Category: News

Not Lovin’ It

Written by Matthew and Joseph.

[Matthew]

Everyone loves a burger now and then. The short burst of energy-rich, calorific food brings momentary joy as we take a break from work or childcare, or the drudgery of more healthy diets. The burger is the food of the free as the New York Times once wrote. It reminds us we’re free to choose what we put in our bodies, free to decide that sometimes a little bit of something bad is not so bad after all. In the 21st century burgers and other fast-foods are a deep-rooted part of our culture. And in the UK, a staple part of our high street. It’s no surprise then that the most famous and globally dominant junk food retailer is putting its greasy feelers out in our neighbourhood, with the hopes that Stirchley’s roads may one day be paved with gold(en arches).

McDonald’s have launched a publicity campaign in an attempt to sell us more burgers in Stirchley. A brave move perhaps since we already have plenty of indulgent food options on the high street. But McDonald’s have an extra special twist in their proposal which is that they’ll drop the bag of chips right through the driver’s window of the Nissan Qashqai and we can eat it in their lovely new car park whilst looking at other people eating chips in their cars. It sounds great, and nothing says ‘food of the free’ like a meal you eat with your seatbelt on.

Drive-throughs are a thing of the past. Literally. The first drive-through, opened in 1921 and was aptly located at The Pig Stand (1). They were a revolutionary new way to eat fast food, faster and born out of the buzz of the motorcar which was rolling out across America. The car became a ubiquitous part of modern industrial society and so the drive-through became a natural passenger. Although more present than ever a century later, cars are now understood for their harmful impact on the seen and the unseen. The location of the proposed McDonald’s already exceeds three World Health Organisation limits for air pollution (2) and the pavements are commonly littered with cars, blocking the walkway for people in the community. The truth is, we need fewer cars and we need transport systems that allow us to make the culture shift needed to get there. The idea of proposing a drive-through business in this climate is outdated, ill-conceived and not in the interests of Stirchley. 

The nimbys will say that it’s all about Stirchley, but the local cannot be viewed in isolation from the global and the global is where McDonald’s really pisses on the chips. In 2019 McDonald’s emitted more than 53 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (3). Globally they sell nearly three million Big Macs a day and it’s been calculated that the production of each one equates to the same CO2 emissions as driving a petrol car for a 7.9 mile journey (4). The seven million cows they slaughter each year are fed on mono crops that disrupt ecological cycles and the company is regularly linked with reports of forced labour in their soy, beef and coffee supply chains (5). 

McDonald’s, by sportswashing through financial investment in sports clubs and events, ensure multiple generations of kids grow up recognising the golden arches from their footy bibs. In this proposal, they want to paint them on our street too (6). From a corporate standpoint they want us and our children to continue buying these burgers so their tenants (the franchise owners) can continue to pay the board. Or put more brazenly by the first McDonald’s CEO Harry Sonneborn, “We are not technically in the food business. We are in the real estate business. The only reason we sell fifteen-cent hamburgers is because they are the greatest producer of revenue, from which our tenants can pay us our rent.” Burgers are certainly not so cheap these days, but this is often still the big argument put forward by the small pro-McDonald’s group. “McDonald’s cheapness is good for ‘working class’ people.” But in reality because of lobbying and corporate control by global players like McDonald’s we have had stagnant wage growth and greater casualisation through zero hour contracts. The solution to people being poor isn’t cheap food – it’s affordable housing, secure jobs and increased wages.

At SCD we’re calling for the rejection of all aggressive landlordism in Stirchley in the form of franchises or buy-to-let developers. We’re calling on the council and city planners to wholly reject this proposal and any others that attempt to take our transport systems backwards and our local pollution levels skywards. Instead, this land should be used for a community-led development in the form of much needed social housing, or other community assets such as the ones we’ve lost and are still losing. We must reject the false idea that endless capitalist growth is a good thing and that it’s OK for some to get rich whilst the rest of us get heart disease and asthma. 

[Joeseph]

The proposal is to use the land right between the new Aldi and the Co-op funeral home—close to the Morrisons, oh and don’t forget there’s that new Lidl that’s almost completed a bit further down the road, too.

These roads aren’t equipped to handle the vehicular demand these powerful corporations expect to attract. Neither is the environment, locally or globally. The inclusion of 32 on-site car parking spaces (only for customers) coupled with the drive-thru aspect itself means more cars, more fumes, more noise. In their publicity they say that the positioning of the new restaurant ‘will help with traffic flow along the Pershore Road.’ Meanwhile the sad irony here is that our project, just up the road, is providing 39 affordable homes without the need for any parking. If the McDonald’s were to go ahead, this small stretch of Stirchley would see our effort to keep 39 additional cars off our streets nearly reduced to nothing. 

