‘Lucky escape’ as wall collapses near Powergen site - The Solihull Observer

‘Lucky escape’ as wall collapses near Powergen site

Solihull Editorial 7th Sep, 2017 Updated: 7th Sep, 2017   0

A FAMILY with young children says it had a lucky escape when a brick wall collapsed in the garden during the school holidays.

The wall separates the family’s garden from the former Powergen site on Stratford Road, Shirley, which is being demolished by contractors to make way for new homes, including retirement homes.

The wall fell down unexpectedly in the afternoon of Tuesday, August 22.

Bricks landed on garden furniture which the family has been using throughout the summer.




Faiza and Shanawaz Jamil, who have two sons aged eight and nine, believe the building work on the site could be to blame.

Mum Faiza, who owns Studio Cakes on Stratford Road, initially spoke to the site manager who looked at the wall and offered to clear up the bricks – but not fix the wall.


Hoping to resolve the situation, Fazia contacted head office to make a complaint, but has heard nothing since.

She said: “We have been really patient but they do not seem bothered.

“All summer holidays the boys have been worried about playing outside, and are scared by the sound of heavy machinery right outside our home.”

The contractors on the site believe the wall falling down is unrelated to work they are doing just metres from the property.

Managing director of CPUK Jack Rowley described the accusation as ‘surreal’, and said contractors were not on-site at the time of the incident.

He also suggested that the wall was already in a poor condition.

Work on the ten-acre site this year by developers Shirley Advance has included demolishing the old Powergen tower and the redundant multi-storey car park.

The site masterplan includes an ExtraCare ‘village’ for the over-55s with 261 apartments, more than 100 new homes, a petrol station and car parking.

Shirley Advance declined to comment on the incident, saying: “This situation is being handled by CPUK and sits within their area of responsibility.”

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