Tag: Ravens Court

April 14th – Didn’t get far today for one reason or another. Slipping out for a quick scoot around town at teatime, I found myself at opposite ends of the modern development history of Brownhills. I noted that in High Street, at the corner of the Ogley Road junction, the second phase of the social housing project started a year ago has begun. Replacing the hated maisonettes that formerly occupied the site, it’s nice to see some housing development happening. We have so much land left vacant by the clearance of bad social housing, yet the pace of replacement is painfully slow. The 75-odd homes this project will create are next to nothing compared to the hundreds lost.
Meanwhile, littered with the detritus of drug use, forlorn and abandoned, the loading bay for what was Brownhills’ first Tesco at the rear of Ravens Court. Tesco have got cold feet on replacing this derelict structure with a new store, leaving the town in limbo. When will we ever learn? 

December 21st – At the heart of Brownhills, and its malaise, sits Ravens Court. This privately owned shopping precinct, built in the late 60’s, was never beautiful. Exhibiting all the worst architectural features of the period, combined with shoddy, cheap construction, it focusses the depression and desolation of Brownhills into itself like a black hole. As the number of occupied units tends to zero, the residents of the town await the development that is slated to sweep the majority (but not all, naturally) of it away – a new Tesco superstore, which the retail behemoth may start building in late 2012, if they can be bothered. Meanwhile, the soul of the town I love grows darker by the day. Lets hope Tesco’s architecture and vision are more enduring. Frankly, I’m not optimistic.

August 12th – Ravens Court – named after Ravenseft, the developers – is the derelict, decaying shopping precinct that forms the focal point of Brownhills High Street. Now almost empty, we’re stuck with it until at least late 2012, when Tesco might, if they get round to it, demolish it and build a new superstore behind. Rather than integrate with the town centre, they plan to build a couple of shop units in the gap, effectively closing the High Street off to the new store. 

Meanwhile, the old precinct – once a hive of business and activity – gently decays, a memorial to lost commercial horizons.

July 8th – Working from home, I popped out at lunchtime to clear my head and get some supplies in. After a largely dry morning, the heavens opened on me for the second time in two days. I spent 20 minutes watching the storm from the deserted, derelict Ravens Court. Due to the apathy of Tesco, we’re likely to be stuck with this decaying edifice for another 18 months.