A business consortium has sparked fury in a British village famous for its Cadbury chocolate factory over plans to cut down historic trees and build ‘eco homes’ instead.
Bournbrook Secret Woods’s plan for an ‘eco village’ has angered residents of Bournville, Birmingham, after it was revealed 70 historic trees would be cut down to accommodate eco homes, a treetop walkway, car park and large community centre.
Residents, who have fought off plans for homes and phone masts on the woodland, thought the plan was an ‘April Fool’ after discovering the consultation website on April 1 but soon realised it was genuine and have since called on Birmingham City Council councillor Mary Locke to intervene.
The consortium claims the plan will ‘regenerate a mismanaged, long forgotten and overgrown woodland into an urban oasis of biodiversity’.
But residents have hit back and claimed the area is already a ‘perfect eco environment’ with a rich diversity of foxes, squirrels, hawks and butterflies.
Bournbrook Secret Woods’s plan for an ‘eco village’ (pictured) has angered residents of Bournville, Birmingham, after it was revealed 70 historic trees would be cut down to accommodate eco homes, a treetop walkway, car park and large community centre
Residents thought the plan was an ‘April Fool’ after discovering the plans website on April 1 but soon realised it was genuine and have since called on Birmingham City Council councillor Mary Locke to intervene. Pictured: A concept of a stilted ‘eco home’ proposed by the consortium
Ria, who has lived in the area for 20 years, said: ‘The area is already a perfect eco environment.
‘We see foxes sunbathing on our garden and squirrels visit everyday – we’ve even seen harrier hawks visit our garden. How can anyone think that destroying all this natural beauty is eco-friendly?’
Residents have also said the consortium’s claim the woodland is a ‘hive of anti-social behaviour’ with habitual fly tipping and illegal tree felling is false.
The land was purchased by Bournbrook Secret Woods Ltd for £75,000 in November 2022.
The company is comprised of James Hewson, Lee Blake and Melissa Jones, none of whom appear to live in Bournville.
The land was purchased by Bournbrook Secret Woods Ltd for £75,000 in November 2022. Pictured: Sparrey Drive, where eco homes would be built on the wooded areas (left and right) if planning permission is granted
The consortium claims the plan will ‘regenerate a mismanaged, long forgotten and overgrown woodland into an urban oasis of biodiversity’
The Bournville Eco Village website says: ‘We plan to build a World Class Eco Village and a totally unique Education & Community Hub which will attract thousands of visitors each year – boosting the local economy in our community.
‘We will regenerate a mismanaged, long forgotten and overgrown woodland into an urban oasis of biodiversity nestled between historic Bournville and artisan Stirchley.’
Residents are also worried thousands of visitors attracted to the eco village’s community centre would turn their quiet drive where children often cycle into a busy road.
Some claimed the green space at the top of Sparrey Drive, where children play during the summer, would also be lost to the eco village.
There have been numerous attempts to build on the land over the years, from houses to phone masts and each application has been rejected by residents.
Sparrey Drive, along with its branches of Hawkes Close and Lea Yield Close, was created on the site of the once busy Cadbury railway sidings in 1985 – the final train of chocolate having departed some seven years earlier.
Bournbrook Secret Woods was asked to comment, but failed to respond.
Some claimed the green space at the top of Sparrey Drive, where children play during the summer, would also be lost to the eco village. Pictured: Children playing on the green at the top of Sparrey Drive
Residents are also worried thousands of visitors that the eco village’s community centre would attract would turn their quiet drive where children often cycle into a busy road. Pictured: A concept of the eco village’s community centre
There have been numerous attempts to build on the land over the years, from everything from houses to phone masts and each application has been rejected by residents. Pictured: A concept of a stilted ‘eco home’ proposed by the consortium
The Cadbury brothers moved their chocolate business to the area from the backstreets of Birmingham and opened the Cadbury factory in 1879.
Soon after, they founded the model village of Bournville which took its name from the nearby River Bourn and the French word ‘ville’, meaning village.
By 1895, 143 cottages were built for the factory’s employees over a total of 140 acres of land.
They were intended to be ‘decent quality’ with spacious rooms and good sanitition – the antithesis to Birmingham’s overcrowded slums.
The factory had a field next to it where men were encouraged to play cricket and football as well as a garden and playground for women, according to Cadbury.
The Cadbury brothers moved their chocolate business to the area from the backstreets of Birmingham and opened the Cadbury factory (pictured) in 1879