The argument that a restaurant concept which encourages you to harness the power of your vehicle in the name of convenience will reduce traffic and pollution is quite beyond quip and witticism. There are three such drive-through locations within three miles of Hazelwell Lane and McDonald’s have over 1450 locations in the UK and Ireland alone. It is just greed, pure and simple.

But perhaps this time the Clown has taken a step too far. Word spread of the proposal faster than you can say Quarter Pounder with Cheese, please. Up and down the high street it was all anyone was talking about, and within hours of the news being made public over three hundred residents took to WhatsApp to mobilise and plan a protest. How McDonald’s will react remains to be seen. But anyone au fait with the McLibel case will know they’re not the type of firm that take criticism particularly well. One thing does seem clear, for the most part, locals aren’t too keen on adding a set of Golden Arches to Stirchley.  

Here at SCD we stand with the rest of the opposition in our shared refusal to accept that Stirchley needs a McDonald’s. We also want to make it clear that we feel the site could and should be used for affordable social housing—something, if the substantial demand for spaces in our current development are anything to go by, that is very much needed in the area—the space could also be better used for other community services or other centres of community leisure (replacing those we’ve lost in the name of supermarkets and car parks). What is needed and what is logical, what would be in line with the council’s transport vision for urban centres, is dense housing that aligns with the preexisting bus, rail, and cycle routes. Not another McDonald’s.

Couple this with the fact that the most recent developments in the area have been encouraging increased car use and it’s clear that a drive-through is not just bad for Stirchley but also a massive departure from the types of developments needed in urban centres across the city. 

Another element to why we wish to see this proposal go no further is McDonald’s involvement in the ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. They are, rightly so, on the boycott list for, among other things, providing free meals to the Israeli Occupation Forces (7). McDonald’s purchased all the Israeli franchises following backlash from this, meaning corporate now own all 225 restaurants In the region. The region where employees are told that if they do speak Arabic they should not use it whilst working at Mcdonald’s (8). With another four years of Trump about to break across the horizon this means further suffering and continual punishment of the Palestinians and their right to life. Trump and his MAGA-ites are set to appoint three highly vocal, pro-Israeli men to the positions of secretary of state, secretary of defence and ambassador to Israel. The latter of which considers Israel’s illegal settlements in the West Bank as part of some kind of biblical prophecy. If it wasn’t already important to show our solidarity and support with the Palestinian people, now it is getting desperate, and everything we can do we should be doing. Boycott all McDonald’s, not just this hypothetical one.

Scanning the McDonald’s consultation website reads as a list of promises to fix problems they’ll be causing if they get the go ahead. Currently Stirchley is being praised for its strong sense of community, its artistic output, and its ever-growing throng of independent businesses. All of these things will come under threat if we allow places like McDonald’s to drown us in their corporate veneer. “If approved, the new restaurant will deliver significant investment into Stirchley, helping support the local economy.”  — quote from proposal site lol. The local economy will suffer, through increased strain on services, increased spend on waste collection and increased delays to vital public transport. The economic growth, McDonalds and Rachel Reeves talk about is only beneficial in conjunction with many other things. It will have a net negative impact if it increases pollution, litter, light pollution, traffic and reductions in biodiversity.  

1. https://web.archive.org/web/20120321005512/http://michaelwitzel.com/wordpress/the-texas-pig-stands-drive-in/
2. https://addresspollution.org/results/190a7d80-e8cc-4684-870b-c8423d198406
3. https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/content/dam/sites/corp/nfl/pdf/McDonalds_Corporation_%20CDP_Climate_Change_2020.pdf
4. https://plantbasednews.org/news/environment/big-mac-carbon-footprint/
5. https://app.impaakt.com/analyses/mcdonalds-has-been-repeatedly-linked-to-forced-labor-via-its-cattle-soy-and-coffee-supply-chains-62157
6. https://mcdonaldsconsultation.co.uk/stirchley/the-site/
7. https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/free-meals-israeli-soldiers-divide-mcdonalds-franchises-over-israel-hamas-war-2023-10-17/
8. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/mar/11/israel

Co-ops are powered by people and as a larger co-op development we’re privileged to have members from all walks of life, who are doing fantastic work inside and outside of Stirchley Co-op Development (SCD). Each month we’ll be introducing you to one of them, so you can meet the faces behind SCD.

