Selly Oak Restoration Summary

September 2011: The restoration required in Selly Oak, to be the first stage of the full incremental plan to restore the Lapal (Dudley No 2) Canal, appeared to be under threat from a new development partnership between Sainsbury's and Land Securities.

After many years publishing a BCC-approved Plan in which a restored Lapal canal was to feature in Sainsbury's regeneration of their Battery Park site, this partnership published a revised plan in which the former canal alignment was only to be developed as a pedestrian greenway.

Please visit here to see those plans and lodge your reaction to the relevant aspects [6].

The Lapal Canal Trust, supported by many local and national canal bodies and residents groups, expressed deep concern about this omission.

Monday 10 October 2011 : The Trust established amicable contact with the Developers.

Monday 25 October : The Trust was pleased to report a second, amicable meeting with the Partnership during which a means to implement a through navigation was explored.

Tuesday, 22 November : The Trust is very pleased to report that the Partnership now intends to submit for outline Planning consent, a Plan which includes a length of Lapal Canal across the site instead of the greenway. Unless some unforseen issues arise, they also intend to implement that Plan at their expense.