Acocks Green is an area and ward of south Birmingham, England. It is named after the Acock family who built a large house in the area in 1370. Acocks Green is one of the four wards making up Yardley formal district. Nowadays, it is written without an apostrophe. Stockfield, located in the north of the ward, was once a separate village to the Acocks Green area. However, the two merged as a result of housing developments during the 20th century. The ward now covers an area 4.773 square kilometres. Areas covered by the ward include the Edenbridge Road Estate, Gospel Estate, Pemberley Road Flats, Stockfield Estate, part of the Tyseley Estate and the Yarnfield Estate. The ward covers part of the B27 and part of the B11 postcode areas.
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History
Acocks Green first developed north of the current centre at the roundabout where the Warwick Road meets Shirley and Westley Roads. This area was known Tenchlee or Tenelea, meaning 'ten clearings'. The settlement that developed here has completely disappeared. Huyon Hall and Broom Hall were moated manor houses located in the area. The area of Fox Hollies in the ward receives it's name from the time when the Fox family bought the farm belonging to the atte Holies in the 15th century. The earliest known reference to Acocks Green is in the Yardley Parish Register of 1604. In 1626, Acocks Green House and other estates were given by Richard Acock to his son as a wedding gift. In 1725, the Warwick Road was turnpiked. During the end of the 18th century, the Warwick and Birmingham Canal was cut through Acocks Green. This is resulted in wharfs being constructed at Stockfield Road and Yardley Road. The increased prosperity brought by the canal prompted the construction of farms and large residences. Acocks Green began to expand in the 19th century when it was connected to the Birmingham to Oxford railway in 1852. At this time there were three hamlets along the Warwick Road; Flint Green, Acocks Green, and Westley Brook. Westley Brook was to become the centre of modern Acocks Green. As Westley Green was closer to the station, it developed faster than the old centre. In 1911, Yardley, of which Acocks Green was a part of, was absorbed into Birmingham. Birmingham was in need of housing and in the mid-1920s, municipal housing was built on around half of Acocks Green, resulting in a large increase in the population. Many new residents were unwelcome and existing residents moved away leading to the nickname Snobs Green. Acocks Green benefited from an increase in commerce brought about by the newcomers. It developed into a major shopping area and churches and meeting halls were extended to accommodate more people. Trams first arrived in Acocks Green in 1916. They first stopped at Broad Road, before stopping at the Green from 1922. The centre of Acocks Green was remodelled in 1932, and a large island incorporating the tram terminus was created. After the tram service ended, the island was grassed over to become the Green. Acocks Green was the location for a custom-built factory which made parts for the Bristol Hercules radial engines. Construction of the factory commenced in late 1936 on the site of Westwood's market gardening business near the canal. The factory was the Rover Shadow factory and it was operational by July 1937. Towards the end of the war, the Rover factory began to produce Meteor tank engines. The factory was visited by King George VI in March 1938.[1] The military connection the factory had made Acocks Green a target for German bombers.[2] There are a number of statutorily listed buildings; cottages at 89-93 Arden Road (Grade II), the Baptist Church on Yardley Road (Grade II), the Baptist church hall on Alexander Road (Grade II). As well as this, there are locally listed buildings; the fire station (Grade B) and caretaker's house (Grade A) on Alexander Road, police station on Yardley Road (Grade B), a house on the corner of Elmdon Road, and the library on Shirley Road (Grade A). In Fox Hollies Park, there is a Bronze Age burnt mound with Scheduled Ancient Monument status.[3] Stockfield Estate was one of Birmingham's many interwar housing estates, built by the local council during the 1920s and 1930s to rehouse people from inner-city slums. The houses were popular on their completion thanks to the inclusion of electricity, running water, gardens, indoor toilets and bathrooms. But the estate quickly fell into decline due to crime and urban decay, and by the 1980s it was one of the most rundown parts of the city. Demolition work began in the early 1990s and by 1996 all of the estate's 477 homes had been demolished and replaced by new homes of a much higher quality.
