Central Square demolition reaction

Shopping area ‘full of dross and druggies’ will take more than a ‘makeover’ to bring real change, residents claim

Tom Cramp - Local Democracy Reporter | Wednesday 5th July 2023 9:19pm

Erdington residents have had a mixed reaction to the news that part of Central Square shopping centre could be demolished. A developer has put up notices around the area explaining what units would be flattened ahead of a possible regeneration project.

Several were over the moon to hear of a potential revamp, while others said it would take more than just a makeover of Central Square to improve the wider area. Some people reminisced about the days when Erdington High Street was a bustling hub of culture and commerce.

Demolition notices are pinned up against windows at Central Square, but it has not yet been officially approved by Birmingham City Council. Planning consultancy firm Williams Gallagher said a full application for the redevelopment of the shopping centre would be revealed later this year.

Writing on Facebook, Tony Thursfield said: “Changing the square won’t help. It’s the high street that’s gone to pot. It’s full of dross and druggies. You’ll have to do a lot more than a makeover.”

Chen Jerome took a more optimistic view, saying: “If this does happen, it’s about time. Erdington high street is stuck in the early and late 90s. Just my opinion.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Robert Alden, a local rep for Erdington and leader of the Birmingham Conservatives, told the LDRS: “The Central Square location is a key part of Erdington High Street. It is also a sensitive site with the listed St Barnabas Church on one side and residents’ houses to the rear.

“Therefore I met with the owners of Central Square to discuss with them how they will do the demolition work, to protect neighbours, how they are working to help the local groups currently in Central Square to relocate and what their plans are for the site going forward. I will continue to meet the developers in the coming months as they confirm what their intentions with the site are”.

Cllr Alden added: “This site has huge potential and I hope the developers will focus on uses that would be positive for the local area and I will push for this to be the case.”

Elsewhere, Sandra Murdock said, “Remember it when it was bustling in the 70s ..sad to see how it has been in recent years,” while Tracey Hiett simply said, “please no HMO”.

Many of the units within the ageing shopping centre are empty but some are still occupied. Local youth organisation Foundations4TheFuture currently operates from Central Square, as does community arts group The Cube in the Square.

A handful of shops still open for business include Heron Foods, Card Factory, and Holland & Barrett. If permission is granted, bulldozers will remove units 5, 6, 7-9, 10-12, 13-14, 15-17,18, 19 and the ramp at the rear of the centre.

More News Headlines