Edgbaston cricket ground plans: Residents’ fury at ‘bias’
South Birmingham residents groups launched an extraordinary personal attack on city council regeneration director Clive Dutton last night, accusing him of acting in an unprofessional and biased way over a £32 million redevelopment of the Edgbaston cricket ground.
The chairmen of 14 residents’ associations and neighbourhood forums lodged a formal complaint with council chief executive Stephen Hughes, claiming that Mr Dutton’s “lack of impartiality” and support for Warwickshire County Cricket Club’s controversial proposal was in breach of the local government code of conduct for civil servants.
They are urging the Government Office for the West Midlands to intervene by “calling in” the Bears’ planning application, effectively removing the matter from the city council’s hands.
The attack was timed to coincide with a meeting today of the council planning committee, where members will decide whether to approve WCCC’s application for new stands, pavilion, media centre, hospitality suites, permanent floodlighting, houses, flats and hotels. The committee has deferred a decision once, ordering the club to scale down its plans and to talk to residents.
Hundreds of residents close to the ground have signed petitions and written to the council demanding that the application be turned down on the grounds of over-development, noise and traffic congestion.