In our third edition of our Meet a Member Series, we had the privilege of speaking to August.

What’s your role in Stirchley Co-op Development SCD?

I’m a resident and I’m currently involved in the Publicity and Membership Working Group.

How long have you been involved with SCD?

I joined SCD in March 2024, so I’m a relatively new member.

What inspires you most about SCD? What motivated you to get involved?

As someone who has experienced housing insecurity and homelessness, seeing secure and affordable housing become a reality in Birmingham has been a passion of mine for some time now. I was interested in the concept of tiny homes and was contemplating buying a plot of land. So when I saw SCD was looking for residential members, I jumped at the chance.

I’ve also been involved in activism and community groups for over 15 years now. I think worker co-ops offer a model of work that is much more equitable and inclusive, so it’s fantastic that SCD is providing a home for 3 local worker co-ops as well.

So you’re part of the Publicity & Membership working groups. What kinds of things are you working on at the moment?

I regularly edit the SCD newsletter, which is now going out monthly. I’ve also been co-creating a training series for our co-op to support and empower members. We’re looking at several themes including self organising, facilitation, co-op history and financial literacy.

Would you tell us a little bit about your life outside of SCD?
I work for a charity that supports asylum seekers and refugees. I also offer life coaching for people who are neurodivergent. I have many passions and special interests including gardening, anime and cosy gaming. I also take voguing and waacking classes (two forms of dance that originate from the LGBTQ+ community).

Co-ops are powered by people and as a larger co-op development we’re privileged to have members from all walks of life, who are doing fantastic work inside and outside of Stirchley Co-op Development (SCD). Each month we’ll be introducing you to one of them, so you can meet the faces behind SCD.

In our second edition of our Meet a Member Series, we had the privilege of speaking to Kartik.

What’s your role in Stirchley Co-op Development SCD?

I’m a resident and I’m currently involved in the Tech & Energy working group.

How long have you been involved with SCD?

I joined SCD in March 2024, so I’m a relatively new member.

What inspires you most about SCD? What motivated you to get involved?

I previously worked for a co-op The Warehouse Café, so I knew a little bit about co-ops beforehand. It just seemed like an amazing initiative to build more equitable housing, in a country where landlordism is such a growing problem. In my mind co-op housing has always been such a great solution to addressing the housing crisis, so the idea of that growing in such a big way in Birmingham is inspiring. I’m hoping that SCD will have an impact beyond just this specific building, because there will be a community around it, and I hope to see more projects like this happen as a result.

So you’re part of the Tech & Energy working group. What kinds of things are you working on at the moment?

I’ve only got stuck in recently, but currently we’re looking ahead to when we move into the building. So we’re considering questions such as: Can residents pool their resources and share internet access? Can we have an online forum where members can share requests and things like food waste? We’re working with other co-ops and discussing what solutions they’ve used and what works in practice.

We’ve also been solving technical issues with Cloudron, the software we use for files and the website. There’s day to day maintenance and addressing any issues that present themselves. I’m not the most techie person, but it became clear when I joined the group that I didn’t need to have technical skills in order to be able to help with basic tasks.

Would you tell us a little bit about your life outside of SCD?
 I work in the non profit sector supporting asylum seekers and refugees in Birmingham and the Black Country. I’ve seen how there’s a huge problem when it comes to housing and how it’s a huge area of inequality. Especially when it comes to the collapse of council housing provision in this country. Beyond that I quite like to read and engage in political activism such as Palestinian solidarity.

We’ve experienced dark days recently where fascist mobs have taken to the streets, attacking and terrorising members of our communities.

These are not isolated or random incidents, but rather a product of a racist rhetoric that permeates British politics, policing and media.

Whilst we should and do deplore their violence, we must also stand united against the systems of oppression that allow this violence to occur.

Many politicians, police and news producers stir up hatred and blame for marginalised peoples instead of addressing societal problems such as social and health inequality, housing insecurity, and climate injustice.

Moreover, these people are profiting from the racist tension they have fuelled and cannot believe their luck when people look to blame migrants and other minority groups for these inequities.

SCD is founded on co-operative principles that strive for equality for all members.

Co-operatives completely remove landlords and bosses who exploit us all and who drive division in communities.

In the wider context, co-operatives have a long history of organising against fascism with examples including the ‘Milk for Spain‘ campaign during the Spanish civil war and the campaign against ISIS in Rojava which is explicit about co-operative economic principles.

