield news delivered direct to your inbox A Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government technical guidance document for permitted development rights, dated September 2019, said: 'A purpose incidental to a house would not cover normal residential uses, such as separate self-contained accommodation or the use of an outbuilding for primary living accommodation such as a bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen.' Mark said the original plan for the building for his dad would still have been reliant on the main house. He said his intention was to have the building as an annexe with office or other space rather than living accommodation. A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council said 'Mr Jones is currently in breach of the enforcement notice that was served to him in 2021, and we have given him ample time to comply with the notice by the end of June 2025. 'A decision will be made imminently on the lawful development certificate that Mr Jones has submitted, and a case officer will then be in contact with him to advise further.'
