Chelmsley Wood

Coordinates: 52°28′34″N 1°43′45″W / 52.47612°N 1.72906°W / 52.47612; -1.72906

Chelmsley Wood
Blocks of flats on the edge of Chelmsley Wood shopping centre
Chelmsley Wood  Chelmsley Wood shown within the West Midlands
Population	13,010 (2001)
OS grid reference	SP1886
Parish	Chelmsley Wood
Metropolitan borough	Solihull
Metropolitan county	West Midlands
Region	West Midlands
Country	England
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Post town	Birmingham
Postcode district	B37
Dialling code	0121
Police	West Midlands
Fire	West Midlands
Ambulance	West Midlands
EU Parliament	West Midlands
UK Parliament	Meriden
List of places: UK • England • West Midlands

Chelmsley Wood is a neighbourhood, civil parish and large housing estate in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, England, with a population of 13,010.^[1] It is located near Birmingham International Airport and the National Exhibition Centre. It lies adjacent to Birmingham. There are several bus routes linking the town to Birmingham city centre, about 8 miles (13 km) away, and to Solihull town centre.

History

Chelmsley Wood is a relatively new area, which was built by Birmingham City Council in the 1960s on ancient woodland (part of the Forest of Arden) as an overspill town for Birmingham. Permission for the construction of the overspill estate on green belt land was granted by Richard Crossman as Minister of Housing and Local Government.^[2] A shopping centre (which opened on 7 April 1970), a library (completed in 1970 at £240,000),^[3] hall and a few public houses. With the adjoining neighbourhoods of Fordbridge and Smith's Wood it became part of Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in 1974.

Recent development

Plans are currently under way to carry out the largest renovation of older parts of the area since the demolition of many high-rise blocks of flats in the early 1990s. The current plans propose changes to the central shopping centre area. A new supermarket was opened in the Town Centre in June 2009. There is also proposed modernisation of housing and commercial buildings in the Craig Croft area. In addition, there will be the renovation of the library and surrounding buildings.

Demographics

Chelmsley Wood's comprehensive school, Whitesmore School, was demolished and replaced by Grace Academy at a cost of £32 million.^[4]

Chelmsley Wood is part of the Regeneration of North Solihull, a partnership between Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and the private sector. An estimated £1.8 billion will be invested over the next fifteen years.^{[citation needed]}

Politically, Chelmsley Wood voters have been known for their strong support of Labour candidates at both local and national elections. However, in the 2006 election, the Chelmsley Wood ward of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council elected a candidate from the British National Party, the first in Solihull's history. The elected candidate, George Morgan, won by a margin of 19 votes. In the 2010 election the seat went to Labour after George Morgan stood down with the BNP vote falling dramatically and the Green Party finishing second to Labour by 22 votes.^[5]

References

1. ^ Office for National Statistics : Census 2001 : Parish Headcounts : Solihull Retrieved 2009-11-22
2. ^ Stephen Victor Ward (1994). Planning and Urban Change. Sage Publications. ISBN 185396218X. 
3. ^ Thomas Greenwood (1971). The Libraries, Museums and Art Galleries Year Book. New York: J. Clarke. 
4. ^ Grace Academy (Solihull)
5. ^ "Local Election Results 2010". Solihull Council. http://www.solihull.gov.uk/democracy/22041.htm. Retrieved 2010-09-16. 

External links

• Marston Green & District Lions Club serving Marston Green and Chelmsley Wood since 1977

Coordinates: 52°28′34″N 1°43′45″W / 52.47612°N 1.72906°W / 52.47612; -1.72906

• North Solihull Regeneration website
• Solihull MBC website