At SCD we will always support the rights of vulnerable and marginalised groups and protest against fascists, be they physically, politically or economically violent.

We stand in solidarity with all those who have come out to protect each other these past weeks.

Let’s continue to be united by what we have in common, continue to be visible in our unity and continue to work to make our communities not just not fascist and not racist, but anti-fascist and anti-racist.

Written by Joseph, housing member of SCD.

As you may have seen, construction resumed for Stirchley Co-op Development in April. To celebrate this, we’re excited to announce the name of our building:

Jessie Eden House

There are some that might tell you a good name is hard to find. Others may disagree, but it is certainly worth noting that famed trade unionist, communist activist, and all round Birmingham shock-worker Jessie Eden agreed when she kept the surname acquired through her short-lived marriage to Albert Eden, late of Kings Norton. Before that she was Jessie Shrimpton, born in 1902, named after the mother that raised her in Winson Green. Jessie senior was a suffragette, married to journeyman jeweller William Shrimpton, both were huge advocates of Jessie’s wonderful outspokenness.

Growing up in the first quarter of the 20^th century, we can only speculate how the young Jessie felt when she read about Emily Davidson hurling herself in front of the King George V’s horse. She was twelve when a simmering global conflict was brought to the boil, by heedless militarism, by all those outrageous miscalculations and then the shots fired in Sarajevo. Empowered and powerless perhaps? Pissed off? As a young woman working at the Lucas Electrics factory on Great Kings Street she would have witnessed first hand limping Britain’s coal industry’s nosedive. Felt Churchill turn the screw on the pound and watched as interest rates rose like those wacky waving inflatable arm flailing tube men.

The 1926 general strike found twenty-four year old Jessie a union steward for her section of the factory. One made up entirely from the only unionised woman workers on the payroll. When the strike started, Jessie inspired these women to stand up and walk outagainst greed feasting at its favourite feeding spot: Mine owners, looking down, pinching their purse strings during economical inclemency. When the owners saw profits wane the miners refused to except the longer day for less pay proposed. Unrest stirred. When the Trade Union Congress backed the miners and revolution suddenly dangled in the air, the Conservative’s lied about a subsidy, then issued a Royal commission to look into the matter. It deemed worker’s hours should be stretched, the subsidy scratched, the pay goes down.

So in the death throes of 3 May the general strike called for by the TUC began. Over 1.5 million workers went on strike. 1.5 million. Including Jessie Eden and her fellow female unionists.

In the days that followed the people marched. Their slogans were chanted. Trains were derailed. Horse owner King George robotically sympathised with the strikers and Churchill called them “followers” in his usual attempt to claim the narrative. Horrendously, British Fascism found its feet during this movement, forming a militia in response to their refusal of entry into what was otherwise a largely sympathetic police force.

As you can imagine all this action brought the ghastly living conditions of factory workers and their families across the country right up to the surface.

Ultimately, when the unions’ assets became threatened, an end to the strike was reached leaving most of the miners worse off. Many lost their jobs entirely. Jessie was one of the ‘lucky’ ones, keeping her job at Lucas Industries where she’d became known for her speed and efficiency.

She’d seen how greed and power and selfishness could reduced people to drones in the mud. She’d also taken part in a great act of collectivism, one that had managed to pull back the curtain to reveal the shivering naked men hidden behind it. So, in 1931, when Jessie noticed supervisors watching the rate in which she worked and realised they were planning to standardise her speed and apply it to her fellow workers, she hit the roof.

This time it wasn’t just the unionised women from her section, she organised 10,000 non unionised women to walk out along side them. The strike lasted a week before Lucas Electrics decided to yield, Jessie joined the Communist Party of Great Britain, and greater still, the victory sparked a huge surge in female midlanders joining the union.    

This threat to be individualised for systematic profiteering must have challenged Jessie Eden in such a way that everything she’d seen and experienced at the hands of the government and the capitalists thus far allowed her to take action.

In naming our building after Jessie, we hope that her acts of bravery and forthrightness will continue to be remembered and talked about for decades. A good name is hard to find, and although Eden sounds more appropriate to our organisation than Shrimpton might, a name can’t change a thing, only action can do that.

With Jessie Eden House, we’re not only able to celebrate the defining acts of a Birmingham woman, we’re hoping that the promise of her last name can be realised in our plans and actions.     

Co-ops are powered by people and as a larger co-op development we’re privileged to have members from all walks of life, who are doing fantastic work inside and outside of Stirchley Co-op Development (SCD). Each month we’ll be introducing you to one of them, so you can meet the faces behind SCD.

