Plea to avoid CPO confusion ahead of Kingshurst scheme

CHELMSLEY Wood residents will remember the shock when a popular local shop suddenly closed a few years ago.
Bassi’s Supermarket, based at the old Craig Croft parade, had abruptly shut up its store/Post Office, in response to a Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO).
Solihull Council later admitted that it had expected the business to try to negotiate an extension instead of quietly packing up and moving on.
Now Chelmsley Wood councillor Chris Williams (Green) has said that he hopes lessons will be learned from the handling of the Chelmund’s Cross redevelopment.
He told a recent council scrutiny board that he would not want to see a repeat of the issue during the forthcoming redevelopment of Kingshurst Parade.

He pointed out that Bassi's had moved with little warning, when in fact it could have been allowed to remain for quite a while longer before construction work needed to start.
 “That shop was then standing empty for another 12 months, rent we could have had as well, and with a lot of elderly residents there, that caused issues.”
While another Post Office later opened in Yorkminster Drive, the closure effectively killed off hopes that a branch would be worked into the redesigned village centre.
Council officers have suggested that the Kingshurst scheme will differ from Chelmund’s Cross in that businesses will be able to stay open nearby during the work.
Because the shopping precinct is not on a main route, like the Chester Road, the fear is that shutting down retailers during construction could kill off trade for good.
It has therefore been suggested that any outlets which form part of the new development will be housed in temporary premises while building takes place.

Hopes of a healthier, safer centre
REBUILDING Kingshurst Parade will be about more than just bricks and mortar, council officers have insisted.
The local authority believes that the scheme offers wider opportunities to make major improvements to the local area.
They include designing a centre which will deter anti-social behaviour and encourage healthier lifestyles.
It is widely acknowledged that the ageing parade, which dates from the 1960s, is far from perfect. Units face inwards and the site has to be locked up after 9pm to keep troublemakers out.
Officers believe that if visitors feel safer and there is a stronger sense of community it will improve residents’ health. The centre has been earmarked for redevelopment for over a decade.