Martin Mullaney, Councillor for Moseley and Kings Heath, Birmingham

At the end of June, a Dangerous Building Notice was served against the owner of the former tram depot offices at 582 Moseley Road, corner of Trafalgar Road. The serving of this notice is just another episode in the continuing destruction of this historic building since 2004. Photos of 582 Moseley Road from June 2008.

Background
The site of 582 Moseley Road consists of two buildings, the former tram shed and the former tram offices - both of which are protected externally and internally by their statutory listing. The site was sold by Travel West Midlands in the year 2000 to Modius Limited.

Modius Limited then sold the former offices at an auction in 2003 to the present owner. This building contained the administrative offices on the ground floor and the canteen on the first floor.

Modius Limitied still own the former tram shed, in which the trams would have been stored over night and have minor repairs done to them. The tram shed is leased by the owner and has been used as an indoor skateboard and rock climbing centre since 2003.

How the building could have collapsed in 2006
In 2005, the present owner sought planning permission to excavate the cellars of the tram offices – planning application S/03384/05/FUL. Planning permission was approved on 17th May 2005.

In June 2005, details were submitted by the owners contractors to Building Regulations on how the cellar was going to be excavated. The application was rejected on 9th July 2005 for the following reasons “Significant problems with the design”

In September 2005, work commenced still without the approval from Building Regulations. The work was stopped for the following reasons “Major excavations being carried out with large digger. Contractor was advised that he should not undermine existing structure. Also advised him that there were major problems with the application.......recommended that work stopped until the structural issues were resolved”

A video of this work can be seen at here It was made by Keith Marsden, then leasee of the former tram shed. Keith Marsden created and ran the indoor skateboard park inside the tram shed. The video shows how the owner of 582 Moseley Road allowed the area immediately in front of the entrance to the skateboard park to become a building site without putting up any security fencing. This resulted in teenagers visiting the skateboard park having to walk through lorries unloading building materials and moving mechanical diggers.

In January 2006, work commenced on excavating the cellar – still without the approval of Building Regulations. The foundations were undermined and the entire building became structurally unsafe. It was at this point that the building could potentially have collapsed onto the Moseley Road. The foundations had to be re-strengthening by the insertion of concrete piles – only the front and side elevations were done. Again Building Regulations were never informed of this work. Work stopped in Summer 2006.

Councillor Ernie Hendrick and myself made a YouTube video of the site in March 2007. A piece of boundary hoarding that had beem removed by vandals the previous night allowed us unlimited access to the building. The video showed how the entire ground floor and internal walls had been removed without listed building consent. The foundations along the rear elevation of the building were completely exposed and soaking in a permanent pool of water – water drains had been sliced in half and whenever it rained the entire basement of the building became a giant swimming pool.

Screen shots from the unedited video showing our concerns with the building when the video was made

Following the publication of my YouTube video, the site was at last visited by Building Regulations. They found that only 75% of the re-strengthening of the foundations had been complete. The owner was made to strengthen the foundations on the rear elevation of the building and keep the basement empty of water.

Building Regulations records show:
“all previous work carried out without notification”, “also plans not approved – serious issues about M&E from new floors and basement”, “advised contractor to proceed with u/pin v[ery] cautiously”.

The last updated Building Regulations record from August 2007, state the following:
“No clear plans or details have been submitted showing the full proposals. It remains unclear how it is proposed to comply with almost every aspect of the Building Regulations.. Fire safety requirements and means of access for disabled are a particular concern.”

Wholesale demolition of the building without Listed Building consent since 2004.
The interior and exterior of a statutory listed building is protected – this includes anything that was part of the original structure – right down to the floor boards.
The following have been removed from the tram offices without listed building consent since 2004:

The front boundary walls.
The entire ground floor – namely the concrete floor and wooden oak block covering
All the brick walls on the ground floor which subdivided it into offices
Several large gaping holes have been punctured into the rear elevation of the building – these holes were used by the diggers to get into the basement.
The entire first floor – namely the wooden floor boards and wooden joists.

The owner has then inserted new heavier concrete floors without listed building consent.

A new ground floor, one metre below the level of the original floor. Visitors to the building will have to walk down from the front entrance to get to the new ground floor
A new concrete floor, in between the new ground floor and new first floor. Visitors to the building will have to bend their head down to get through the front door. The new floor also cuts horizontally across the original ground floor windows
A new concrete first floor.

Following my repeated complaints to Planning about unauthorised work at this building, they have now at last forced the owner to seek retrospective planning permission for these alterations. His first attempt – planning application S/05475/07/LBC – was withdrawn by the owner, so as to avoid its refusal.

A second attempt at getting retrospective planning permission for these alternations has now been submitted – planning application S/02356/08/FUL

If you wish to comment on this planning application write to: Planning Service, Birmingham City Council, PO Box 28, Alpha Tower, Suffolk Street Queensway, Birmingham B1 1TU