In our first ever edition of our Meet a Member Series, we had the privilege of speaking to Dylan. One of the founding members of SCD.

Dylan – what’s your role in SCD?

I’m a housing member who will be moving in next year.

How long have you been involved in SCD?

I’ve been involved since 2016… I think!

How did you first get involved with SCD?

Back in 2016 some of us were trying to set up a group that would bring all the worker co-ops in Stirchley together, so they could collaborate and support one another. There was also a few of us who were excited about setting up a housing co-op locally. I was also involved in Radical Routes at the time, a network of left-wing co-ops across the country.

What inspires you most about the development?

I can’t wait to see the dream of so many years of work realised! The day we are able to move in it will be so incredible. I remember a time when we were just looking at land in Stirchley with no idea we would ever be able to make this happen. I know the work doesn’t stop when the building is complete, but seeing the building finished is a huge milestone and I’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment when everyone moves in. I also can’t wait to get to know everyone and find ways to live together as community, which is part of what it’s all about.

What are you working on in the co-op right now?

Currently I’m part of the Membership Working Group. Originally we wrote a lot of the membership policies, before drawing up membership packs and then designing our membership process. We then designed and organised the whole interview process which proved very challenging – maybe more so than we expected! Deciding on who to recommend was also SO hard. Now the Membership Group has a bit less to do, so we’re focusing on welcoming new members and helping them settle in to the co-op.

I’m also a member of the Secretarial Group where we’re consulting with members and trying to make the co-op as accessible for people as possible.

Tell us a little bit about your life outside the co-op.

I’m actually a children’s swimming teacher, which is fun! I also have my own Personal Training business called Pick Up Fitness (shameless plug!). I run free classes for the trans community as part of a wellness co-op I’m involved in called We Get to Move. Related, I love powerlifting and of course swimming.

I’m AuDHD (autistic and ADHD) so I know a lot about very random topics such as tarot, herbalism, foraging, certain films and trashy TV shows, that I have no business knowing so much about.

Written by SCD members Joseph and Matthew. The views expressed are those of the authors.

It’s time to vote. But who, or perhaps what, are we voting for?

Boris Johnson’s divisive 2019 election campaign convinced vast swathes of the country to vote Tory. He scored the Conservative’s their largest gains in over twenty years, and in doing so managed to crush a Labour campaign that seemed a great voice of compassion and equality very much needed in this country.  

Since then Brexit got done, a pandemic changed everything, the world was uprooted on shores near and far. Five years down the line Rishi looks spent and his government looks totally lost. Yet it is also difficult to overlook the same look in the eyes of some of his rivals, including Keir Starmer, the man that will most likely replace him. With Starmer putting the final massive nails in the Labour left, one can’t help but repeat the phrase “out with the old, in with the old” as we assess our options.

As July 4^th looms, The UK’s two biggest parties have switched places in the polls. The public sector has been on its knees for so long that the lower part of its legs have gone dead, real wars as well as the toxic culture wars persist and the economy stands ever so stock-still. Very soon the people will have their chance to be heard once more. Or will they? When the new leader gets handed the well greased keys to number ten, although their t-shirt will read ‘change’ they are unlikely to represent the real change most people in the United Kingdom are desperate for. Instead, like a set of those shiny balls that sit atop someone’s office desk in the 90s they will beat out the same unchanging rhythm of the grey ball that swung before them. 

So the people at the top won’t really change, but we can make progress locally, through community building. In our constituency of Selly Oak we have an opportunity to achieve this on the back of MP Steve McCabe’s departure and the precedent for community-led work in Stirchley, Bournbrook and Druids Heath to name a few. In contrast to the empty talk, our communities are taking action. The community-led homes are being built, the bikes are being fixed, the bread is being baked, and the songs are being sung. Our collective ideas and actions towards a place we think is brighter for us are powerful and cannot be overlooked by any incoming MP. They must champion our needs and wants in parliament and we must call them out when they fail to represent our values. Our incumbent MP Steve McCabe felt the strength of community action in Selly Oak and it cost him his post. Selly Oak will never condone genocide, we are not a war constituency and we will not support an MP who does not speak up for the rights of the oppressed.

Instead, the new elected MP for Selly Oak should listen carefully to their constituents and their needs and pay attention to where things are working well, in spite of 14 years of austerity and creeping nationalism. 

