We want to provide some updates about progress on our construction site. Things have been progressing swiftly this year, though we have had a some setbacks with utilities suppliers which have slowed down our construction team a little bit. We hope to get the keys in late January early February. Thanks to the hard work of the people and workers who have been helping us throughout this year!
There are two fundraisers currently running to help support Artefact and Loafs move into their new premises.
In terms of the site so much has happened. We have been overjoyed to see windows and walls going into the commercial units, being able to go on site tours and see the amazing views from the rooftop gardens and the solar panels being installed. Flat interiors are pretty much complete apart from the finishing touches and electrics. Ceilings in the communal corridors and commercial spaces are next, and the final render is going on the outside of the building.
More generally we are pressing ahead with the process of becoming a registered provider â this will enable us to own our building and receive grant from Homes England so that we can provide the residential accommodation at an affordable rate.
We have also held a series of community planning sessions for the creation of a second co-operative building on the site proposed for a Mcdonalds, by the Aldi. We worked with community architects Unit 38 who specialise in working with groups to co-develop their ideas for community resources such as brownfield sites like this. Over 150 people attended the three sessions and we held a street stall with foam blocks for modelling site ideas. With Unit38 we will develop these plans into a positive community focused vision for the new site. To get involved in that process you can join our the related whatsapp channel and forum.
We have been disheartened by the repeated flagging of our neighbourhood by an organised far right group based in Bromsgrove and direct people to this website created by many local residents and workers : https://stirchley.is/for-everyone/ about that situation. We hope that the next year, with our new building opening, and creating new community space for the neighbourhood will bring people together in the area rather than divide us.
If you want to keep up with what we are doing and be ready for plans of the launch keep an eye on our socials and sign up to our irregular newsletter which also publishes things going on in Stirchley.
We want to create a community-led plan for more affordable, ecological co-operative housing, and retail or leisure on the proposed McDonalds site in Stirchley, Birmingham.
Join us for a second meeting where we will discuss massing and building types for the site. This will be a hands on session where participants will be able to develop and discuss ideas using blocks and cardboard.
This will be the second in a number of sessions guided by Unit 38 who will work with Stirchley co-operative Development and members of the public to generate a community plan for the site McDonalds proposed a drive through on. After 250+ applications for 20 flats in our new building we know that there is a huge need for affordable housing in the area, which wonât be solved by just one building. We also know that co-operatively owned retail units and leisure are something lacking from the area. We think that the future of the high street should be shaped, and owned by the people who live here â not international corporations like McDonalds.
Book your tickets here. This event is ticketed (with a very low entry cost) so we can arrange a suitable venue for peoples access requirements bearing in mind our limited funds. Some free tickets available along with solidarity contribution optional.
You can also join the forum here to get involved in the discussion.Â
CREATING A COMMUNITY PLAN FOR STIRCHLEY: LEARNING FROM CATALAN CO-OPERATIVES
We want to create a community-led plan for more affordable, ecological co-operative housing, and retail or leisure on the proposed McDonaldâs site in Stirchley, Birmingham.
In this session we will hear from Nina Turull Puig a project engineer from Sostre Civic Co-operative in Barcelona. Sostre Civic are at the forefront of developing a wave of beautiful and award winning social housing co-operatives in a city which has become a byword for gentrification â much like Stirchley. We will also meet architects from Unit 38 a practice in London, who specialise in empowering neighbourhoods to create community plans; previously working with the campaign to Save Latin Village in Tottenham and Manchester Tenants Union creating a plan for an estate with earmarked for luxury student housing.
This will be the first in a number of sessions guided by Unit 38 who will work with Stirchley co-operative Development and members of the public to generate a community plan for the site McDonalds proposed a drive through on. After 250+ applications for 20 flats in our new building we know that there is a huge need for affordable housing in the area, which wonât be solved by just one building. We also know that co-operatively owned retail units and leisure are something lacking from the area. We think that the future of the high street should be shaped, and owned by the people who live here â not international corporations like McDonalds.
This event is ticketed (with a very low entry cost) so we can arrange a suitable venue for peoples access requirements bearing in mind our limited funds.
A major milestone has been reached by our in-house construction team at the community-owned Stirchley Co-operative building.
This achievement was marked with a visit from Selly Oak MP, Al Carns and West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker who recently took part in a âtopping outâ ceremony which celebrated the completion of the highest point of the three-storey, 35ft co-operative building.
