Residents are invited to have their say on the new Brandhall Eco-Park as the next stages of the development of the Brandhall Village scheme were approved by Sandwell Council’s Cabinet this month.
The scheme incorporates an Eco-Park of 27 hectares, a carbon neutral accredited replacement school for Causeway Green Primary School, and 190 new homes, all of which will be delivered to a minimum of Energy Performance Certificate - Grade A and at least 25% will be affordable housing.
Community workshops are being held on Friday 29 November for residents to find out more about the plans and help shape the future of the Brandhall Eco-Park.
Residents and schools are invited to attend two creative workshops from 11.30am-1pm and 4pm-5.30pm to take part in a more in-depth discussion and anyone who would like to attend can register via the get involved webpage.
Alternatively, three drop-in sessions will also be held from 10am-11.30am, 1pm-4pm and 5.30pm-7pm for which no booking is needed.
All of the sessions will be held at The Oak Tree Centre (King's Community Church), Tame Road, B68 0JP.
While the principles for the space have been set out in the outline planning application and the initial design ideas have been developed from using feedback from previous consultation and analysis of the existing park, this is now an opportunity to shape the detail for the benefit of existing and new communities.
The proposals have been developed to ensure that the Eco-Park is accessible to everyone and to enhance the existing habitat.
Three types of routes through the park are being proposed: direct routes, active routes and explorative routes - for those who want to take the more meandering routes through the park.
The proposals plan to make the most of Brandhall Brook as a critical recreational and ecological feature, and also aim to integrate new habitat for increased biodiversity and climate resilience.
Although the park will be community-focused and for use by all, the council is exploring the idea of creating areas of the park that are dedicated to the protection of wildlife. These areas will therefore be more ‘wild’ in nature, and may only be accessed by viewing areas.
Councillor Peter Hughes, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Infrastructure, said: “This is a key point in developing Brandhall Village for years to come. We want to ensure that it is a green, welcoming space for all, so I would encourage everyone to have their say and let us know what you would like to see in the new Eco-Park.”
Watch our short video interview with local residents Karen and Alistair Stewart discussing the new Brandhall Eco-Park