Part of the foundation of Stirchley Co-operative Development are the three co-operative businesses that will operate out of the new building’s ground floor. Loaf, Artefact, and Birmingham Bike  Foundry have long established their positive impact upon Stirchley and the wider area, which is one of the reasons more support for democratic workspaces will always sit prominently on our list of  wants. The numbers don’t lie: 72% of worker co-ops get through their initial five years of trading. Compare this with the 43% of top-down companies that make it as far. More recognition and funding for worker co-ops puts more power in the hands of the people. And this means all the people.

Alongside the worker co-ops, thirty-nine affordable homes owned and managed by the residents are currently being built. This hasn’t been an easy process as we are operating within a system made for big profit driven developers. We need support from elected officials for more community-led housing, investment in more high quality social housing and greater funding for housing co-ops. Co-operative housing (where the people who live there make collective decisions about their building) strengthens communities, making them safer, more democratic and supportive places to live and work.

Unbridled rental prices and unchecked landlords are ruining lives, driving more and more people, including children, into poverty. People are being priced out of areas and into inadequate properties that benefit only the private individual who owns them. Any argument against cracking down on these societal sinkholes is moot. We value any effort to counteract this ever-escalating problem and strongly urge our incoming MP to take strong action against the private rental sector. We need to stop glorifying rising house prices. We don’t want to ever see Mr estate agent on the TV grinning about how much money he’s made at the expense of others. We want to see our MP on the TV fighting for secure housing for our children.

You may have read that a prerequisite to living in our new development is not owning a car. Believe it or not, Birmingham City Council supported this as it was inline with their aims to reduce traffic emissions in the city to help respond to the climate crisis. Cars are polluting our streets and school playgrounds and now take up valuable public pavement space everywhere. We want to support more sustainable forms of transport in Selly Oak and we support any MP who agrees with this. We need much greater investment in reliable public transport systems in Selly Oak, we need more and improved cycle ways and we need more funding for people to access electric cargo bikes. Our roads need to clearly prioritise the most vulnerable users.

Sustainable transport is one part of the holistic response needed to lessen the negative impacts of climate change. Another significant part is how we build new developments and, perhaps more pressingly, maintain existing ones. Our homes need better systems of energy management, better insulation and to be constructed of sustainable materials. The new developments that work in this way need greater support from our city planners and priority and funding must be given to such projects. The status quo of building poor quality brick semis with minimal insulation, gas boilers, zero rainwater capture infrastructure and a measly 12% quota for affordable homes (which is often not met) does more ecological harm than good and must be addressed.

Stirchley Co-operative Development supports an inclusive and diverse society that gives a strong voice to marginalised groups. Refugees are more than welcome here and we will always fight against facism, racism, sexism, transphobia and homophobia in Selly Oak. Our new MP must actively do the same. Co-operatives achieve a fairer society through their flat management and organisational structures. Where some might cry for a ‘change in the boardroom’, we remove the boardroom completely, where some might dream of profiting from property at the expense of others, co-operatives remove the notion of ‘property’ to profit everyone at the expense of no-one. 

In order for any problem to be solved one must first understand the problem and its context. Any incoming MP for Selly Oak will only succeed if they’re equipped with this understanding. Someone who’s never lived in Selly Oak for example can only view the local issues from a god’s eye view that neglects nuance and ultimately fails. We implore the new MP for Selly Oak to support our communities to lead on achieving the safe, welcoming and thriving community we are working toward through Stirchley Co-operative Development.

Co-operative housing isn’t new. You’d need to  go all the way back to the mid 19th century and  the Rochdale Pioneers if you wanted to uncover the movement’s earliest roots. But regardless of how novel the idea might be to some, in the turning chaos of 21st century living, affordable, environmentally sustainable, and democratic alternatives are very much needed. 

So when, after the better part of a decade of planning, work started in June 2023 on the Stirchley Co-operative Development with Tricas as lead contractor, an almost audible sigh of relief could be heard whistling its way down the high street. “We’re living through difficult times which is a direct result of failing systems that glorify individualism” says SCD chair and  member of Birmingham Bike Foundry Matthew Cox.

There have been doubters; people for whom the concept appears too radical to succeed. But for the most part people in the community have either fully welcomed the construction, or have at the very least been open to listen to why such a project is vital for community regeneration and growth within the area.  

You may have noticed that since January (2024) work on the site has come to a standstill. Only the big yellow crane seeming to shift and swing its arm with the direction of the wind these past months. Up until this point everything was on track for the proposed autumn  2024 finish. The groundworks had been completed, ground floor steel frame erected, and finally the first timber apartment modules were  appearing in a flurry of activity. 

