Residents in Edgbaston are celebrating after saving a cherished green space from being sold at auction. The land, located off Hampshire Drive and affectionately known as Teletubby Hills, was set to be auctioned on July 9 as part of a wider plan by the Calthorpe Estate to sell off 200 plots over several years.
Community Action Saves Teletubby Hills
The Calthorpe Residents' Association (CRA) submitted a collective bid to the estate, which was accepted, and also applied to Birmingham City Council for the land and pond to be designated as a village green. The five-acre open space is a community focal point, and locals were horrified when the sale was announced.
Councillor Matt Bennett, who lives next to the green, said: "We are delighted a residents' bid for this land was accepted. Due to a huge effort from members of the community, an application for the land to be given Village Green status went in to the council before the sale deadline. We hope this will be successful and the land can have long-term protection for future generations."
Wider Context of Land Sales
The Calthorpe Estate had initially planned to auction 200 mostly residential plots over the next few years, with the first auction including seven lots. The estate stated that proceeds would be reinvested into building refurbishments across Edgbaston. However, the residents' bid and pressure from the community led to the acceptance of their offer at the guide price.
More than 200 residents attended a meeting on July 2 with their MP and four councillors. The CRA said: "We believe the pressure we placed on Calthorpe Estate over the past week by various means, plus the village green application, helped them choose to accept the bid rather than look at bids from developers."
Calthorpe Estate's Response
A spokesperson for the Calthorpe Estate said: "After careful consideration and ongoing conversations with residents, certain areas will be sold over the next few years, and all sale proceeds will be reinvested into building refurbishments across Edgbaston. Before any agent advertising occurred, the chair of the Calthorpe Residents' Society, the local ward councillors and local MP were all contacted to explain the proposals and reasons behind it."
The estate added: "Residents now have an opportunity to purchase land that was previously not available to them. The land sales will occur gradually over several years and the first auction in July includes just seven lots. The auction process is a trial and this method of sale was chosen specifically to allow residents the equal opportunity to bid for and acquire land if they wish."
Future Protection and Collaboration
Councillor Bennett emphasised the need for better handling of future land sales: "It is vital future land sales are handled in a more constructive and collaborative way and we are pleased to hear Calthorpe intends to do this from now on." The Calthorpe Estate has committed to providing the Calthorpe Residents' Society and local residents with advanced notice of sale plots before they are publicly announced.
