The Wrecking Of Solihull:

Bill Bryson the American travel writer, in his best selling book, Notes From a Small Island best summed up the plight of England's built heritage:   he noted we have too much of it, and because of this perhaps we undervalued it. He suggested our heritage is being allowed to be 'nibbled to death'. He is so right. Solihull is a perfect example of this.

This once special borough, with its abundance of very fine pre and inter war houses, has suffered so much over the past twenty years.

The developers have for too long been allowed to get away with too much. The council's control of development has been woeful. Even the Conservation Area sub committee, if its still running have failed the borough.

I include a typical example of what's now 'being allowed'. Modern Infill. The houses being destroyed on the right were at a most prominent junction between Streetsbrook and Broad Oaks Rd.

They formed a crucial truncation of some of the finest Arts and Crafts style houses in the borough. They have been demolished to make way for high density apartments.

There are many more examples where this has happened. And its still continuing apace. Recent examples can be found in Olton Conservation Area and Knowle, and most recently along the town end stretch of Lode lane. This portion of Lode Lane used to contain some of the oldest properties within the borough, most have been destroyed for modern infill. And as I write this, some of the last remaining houses there, have just been demolished.