I once visited a ‘notorious’ estate where the tower blocks cast long shadows years after demolition

It was the iconic tower block that formed a key part of the Birmingham skyline. You could spot the blocks of Bromford Estate from the M6 ​​and they offer magnificent views of the city.

But after decades of vigilance over the surrounding properties, the blocks have been flattened to make way for new homes. At that point they fell into disrepair, succumbing to problems such as anti-social behavior and drug dens.

I visited the estate, once labeled ‘notorious’, more than 13 years after Bayley and Stoneycroft Towers were bulldozed and found a community keen to enjoy their ‘nice neighbours’ and much-improved area.

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The Bromford estate is in the Hodge Hill area of ​​the town, which joins Washwood Heath, Castle Vale and Castle Bromwich as a sprawling conurbation off the M6.

“It’s been fine, I don’t really notice any (problems),” mum-of-two Kay Duckworth tells us on her doorstep. Her home, which she shares with her mother and children, faces a brand new social housing complex being built on the footprint of a former tower block.

21-year resident Kay said of the new development: “It looks nice. When the tower block went, it was better for the residents. It wasn’t really clean.

“It was horrible outside, it just didn’t look good on the outside.” She added: “The main change is that they have cleaned up the area. We have nice neighbors. I’m going to move, there’s no room here for me really.”

The property is close to Solihull and within easy reach of nearby Birmingham Airport. As we walk, birds soar over the vast green fringes and bus stops are packed with people.

Then I met 92-year-old John Yates, who has lived in his house since it was built 54 years ago. Asked what changes he would like to see in the area, he replied: “I think I’m a bit old for that!”

He added: “I would sooner have houses than flats. We had problems with the tower block where they threw beer bottles”.

A newly retired resident further told us: “A few years ago we were constantly calling the police about anti-social behaviour. The kids were fighting at the bus stop, some of the kids had guns, two of them were taken (by the police) and it calmed down.”

The resident, who wished to remain anonymous, explained: “I grew up around the corner, I think it can be a nice area, it’s just that people don’t appreciate where I live. These new houses aren’t all filled, so I don’t know what it’s going to bring.”

A few doors down, former Bayley Tower resident Carol Ashwin said she would “trade her house” to return to the block. “I wasn’t happy that the block was gone. I lived in the block, it was the best days of my life,” said Carol.

Speaking to us on the front steps of her daughter’s house, the grandmother left Bayley Tower “long before” it was demolished. “It used to be great around here, now you’ve got all the kids on their bikes, the shop over the road keeps getting robbed. I’d trade my house to go back to the tower block.”

Shopkeeper across the road, Jasbir Sandhu, tells us that things have calmed down a lot on the crime front. Chatting among customers, Jasbir, who has been running Mal’s News Mini Market for 25 years, said new residents should be checked.

“It depends if they check them before they put the new residents in it. It’s much better that the tower block went. We had problems years ago. I saw good changes as soon as the block went, calm down.”

It’s impossible to overcome the deeper-rooted problems facing families in just one afternoon, but the overwhelming opinion of those we met was that things have improved here for the better.