History %

Here are some of the key moments in the history of the Moseley Forum:

Up to 2003

A community consultation on ‘The Alcohol Free Zone’ for the centre of Moseley (now a reality)
Begging outside cash points
GM Crops (as part of the Government’s National Consultation Exercise – we were the only group to organise such an event in the whole of Birmingham!)
Transport Issues with Centro (they wanted to have the 50 stopping outside the PO)
Street Wardens
Volunteering
Ward Boundaries / election hustings for both of the wards that cover Moseley.
Helping Moseley Festival
A Tolkien-inspired sculpture in recognition of JRR
Recycling
Empty Shops Group: this meets to discuss ways of combating economic decline, of contacting site owner’s etc.
Set up the Farmers Market – going from strength to strength. Larger now than the City Centre, this year we will be at full capacity once Spring comes, with 36/37 farmers. We’re now in discussion with the CDT about a ‘Made in Moseley’ Art market as a means of developing Moseley as a Creative Arts Village (cf. Greenwich Village in London)
We set up a sub-committee to look into the problems of drugs in North Moseley around the Church Rd Post Office area.
We’ve supported other issues such as the problem of fly tipping by Belle Walk

Planning For Real events across Moseley – in schools, the mosque, the farmers’ market, in the CDT, in Moseley Private Park during the Moseley Festival.
Group started to look at regeneration (which became Moseley Regeneration Group) and traffic/transport issues.
Police strategies for the community
Transport Issues with Centro
Traffic and Transport issues across Moseley
Street Wardens
Volunteering

Parks and Open Spaces – including Highbury Park issues
Election hustings for the new Moseley and Kings Heath Ward
Ideas for spending the Forum’s Budget. (such as a Tolkien-inspired sculpture in recognition of JRR – more details later – and for our street wardens)
Moseley-in-Bloom competition
Moseley Arts Market started in conjunction with the CDT. This year we won the award for the best Farmers’ Market in 6 counties.

Transport and parking issues: We managed to get yellow box junctions for Woodbridge Rd and Trafalgar Rd on the Alcester Rd. We have walked the areas concerned with our Transport/Highways officer discussing what needs to be done.
Moseley Traders: sought to try to encourage the Moseley Business Association by helping with Christmas lights and further ideas on how to help Moseley.
An assessment of the Moseley Action Plan
The Railway Line and re-opening Moseley Station
A bid for development of N Moseley in the light of the Tornado damage
Regeneration issues
Recycling – the problem of the patchy nature of collections within Moseley
Some specific planning issues such as Epic, Highbury Hall and Chamberlain House

Organising and funding the Christmas lights centred around the Green
Set up SusMO – Sustainable Moseley – to introduce renewable energy
Moved the Farmers’ Market into being a separate Community Interest Company
Making sure Moseley’s voice is heard in the new local government ‘District’ in Hall Green that will be responsible for our local services• Finding funding for OPNOCS – befriending elderly people in Moseley
Planning Issues/campaigns with the council including the Moneywise site, the railway, the ‘Meteor Ford’ site and Tesco’s, the scaffolding in St Mary’s Row
Transport and parking issues across Moseley (eg changed parking on Oxford Rd)

Workshops on Public Spaces & Community Safety, Transport, Local Economy, Moseley Dreams and Ideas at last year’s Festival
Public meetings on the issues of Shared Space and Red Routes – Grant from Farmers’ Market for Baillie associates to produce initial ideas for Moseley Centre
Continued support for the Moseley Action Plan, the Regeneration Group and the MBA
Research into ‘Adult playgrounds or Gyms in parks’
Support for the use of and development of Highbury Hall & the Park for the community

Council Highways Scrutiny Committee agreed to go ahead with pilot for shared space. We pushed unsuccessfully for Moseley.
We set ‘SusMO’ free to develop its own course, as we successfully did with the Farmers’ Market and Moseley in Bloom.
Worked with stakeholders to run a pilot 3 yr scheme on Community Alcohol Abuse using a Government grant.
Ran consultations with ‘Living Streets’ in order to try to improve the centre of Moseley only to face cut-backs from the council
We were the only Forum to run local Hustings in 2012 and 2013
Worked with others over Pitmarstons, electric charging points in the car park, controversial changeover to wheelie bins for rubbish collections, proposed Tesco’s, Regeneration of Moseley
Tried to help with the relaunch of Moseley’s B13 magazine
Helped develop two-fold strategy for street drinkers (carrot and stick)
Countering proposed rerouting of buses
Taking up a stance on the Birmingham Cycle Revolution

Supporting the third year of the Moseley Community Alcohol Project MCA
Supporting the Moseley SPD in its proposals for improving the centre of Moseley
We funded a major report on bringing Shared Space principles to make the centre of Moseley ‘People-Friendly’
Proposed cycle routes, 20mph and parking issues.
Challenging AMEY on the removal of street clutter and extra signs
Started a Public Realm Design Group with BCC officers from several departments
Ran a very successful Hustings
Involved in discussions on asset transfers of Highbury Hall and Kingsbridge project
Prevent officer on anti-terrorism issues
Faced with Moseley being split into three wards, successful campaign mounted to persuade Boundary Commission to treat Moseley as a whole community.
Illegal and dangerous parking with Festivals especially in Cannon Hill Park
Won £10,000 from BCC plus £4000 from the Farmers’ Market to have Phil Jones Associates do realistic in-depth study of the centre of Moseley and how to improve it.

Spoken into the consultations on design of the proposed Railway Station
Been a voice and channel for groups over the dangerous traffic and congestion problems on School Rd: Better Streets For Moseley joined the Forum to create one voice
Meeting on safety and policing with the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Simon Foster.
Influenced siting of 20m 5G mast for Vodafone
Persuaded West Midlands Rail Executive and BCC to accept part of the PJA Moseley plans for the junction of Oxford Rd and the Station entrance (from our previous analysis and plans)
Purchased two hand-held speed cameras for use by residents in order to gain evidence of problem stretches of roads
Persuaded the redrawing of Constituency Boundary so Moseley be seen and named as one
Pavement widening due to Covid restrictions
Influenced many other issues – Station design, location of Bleed Kit Station, Cycle lanes coming through Moseley and getting the mayor’s team to agree on connecting to the station, Hustings, proposals for LTN, Community Policing, promoting joined-up thinking of transport.