Eyesore tower blocks are bulldozed

Sep 18 2007 By Jane Tyler, Birmingham Mail

GOING going gone! Work has begun on demolishing five tower blocks on an eyesore Birmingham estate.

The bulldozers have moved on to Athol Farm, in Bartley Green, which has been a blot on the landscape for the last 40 years.

First to be "munched" into pieces by the high rise demolition excavator was the 12-storey Bartley House.

Later this week the excavator will move on to neighbouring Broadmeadow House.

Both blocks are now empty after all the tenants have been rehoused, but residents still remain in the three other towers - Near Oak, Lappath and Souters.

They too will be demolished once all the tenants have moved out.

Watching the demolition were former Bartley House tenants Dennis and Betty Osborne.

Dennis, aged 78, and Betty, 76, lived in an 11th floor flat for 39 years until they moved out last year to a bungalow on the new Ley Hill estate.

Betty said: "I felt very emotional watching the tower block come down because we had some very happy times there.

"It's a shame it had to go, but things change and we love where we live now."

Bartley Green councillors John Lines and Vivienne Barton took the controls of a JCB to help with the demolition.

Coun Lines, who is also cabinet member for housing, said: "This is wonderful news.

"These blocks have been sadly neglected for 20 years so there was no alternative but to get rid of them."

Coun Barton said: "This will change Bartley Green's skyline forever - finally the sun will shine on the Athol estate."

Each high-rise block contains about 40 flats and they have been a Bartley Green landmark since the 1960s.

They will be replaced by a new multi-million pound development of around 80 homes.

Residents claimed the blocks were plagued by drug addicts, vandals and arsonists.