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Commonwealth Games, Birmingham 2022

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I live in Smethwick where the swimming centre is being built, in fact from my living room window I can see it, as I'm on the 10th floor of a tower block.

Sandwell council decided that, despite having plenty of brownfield sites locally with so many factories having been demolished, to put the swimming centre on a playing field in the middle of a housing estate, with no main roads nearby. It's been chaos since the start, traffic holdups, you name it in fact they have had to demolish a island and are, we think putting traffic lights there because it's been too difficult for the lorries to negotiate the island.

Because of the new centre, two well used and popular baths are to be closed, the one Thimblemill Baths is a beautiful building and also has a lot of local history as well, I'll find some links and post them.

Most residents round here were against the playing fields being used, but the council rode roughshod over what we wanted as usual. No doubt when it's all over, the council tax payers of Sandwell will be left with another huge white elephant because where it is just isn't practical. I can't see it being used for many major events, the car park isn't going to be that big and the bus that runs directly outside it, is half hourly during the day, hourly at night and Sundays and goes round the Wrekin to get tbere.

I'd take some photos, but I use a Kindle Fire to access the site and my phone runs with Google pictures and I can't see how to get them on here, if I can work it out, I'll take some.

Some links and pictures of Thimblemill Baths.

 
all of these sturdy houses from the entrance to the bus depot (which will also be demolished) on wellhead lane to aldridge road are all boarded up ready for demo...not counted them yet but looks like about 30

 
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all of these sturdy houses from the entrance to the bus depot (which will also be demolished) on wellhead lane to aldridge road are all boarded up ready for demo...not counted them yet but looks like about 30

Presumably compulsory purchase and the people had no option but to probably take the loss and find somewhere else, was there an outcry about it?

Bob
 
not sure bob...those houses are directly in front of the bus depot which originally was all to be cleared for the games including building the olympic village but as we now know the council recently called time on that idea so they are just going to build new housing now. on the site of the old uni..i guess the deals with the owners of those houses was done well before the council pulled the plug on building the village...

lyn
 
Yes, thanks Lyn. Tried again this morning but says video not available. Looked at the stills from Sparks instead. Glad i don't live or work in the area now whilst all that going on
 
And how is that supposed to help people get about? Walk down to Witton or catch the bus? Used the station a lot when I lived in Birchfield - once you stop using it and find a differant way you rarely come back !
 
And how is that supposed to help people get about? Walk down to Witton or catch the bus? Used the station a lot when I lived in Birchfield - once you stop using it and find a differant way you rarely come back !
i agree bri but of course all this refurbishment of perry barr (which is in absolute chaos at the min) and the station is all put on for the 9 day wonder of the commonwealth games:(
 
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