New tuition centre plans to be scrutinised at request of concerned councillor

BMH Tutors has asked permission from Sandwell Council to turn the Victorian home in St Mary’s Road, Bearwood, into a ‘private tuition academy’ for up to 20 children studying for their GCSEs and A-Levels.

But a decision will now be made by the council’s planning committee rather than leaving it to officers to decide, at the appeal of ward councillor Bob Piper who had concerns over the proposed level of parking.

“6 St Mary’s Road is a stretch of road off Bearwood’s main shopping centre which already has very heavy demand during the daytime for parking for the shops, as well as having a children’s day nursery and a dental surgery on the same piece of road,” he said in a request to Sandwell Council’s planning department. “This is causing constant problems with traffic and illegal parking.

“Assuming the pupils of this school are also likely to require at least short-term ‘drop-off’ parking this location, with no parking provided will be unsuitable.

“Also, it is immediately next door to a residential home and a place of worship application has previously been refused.”