Homes to be built on college campus

Jan 9 2007 By Neil Elkes, Birmingham Mail

CITY planners have given the go-ahead for the redevelopment of a college site as a major housing estate.

The Sutton Coldfield College's Great Barr Campus, formerly the Nbc, on Aldridge Road will be demolished.

Using delegated powers planning officers have approved the building of 89 houses and 31 flats of two and three storeys on the site.

Sutton Coldfield College is moving out after getting the go-ahead for a new £32 million Riverside Campus at the former Express Dairy site, further along Aldridge Road.

Planning permission means it can now sell the site to housing developers to help pay for the Riverside campus.

Building work on the new development is set to begin in the summer and the college could be ready to open its doors to new students in September 2008.

Inadequate parking at the existing site has been the cause of complaint from residents and shopkeepers who say their roads and drives are blocked by students' cars.

Coun Keith Linnecor (Lab, Oscott) welcomed the redevelopment but called for transport bosses to ensure that road safety is a priority for builders.

He said: "It is a busy road which has seen a lot of accidents. The road is among the top ten in Birmingham waiting for speed cameras.

"The access to this new housing will be on the fast bend. We should use this as an opportunity to introduce some traffic calming measures."