Beeches, Booths and Barr (3Bs) Neighbourhood Plan
Towards a ‘garden suburb’
“At a time when many things were happening to our area, a number of residents got together and considered how local people could take control and find ways to improve the area.
“In recent years, hundreds of people locally have been affected by severe flooding while maintaining the quality of our local parks has been challenging – and has often depended heavily on volunteers. Many people already make a huge investment in our ‘garden suburb’ through allotments, great gardens and caring for our green spaces. Then the ‘New Perry Wood’ project emerged from our early work.
“This Plan has come about through lots of discussions with you – the local people – in shopping centres, on doorsteps and at community events.
“Some of it may seem very ambitious. It certainly won’t all happen at once and, once agreed, there will be a lot more work for the community to help make things happen. But it will shape our area in ways that local people have put forward and have decided.
“In the last four years there have been many people in our community who have helped make this happen, taking time out of their busy lives, often being the people who run other organisations.
“Together with these people it is the present committee and the members who have taken part in our forum meetings, discussions and events who have made all this possible.
A big thanks to all those who have made it happen.”
– Councillor Jon Hunt, Chair, 3Bs Neighbourhood Plan (from the 3Bs Neighbourhood Plan document)
Cllr Jon Hunt, 3Bs Neighbourhood Plan January 2023
Councillor Jon Hunt and James Hinton, 3Bs Neighbourhood Plan (January 2023)
“This Neighbourhood Plan process has enabled the community to not only react to the planning application proposals as a community for these major sites [3Bs], but to work collaboratively with BCC to help shape how the 3Bs Area will grow up to 2031.”
— An extract from the 3Bs Neighbourhood Plan
The 3Bs project emerged from the Ward Advisory Board, a committee bringing together local councillors with community groups in the area. Friends of parks, neighbourhood watch groups and organisations such as Perry Hall Community Association were well represented on the Ward Advisory Board.
From 2010 there was growing frustration with planning decisions that seemed to ignore local people. This made the community look at the new power of Neighbourhood Planning. Locals were conscious of the special nature of the 3Bs and there were growing incidents of local flooding. These were clearly linked not just to changes such as increased car ownership but also the way the area was being developed on the hillsides of Great Barr and Perry Barr.
In 2015 a steering group set to work to investigate Neighbourhood Planning further, reporting regularly to Ward committee meetings. The 3Bs Forum was launched in March 2016. A packed Ward committee had a presentation on flood prevention and then voted to choose the name 3Bs for the project. Sadly, three months later, these forebodings were proved all too right when 100 homes were flooded and residents were driven from their homes in the worst flash flooding ever experienced in the area.
Background information
Community vision
This vision has been prepared by the steering group and is endorsed by the community based on the consultation events and questionnaire feedback:
By 2031 the 3Bs will be a garden suburb north of the City; a clean, attractive, green area.
There will be easy access to a high-quality natural environment including extensive parks, waterways and open spaces. There will be a range of local shops, community and leisure facilities to support the well-being of local people.
Streets and public spaces will be well managed and the area will provide people with:
• a safe, pleasant and accessible place to live; and
• opportunities to access employment, leisure, housing and vibrant local centres.
The 3Bs will be an aspirational, multi-cultural place where everyone is valued and can thrive.
Documents and links
3Bs Neighbourhood Planning Forum constitution: download PDF
3Bs Neighbourhood Plan: download PDF
Documents relating to the 3Bs Neighbourhood Plan hosted by Birmingham City Council: go to website.
The legal power of the 3Bs NP is only half the story. The process of producing a Neighbourhood Plan has been used to galvanise local people. As the 3Bs is unparished there has been no organisation that has a statutory role in the planning system until now.”
— from the 3Bs Neighbourhood Plan