Al Carns MP who represents Selly Oak said:âIt was great to see the progress being made at the Stirchley Co-operative Development, and to catch up with the team who are doing fantastic work to create a pioneering co-operative housing and workspace on Stirchley High Street. This is a brilliant and innovative development, which is not only helping to meet the local housing need but is setting an example for others to follow in the provision of affordable and energy-efficient homes and workspaces. It’s a fantastic step forward for Stirchley.â
The ÂŁ10.4 million development, located in the heart of Stirchley, which will be owned and managed by Stirchley Co-operative Development (SCD) will provide:
39 affordable rental homes with laundries and common garden spaces.
Fit-for-purpose premises for three existing co-operative businesses that are currently renting privately in Stirchley.
A new community space including a pedestrian walkway, seating, a shared garden and cycle parking.
August Gawen, a SCD member who will be moving into an apartment in the building said: âI was homeless three years ago and have seen the worst Birmingham has to offer in run down supported accommodation. So, to see the SCD almost at completion and the comfort and security that it offers not only me, but other vulnerable Birmingham residents as well, brings me immense joy.â
The community- owned development is being built by our in-house construction team who took over the contract in April 2024. Since then, works have continued at pace with all the UPVC windows for the apartments installed, brick and block work completed on the ground floor, sewage pipes connected, and the roof has been made fully watertight.
Carl Taylor, our Assistant Director of New Business and Growth said: âIt was a real pleasure to show Al Carns MP around the site today as we celebrated all the progress made to date. Once complete this unique development will become a thriving community hub embracing skill-sharing, creativity and the circular economy.
âWe are delighted to be a key delivery partner on this exciting scheme and structural work has now commenced on the first floor.â
The SCD scheme on Pershore Road, is being built using timber frame panels, provided by Walsall-based LoCaL Homes, which will reduce the overall carbon dioxide emissions and heating bills versus traditional built properties due to its fabric first design principles and high-quality factory-fitted insulation.
Mike Doolan, Sales and Partnership Manager at LoCaL Homes said: “We are excited to be part of this innovative development which will help to meet local housing need.
âOur off-site manufactured timber frames are helping speed up construction times and reduce the environmental impact of this development.
âThe main structure of the timber frame is finished and infall panels are now on site and being installed.â
The next stages of construction will see windows for the shop fronts put in place, utilities installed on all floors alongside plastering works.
The project plans were unanimously approved by Birmingham City Council in 2021, and SCD purchased the site from Seven Capital in August 2022 after securing significant funding from Homes England and the European Interreg NWE.
Chris Tomlinson SCD member and co-owner of Birmingham Bike Foundry said: âWhen we had our first meeting in 2016 to plan how we could build secure, sustainable housing for ourselves and our democratic businesses I had no idea of the challenges ahead of us. Iâm so proud of what weâve achieved so far and excited to show others what weâve achieved as a community.â
Construction of the SCD development is expected to be complete this Summer.
Stirchley Co-operative Development (SCD) and ARTEFACT warmly invite you to a ceilidh and dance â featuring The Pied Piper Band, Edinburghâs all-trans, fashion-forward ceilidh band â for a night at The Old Print Works in Balsall Heath.
For those of you who donât know, this is the first of our Construction Parties â and we want to make it a big one. All the money raised will go toward communal spaces like laundries, gardens, and halls.
Weâve got some exciting things lined up:
Pied Piper Band will be leading us through the ceilidh dances Drinks will be available all night A selection of DJs will keep the party going long after the ceilidh wraps up (we’ll be dancing till late!) And of course, many opportunities to support of our beloved SCD â so come ready to celebrate and show some love!
As we welcome 2025, Stirchley Co-op Development (SCD) is excited to announce a series of free online workshops, open to anyone interested in co-ops. These monthly, beginner-friendly sessions cover key topics such as self-organising, co-op history, facilitation, and inclusion.
Whether you’re just starting or already part of a co-op, these workshops are designed to prepare you for your co-op journey with practical knowledge and support the community ahead of our buildingâs completion later this year. Spaces are limited, so donât wait to secure your spot!
Details and booking links are below.
Self organising 101
7pm-8.30pm Tuesday 28th January 2025
In this workshop we’ll be looking at the concept of self-organising. What does it mean âhave no one in chargeâ? How do we work together without having hierarchies? How does power and privilege show up in self-organising?