Then in February, Tricas filed for insolvency and appointed an administrator to liquidate their assets. It cannot be denied that this was a massive blow to the progression of the project. Our co-operative values and skills were tested, our resilience had to thicken in the face of such a huge set-back. But we’re extremely happy to announce that everything is now back on course (albeit with a slightly adjusted completion date). 

Since the hold up, we’ve been working closely behind the scenes with GreenSquareAccord and their in-house contractor has agreed to complete the remainder of the work. We wanted them to be involved in the construction from the very beginning, but since our ground floor contains large amounts of steel and glass work for the commercial units, and they specialise in timber frame construction, they were not a viable option at first. Ironically, now that all the steel work is in place, they’re not only able to pick up where Tricas left off, but are also able to keep to our original budget and plan.  

Allama, member of Birmingham Bike Foundry and a housing member, stressed the importance of the development in regards to the three established co-ops waiting to move into their new ground floor units. “Our business is growing rapidly, especially now we’re stocking  electric cargo bikes. We can’t wait to be in the new fit-for-purpose shop space.” 

Thankfully we’ve lost no money, just time. An inspection of the site and the condition of the existing materials took place recently and revealed only minor damages to some of the panels which were left exposed to the elements whilst talks were ongoing. The crane is no longer a flamboyant weather vane, on Wednesday 1^st May it started booming panels into place once again. The contractor is looking to have the roof on before July if the weather  plays ball, and with that milestone met we should be on course for an April 2025 move in date.  

This set back was out of our hands. Rising costs and overheads are affecting all sectors but particularly when it comes to construction. With the support of GreenSquareAccord the Co-operative members and the wider community, we’ve met this new challenge head on and secured the future of the project. 

Let us all enjoy watching the new building take shape once more. 

We wanted to give a little bit of an explanation about the communal spaces and ecological design ethos of our construction, which has already started being built and will be completed over the 12 months. This short blog is intended to complement the plans drawings on our website.

Birmingham is in a worsening housing crisis with hundreds of families in temporary accommodation and provision of affordable housing not growing to meet increased demand. Home ownership is not a possibility for most younger people and provision of social housing, inadequate. Private sector housing is often poor quality, has limited security and is expensive. We wanted to build housing that afford security in a place we could afford to rent and heat.

As the city council has recognised, we are also in a climate emergency. We chose a building method that would generate the lowest carbon emissions we could afford. Not only will this building use less energy to run, it will cost less carbon to make. In spite of this we faced resistance from city planners when we insisted on using this building technology. We hope that our struggle through that process will clear the path for others.

Beyond immediate housing need and the climate another crisis facing our society is isolation. Too many people have little to no control over their lives, through their housing and in their workplace. Modern life has tended to atomise us. We decided to work together to solve our problems not only because we are much more powerful together, but because working together is good in and of itself.
 
We tried to include communal elements to stop the isolation that can be common in flats and is found in identikit housing developments. Our overarching design ethos is one which is ecological, and low impact. One strategy we have used is to think about how some elements of the typical English home can be communalised.
 

Creative hall: This will be a large (100 square metres) multi-use events space adjoining Artefact which can be used by residents for celebrations and gatherings and by the worker co-ops for events such as conferences or performances.

Laundry and guest room: In two spaces next to the stairwell on the 1^st and 2^nd floors there will be a guest room and a laundry which will aim to communalise bulky and expensive things which households normally have individually, reducing the ‘dead time’ when they aren’t in use and therefore useless. This will also allow for more kitchen and living space in people’s flats and remove the noise and waste of 39 different versions of the same appliance. The bookable guest room will effectively add an extra bedroom to all homes allowing residents to have their families and friends visit with less hassle.

Communal Lounge: We made the decision to turn one of the flats upstairs into a communal lounge for use by all of the residents – this will be a space for smaller events and meals and will have facilities for large scale cooking. It affects the project financially, and thus would not exist in a profit-driven build. We’re pleased we could make it work with our budget.

Roof garden: This will be a private space for residents and workers in the co-ops to relax, dry laundry or enjoy a lunch break. We’ll also be putting loads of solar PV up there. We will have a lift for all floors, including the roof, making the building as disabled friendly as possible and a number of flats on the ground floor will be specifically designed to improve accessibility.
 
Bike shed: We all love bikes here so we are including a 100 space bike shelter for the residents and workers. There will be communal tools for people to use and a clause in our housing tenancy banning car ownership. We are lucky our site is well located close to the railway, river Rea cycle path and canal – and there’s a bus stop literally five metres from the building. For at least 100 people in Stirchley the era of the car is over!

