Birmingham, North Yardley and Stetchford Town Planning Scheme

The North Yardley and Stechford Town Planning Scheme was authorised by the Council in October 1914, and a local enquiry was held in February 1915. The scheme encompassed an area of 1,111 acres in the Rural District of Meriden, the greater part of which was added to the city in April 1931. The area adjoined that of the East Birmingham Scheme, and was bounded on the north by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway main line to Derby and on the south by the main Coventry Road.

Authority was given for the construction of ten miles of new roads and the widening of nineteen miles of existing roads, 178 acres of land was scheduled to be added for open spaces, and the number of new streets to be constructed and existing roads widened over 100. A new system was instituted for property owners concerning their contributions to road making, with the cost of works beyond by-law width (50 feet) now borne by the Corporation. No more than 20 houses could be built on any one acre; with all land of any one landowner taken as one unit, the Corporation would allow no more than twelve houses to the acre over the whole unit, except on certain lands where the limit was fifteen. No buildings other than dwelling houses could be built without the Corporation's permission, and factory building was completely restricted in some areas of the scheme.

The scheme was amended in 1929, and this version is the one that survives in Birmingham Archives and Heritage (see BCC TPS/6/1/1 below). The amending scheme was prepared in June 1928, approved by the Council in February 1929 and sanctioned in May 1930. It effected amendments in the lines and widths of Wash Lane and a portion of Yardley Road (now Yardley Green Road), and made provision for a recreation ground on the Marlborough Housing Estate, the adjustment of density areas, the modification of the boundary of a small part of the river walk planned south of the Coventry Road, and an alteration of the boundary of land set apart as an open space north of the River Cole.