In this workshop we’ll be answering the question: what is a co-op? We’ll be looking at the history of the co-op movement, different types of co-ops and how we can embody values of the co-op movement today.
In this workshop we’ll be looking at what skills are needed to have inclusive and productive meetings. We’ll be sharing our experiences of good and challenging meetings, what makes for great facilitation and how we can deal with some of the challenges of leading meetings and how we can overcome them.
In this workshop we’ll be looking at different types of decision making, why SCD chose a democratic decision-making model and learn the basics of democratic meetings such as voting, elections and more.
In this workshop we’ll be looking at how we’ll be thinking about how you can make your co-op a welcoming and accessible place for all. We’ll be thinking about what inclusion is and sharing common practices for making our spaces accessible.
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 weâre 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. Itâs 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 Stirchleyâs roads may one day be paved with gold(en arches).
McDonaldâs 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 McDonaldâs have an extra special twist in their proposal which is that theyâll drop the bag of chips right through the driverâs 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 âfood of the freeâ 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 McDonaldâs 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 itâs all about Stirchley, but the local cannot be viewed in isolation from the global and the global is where McDonaldâs really pisses on the chips. In 2019 McDonaldâs emitted more than 53 metric tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere (3). Globally they sell nearly three million Big Macs a day and itâs 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).
McDonaldâs, 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 McDonaldâs CEO Harry Sonneborn, âWe 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.â Burgers are certainly not so cheap these days, but this is often still the big argument put forward by the small pro-McDonaldâs group. âMcDonaldâs cheapness is good for ‘working class’ people.â 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 weâre calling for the rejection of all aggressive landlordism in Stirchley in the form of franchises or buy-to-let developers. Weâre 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 weâve lost and are still losing. We must reject the false idea that endless capitalist growth is a good thing and that itâs 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 homeâclose to the Morrisons, oh and donât forget thereâs that new Lidl thatâs almost completed a bit further down the road, too.
These roads arenât 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 âwill help with traffic flow along the Pershore Road.â 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 McDonaldâs 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 McDonaldâs will react remains to be seen. But anyone au fait with the McLibel case will know theyâre not the type of firm that take criticism particularly well. One thing does seem clear, for the most part, locals arenât 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 McDonaldâs. We also want to make it clear that we feel the site could and should be used for affordable social housingâsomething, if the substantial demand for spaces in our current development are anything to go by, that is very much needed in the areaâthe space could also be better used for other community services or other centres of community leisure (replacing those weâve lost in the name of supermarkets and car parks). What is needed and what is logical, what would be in line with the councilâs transport vision for urban centres, is dense housing that aligns with the preexisting bus, rail, and cycle routes. Not another McDonaldâs.
Couple this with the fact that the most recent developments in the area have been encouraging increased car use and itâs 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.Â
Another element to why we wish to see this proposal go no further is McDonaldâs 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). McDonaldâs 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 Mcdonaldâs (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 wasnât 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 McDonaldâs consultation website reads as a list of promises to fix problems theyâll 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 McDonaldâs to drown us in their corporate veneer. âIf approved, the new restaurant will deliver significant investment into Stirchley, helping support the local economy.â â 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.
Co-ops are powered by people and as a larger co-op development weâre 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 weâll 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.
Whatâs your role in Stirchley Co-op Development SCD?
Iâm a resident and Iâm currently involved in the Publicity and Membership Working Group.
How long have you been involved with SCD?
I joined SCD in March 2024, so Iâm 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 youâre 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).
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.
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 Jessieâs wonderful outspokenness.
Jessie Eden in 1976
Growing up in the first quarter of the 20th century, we can only speculate how the young Jessie felt when she read about Emily Davidson hurling herself in front of the King George Vâs 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 Britainâs coal industryâs 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 Conservativeâs lied about a subsidy, then issued a Royal commission to look into the matter. It deemed workerâs 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 âfollowersâ 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 unionsâ 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 âluckyâ ones, keeping her job at Lucas Industries where sheâd became known for her speed and efficiency.
Sheâd seen how greed and power and selfishness could reduced people to drones in the mud. Sheâd 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 wasnât 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 sheâd 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 canât change a thing, only action can do that.
With Jessie Eden House, weâre not only able to celebrate the defining acts of a Birmingham woman, weâre hoping that the promise of her last name can be realised in our plans and actions.
