Charity’s rebuild plans are scuppered
A support service which supports vulnerable women and children in Walsall has had plans to replace its dilapidated building rejected.
Aaina Community Hub had hoped to replace its 1960s single storey facility in Bath Street – which it says has structural problems – with a new three-storey building to help it continue to provide a range of services.
But planning officers at Walsall Council have thrown out the proposal would obscure the view of the neighbouring Grade II Listed St Michael’s Church and would not fit in with the character of the local area.
In a heritage assessment commissioned by the Hub, The Jessop Consultancy said the new building would be set back from the road with only two of the storeys visible from the street as it would have a lower ground floor.
The said it would be lower than the eaves of the church and the building would have a grey roof and red bricks to reflect the rest of Bath Street.
It concluded the high-quality new build would replace the current ‘unsympathetic’ structure and not harm the conservation area.
Aaina was established in 1995 and bought the building in 2020. The charity had looked at other sites but beneficiaries said they would prefer to remain in the area.
Agents Potter Church and Homes Architects said: “The building is a lifeline for women and their families in the locality, there is no other similar provision in the vicinity that provides life enhancing and meaningful services for residents living in the locality.
“The Hub brings women and their families from diverse communities and backgrounds together and addresses community cohesion, builds confidence, skills, and self-esteem and reduces social isolation.
“Women and their children have access to local information and services, reducing social isolation, especially newly arrived families from across the world who require additional support and an initial anchor that makes them feel welcomed, supported and a new member of the community.
“The Hub provides a safe space for women fleeing domestic abuse in the locality, along with supporting victims who are not yet able to flee but require support that builds resilience.
“The building is accessible to women who are prevented from accessing mainstream courses and services that address wellbeing.
“Weekly intergenerational activities support older people to participate in well being activities that reduce isolation and enable social inclusion and engagement.”
They added: “The project is the rebuilding of the existing Women’s Centre, a 1960s dilapidated building into a purpose-built sustainable and innovative Community Hub.
“The building will provide much-needed regeneration in the locality, injecting investment that will boost employment opportunities at the Hub and surrounding area.
“It will contribute to the local economy and a reduction in anti-social behaviour in the surrounding area.
“The Hub will provide a vibrant and stimulating facility that encourages growth and progression for the most disadvantaged residents locally and will lift women out of unemployment, low paid employment into wider and better opportunities.”
But Alison Ives, head of planning, said: “The proposed development competes with the Grade II Listed Church St Michael’s, and would obscure views of this designated heritage asset from Bath Street.
“The proposed development is not considered sympathetic to the character and appearance of the locality and fails to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Highgate Conservation Area.
“This proposal results in less than substantial harm to designated heritage assets; the public benefit of the redevelopment of the site would not outweigh the harm arising in particular due to the size, height and scale of the development and its impact on the existing heritage assets.”
