Quinton, Harborne and Edgbaston Town Planning Scheme

The Quinton, Harborne and Edgbaston Town Planning Scheme was initiated by the Council on 7 June 1910, approved by the Council on 21 May 1912 and finally sealed by the Local Government Board on 31 May 1913. The three year period spent on developing the scheme was necessary, as the it became the model for the schemes set up for other Birmingham regions.

The area under scrutiny was very favourable as the parish of Quinton contained only a few houses, bar the village of Quinton in the north-west corner. Only two roads joined Quinton to the city, Beech Lane and Harborne Lane, which would become a major thoroughfare. Local landowners were cooperative, and a scheme was quickly drawn up. It was hoped that the number of houses per acre would be raised from 12 (already raised from 10) to 15, to create more affordable housing, but the Town Planning Committee rejected this, as it was felt that there would be no difference in rent.

The scheme also provided for new street works and road building, green spaces, and the planting of trees and shrubbery. No new factories were to be built within the extent of the scheme, no line of railway appeared in the scheme, and the district was set up to lie windwards of the city, so that factory smoke would not be carried over Edgbaston and other existing residential districts. The Corporation also had powers to inspect the lands that fell under the scheme. The execution of the works was undertaken by the Public Works Committee (see BCC 1/AO), whilst enforcement of the scheme fell to the Town Planning Committee (see also BCC 1/AO). The provision of parks fell under the jurisdiction of the Parks Committee (see BCC 1/BO).