Demographics
The 2001 Population Census recorded that there were 26,635 people living in Acocks Green with a population density of 5,580 people/km². The 1991 Population Census recorded 26,087 residents living in the ward, a decline of 6.7% from 1981.[4] 51.5% of the population is female whilst 48.5 is male. 19.6% (5,188) of the ward's population consists of ethnic minorities compared with 29.6% for Birmingham in general. 80.4% of the population are White making it the largest ethnic group in the ward. Chinese was the smallest ethnic group in the ward at 0.7%, compared with the Birmingham average of 1.1%. 13% of the ward's population was born outside the United Kingdom, compared with the Birmingham average of 16.5% and the national average of 9.3%. Christianity was the most prominent religion in the ward at 64.3%, above the city average of 59.1%. Islam was the second most selected religion at 7.7%, although "No Religion" had a higher percentage at 13.7%. 98.8% of the population live in households, which is above the Birmingham average of 98.3% and the national average of 98.2%. 1.2% live in communal establishments. There were 11,008 occupied households in the ward at the time of the census with an average of 2.4 people per household, equal to the national average. 305 households were vacant. 57.2% of the total households were owner occupied, below the city average of 60.4% and the national average of 68.7%. The majority of the houses in Acocks Green were terraced (39%), whilst semi-detached houses were also common in the area (36.4%). 17.5% of people are of a pensionable age and 58.2% are of a working age. 9.1% of the ward population was unemployed, above city average of 6.8% and the national average of 4.1%. 36.6% of the unemployed had been in such a situation for the long term, whilst 13.5% had never worked. The majority of those that were employed worked in the manufacturing sector (18.6%). Wholesale & Retail Trade and Vehicle Repairs Finance and Real Estate & Business Activities were both major employment sectors in the area at 16.4%. The largest employer based in Acocks Green is Eaton Electric Ltd, employing approximately 750 people.[5]
Politics
The Acocks Green Ward is currently represented by three Liberal Democrat councillors at Birmingham City Council; Iain Bowen, Nicola Henry and Penny Wagg. The ward has adopted a Ward Support Officer, with the current holder of the title being Bari Aziz.
Education and recreation
Within its borders are eight primary schools and two secondary schools. One secondary school is Archbishop Ilsley Catholic Technology College and Sixth Form Centre. The other secondary school is Ninestiles Technology College, which has over 1,300 laptop computers and is regarded as one of the best schools for computing in Europe. This is attached to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre, which complements Acocks Green's other sports, gym and recreational facilities. Fox Hollies School, in the Fox Hollies area of the ward, is located in the western area of the ward. Oaklands County Primary School, which was a primary school on Dolphin Lane, opened in 1929 and was expanded in 1932. In 1950, one of the timber buildings which formed the infants block was dismantled and reassembled in the newly-constructed Gilbertstone estate to form Gilbertstone Primary School. A private school is to be found on Yardley Road. Adult education takes place at Stone Hall, Archbishop Ilsley Technology College, Ninestiles Technology College, and Fox Hollies Leisure Centre. City College run an IT training facility from the Green. There is a yoga institute on Westley Road. Acocks Green also has numerous parks and green spots, including Fox Hollies Park in the south which is home to a manmade lake called Round Pool.
Shopping
The roundabout where Warwick Road meets Shirley Road and Westley Road is called The Green by most locals. This is the main shopping area in Acocks Green. Most of the general retail shops are located here and further along Warwick Road. There is also a library and a bowling alley. Outside The Green you will not find many shops except convenience stores and off-licences, although there is a large modern bingo hall located on Stockfield Road.
Transport
Acocks Green has very good transport links to Birmingham city centre and Solihull. Birmingham Moor Street and Solihull stations can both be reached in under ten minutes by train from Acocks Green railway station or Spring Road railway station. Many bus routes are served by Acocks Green Bus Garage, including the Outer Circle (11A/11C), which is the longest urban bus route in any European city. The 37 service links Solihull and Birmingham City Centre and runs mainly along the Warwick Road, passing through "The Green". The area can become congested and there have been calls for a bypass to ease pressure on the roads. Businesses in the shopping area have opposed the ideas as they have concerns about loss of passing trade and residents do not want increases in traffic past their houses.
Culture
Acocks Green has seven churches and the Ghamkol Sharif Mosque. There is a large cultural diversity in Acocks Green with a mix of people from all religions and races. In recent years, Acocks Green has begun to see an increase in Polish residents. On August 12, 2006, Gospel Lane Skatepark was opened to the public. It was created using Neighbourhood Renewal Fund grants and through the advice of youngsters who would use the park. The British Legion have a local office and club in the ward. Hall Green Little Theatre is also located in Acocks Green. The area is served by Acocks Green library which has been in use since June 14, 1932. Outside the library is the Acocks Green war memorial.
References
External links
- Acocks Green Local Community website
- Acocks Green History Society
- Birmingham Picture Library photographs of Acocks Green
- 1888 Ordnance Survey map of Acocks Green
- grid reference SP113833
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| Birmingham council constituencies and wards | |
| Edgbaston | Bartley Green · Edgbaston · Harborne · Quinton |
| Erdington | Erdington · Kingstanding · Stockland Green · Tyburn |
| Hall Green | Hall Green · Moseley and Kings Heath · Sparkbrook · Springfield |
| Hodge Hill | Bordesley Green · Hodge Hill · Shard End · Washwood Heath |
| Ladywood | Aston · Ladywood · Nechells · Soho |
| Northfield | Kings Norton · Longbridge · Northfield · Weoley |
| Perry Barr | Handsworth Wood · Lozells and East Handsworth · Oscott · Perry Barr |
| Selly Oak | Billesley · Bournville · Brandwood · Selly Oak |
| Sutton Coldfield | Sutton Four Oaks · Sutton New Hall · Sutton Trinity · Sutton Vesey |
| Yardley | Acocks Green · Sheldon · South Yardley · Stechford and Yardley North |