Garden and outdoor spaces: The space will have a communal courtyard, bike shed and bin store. The bike shed will go far beyond what is normally available in commercial developments as part a central part of our transport strategy). We intend to have a small kitchen garden, maintained by Loaf with a pizza oven and a barbecue. We’ll also have some fruit trees and a shared composting scheme. The passageway provides access to the public to the space during the day, we hope to design the space in such a way that it can also be a tranquil space for residents and bringing some life to what is a very grey high street. We are also hoping to install a public water fountain and defibrillator as communal assets for Stirchley.

We are using a building method of closed-panel timber frame for the upper two floors of the developments. This is a pre-fabricated building method where the walls are structural and are made out of wood, and can be lifted into place efficiently, and at a lower cost, prepared in the factory to a precise and replicable standard. This product will be manufactured by LoCal Homes in Walsall and it fits our ambition to build a large scale building which was affordable and ecological. Although our plans have changed over the years we have strived for the project to be as environmentally sustainable as possible – not always easy when building social housing. The environmental aspect also includes decisions involving the engineering of the build: our flat roof allows for maximum solar PV; our air-source heat pumps provide efficient heating and cooling; and our decision not to build with brick due to the higher levels of embodied carbon.

Stirchley Co-operative Development will be owned and managed by the people that live here and the businesses that operate from the ground floor. Each housed person and each business is one member and is entitled to one vote on important issues. The majority of activity and decisions will be formed and carried out in our working groups and these activities then feedback to our monthly meetings.

There are lots of different tasks that are required for the successful running of a development of this size and so the work has been broken down into defined categories which are given the name “working groups”. There’s no limit to the number of working groups that can exist, but it’s simpler to mange if there are fewer, broader groups. Some groups may only need to exist for a short period of time if there’s a time specific project. Whereas others are integral to the day-to-day running of the building both today and into the future.

Co-operative members (as listed above) are expected to volunteer some time to support one or more working group and it’s useful to choose a working group that aligns with your skills or interests.

Below are a list of all the current working groups and the types of activities they cover.

Upstairs Working Group (WG): The upstairs working group deals mainly with issues and systems for the residents’ flats and communal spaces upstairs in the development. Initially these will include the design choices for residents’ flats (such as interiors, paint and kitchens)

Tech WG: This group maintains and develops the emails, website and could also do things in future around networks in the physical building and the internet provision. It might also look at the database used by the membership working group and has worked on the file system we use.

Outdoor spaces WG: The outdoor spaces working group is responsible for making decisions that affect the ground floor garden space, the bike shed structure, the roof garden and, to a lesser extent, the building façade. The group has been involved the design of these spaces including planting plans, positions of power and water points and the types of furniture and other amenities in the space. Once the building is complete the Outdoor spaces working group will collectively maintain these spaces.

Publicity WG: The publicity working group looks after all of the outgoing marketing of the co-operative as well as updating and responding to questions on the social media channels. The publicity group may produce flyers and posters for events or activities as well as working on a long-term documentary video project. Any new members could expect to edit copy or produce images for digital or print and attend events where speakers from the co-operative are invited. The publicity working group has crossover with many other working groups including: tech, membership and governance.

Membership WG: This group deals with the application process, for integrating new members into our co-op, and for ongoing member support.

Energy WG:We will have a large solar array installed on the roof and individual air source heat pumps for each unit. This working group will be focussed around these pieces of infrastructure and how we use them collectively as a group. So far meetings have been around planning though this may develop as the property moves towards completion.

Worker Co-ops (Downstairs) WG: The worker co-ops or downstairs working group is made up of the three worker co-op members: Artefact, Loaf and Birmingham Bike Foundry and members meet to discuss issues that affect the businesses and premises of the three. Members may use this working group to organise to support the establishment of other worker co-ops in the area.

Governance WG: The governance working group is responsible for creating and updating policy documents and for steering the co-operative toward its aims and objectives.

And more..

The working group system has room for expansion, and the current team who have been part of developing SCD envisage that the current listing of groups above will expand and grow as we welcome our new residential members over the course of the year before the build is completed. The eventual format of the working groups may be larger than what is outlined above, and may include sub groups – for instance composting might end up being its own mini operation and a sub-working group of the outdoor WG. Likewise there is potential in the building for things such as a food buying group to collectively order produce, and using the communal kitchen for regular communal meals.