Greyhound track housing plans set for major step forward

Plans to demolish the Hall Green Greyhound Stadium to make way for hundreds of new homes could take a step forward next week, with new documents revealing the scheme is set to get the backing of Birmingham City Council planners subject to the completion of a funding agreement.Insider revealed in February that developers Wulff PDM and Euro Property Investments had lodged a planning application to clear the York Road site to build 210 properties. The development will also include 34,300 sq ft of open space.Hall Green Stadium has been operating since the 1920s and has a capacity of 2,700 customers. As well as a racetrack, the 10.6-acre venue also includes a restaurant, bar, snooker club and a 48-room hotel.Planning officers from the city council have informally recommended the application for approval ahead of a committee meeting next week (23 June 2016), but said any final decision should be deferred until a Section 106 agreement has been finalised with the developers.Under the deal, 15 per cent of the new homes will be affordable and a payment will be made towards improvements at Fox Hollies Park.A statement from officers said the loss of the recreational facility is outweighed by the positive aspects of the proposed development.The project has caused an outcry in the local community and a petition with 2,642 signatures opposing the project has been submitted to the city council.It states that the stadium is “profitable and prosperous” and employs more than 200 staff. A separate petition signed by the 20 dog trainers who operate from Hall Green Stadium was also submitted.While planners said the loss of employment as a result of the new homes is “regrettable” they added that it would be balanced by job opportunities in the construction sector and the addition of up to 600 new residents in Hall Green.The housing application comes more than two years after the stadium was acquired by Euro Property Investments in a £3m deal.