Chelmsley Wood
Encyclopedia
Chelmsley Wood is a neighbourhood, civil parish and large housing estate in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull
, England
, with a population of 13,010. 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 (12.9 km) away, and to Solihull
town centre.
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. A shopping centre (which opened on 7 April 1970), a library (completed in 1970 at £240,000), 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.
at a cost of £32 million.
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.
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.
Metropolitan Borough of Solihull
The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands, in west-central England. It is named after its largest town, Solihull, from which Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is based. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, with a population of 13,010. It is located near Birmingham International Airport
Birmingham International Airport (UK)
Birmingham Airport , formerly Birmingham International Airport is an airport located east southeast of Birmingham city centre, at Bickenhill in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull within the West Midlands, England...
and the National Exhibition Centre
National Exhibition Centre
The National Exhibition Centre is an exhibition centre in Birmingham, England. It is near junction 6 of the M42 motorway, and is adjacent to Birmingham International Airport and Birmingham International railway station. It has 20 interconnected halls, set in grounds of 628 acres making it the...
. It lies adjacent to Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. There are several bus routes linking the town to Birmingham city centre, about 8 miles (12.9 km) away, and to Solihull
Solihull
Solihull is a town in the West Midlands of England with a population of 94,753. It is a part of the West Midlands conurbation and is located 9 miles southeast of Birmingham city centre...
town centre.
History
Chelmsley Wood is a relatively new area, which was built by Birmingham City CouncilBirmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
in the 1960s on ancient woodland (part of the Forest of Arden) as an overspill town for Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. Permission for the construction of the overspill estate
Overspill estate
An overspill estate is a housing estate planned and built for the rehousing of people from decaying inner city areas usually as part of the process of slum clearance....
on green belt
Green belt
A green belt or greenbelt is a policy and land use designation used in land use planning to retain areas of largely undeveloped, wild, or agricultural land surrounding or neighbouring urban areas. Similar concepts are greenways or green wedges which have a linear character and may run through an...
land was granted by Richard Crossman
Richard Crossman
Richard Howard Stafford Crossman OBE was a British author and Labour Party politician who was a Cabinet Minister under Harold Wilson, and was the editor of the New Statesman. A prominent socialist intellectual, he became one of the Labour Party's leading Zionists and anti-communists...
as Minister of Housing and Local Government. A shopping centre (which opened on 7 April 1970), a library (completed in 1970 at £240,000), hall and a few public houses. With the adjoining neighbourhoods of Fordbridge
Fordbridge
Fordbridge is a civil parish and suburb between Kingshurst and Chelmsley Wood in the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull, which is in the West Midlands county, and also part of the West Midlands conurbation. It is east of Birmingham City Centre. It has a town council...
and Smith's Wood
Smith's Wood
Smith's Wood is a residential area in the north of the Metropolitan Borough of Solihull in the West Midlands of England. It is a civil parish with a population of 10,943, according to the 2001 census....
it became part of Metropolitan Borough of Solihull
Metropolitan Borough of Solihull
The Metropolitan Borough of Solihull is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands, in west-central England. It is named after its largest town, Solihull, from which Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is based. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary...
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 AcademyGrace Academy (Solihull)
Grace Academy is a non-selective co-educational secondary school within the English Academy programme, at Chelmsley Wood, Solihull, West Midlands.It opened in 2006 and replaced the old Whitesmore School...
at a cost of £32 million.
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.
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
Solihull Council election, 2006
The 2006 Solihull Council election took place on 4 May 2006 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England...
, the Chelmsley Wood ward of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council elected a candidate from the British National Party
British National Party
The British National Party is a British far-right political party formed as a splinter group from the National Front by John Tyndall in 1982...
, the first in Solihull's history. The elected candidate, George Morgan, won by a margin of 19 votes. In the 2010 election
Solihull Council election, 2010
The 2010 Solihull Council election took place on 6 May 2010 to elect members of Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council in the West Midlands, England...
the seat went to Labour after George Morgan stood down with the BNP vote falling dramatically and the Green Party
Green Party of England and Wales
The Green Party of England and Wales is a political party in England and Wales which follows the traditions of Green politics and maintains a strong commitment to social progressivism. It is the largest Green party in the United Kingdom, containing within it various regional divisions including...
finishing second to Labour by 22 votes.