Acocks Green today
Acocks Green is about four miles south-east of Birmingham city centre. It has a recognisable centre itself, known as "The Green", which is at the junction of the Warwick Road and three local through-routes. The boundary of Acocks Green can be seen as the canal along the northern edge, the city boundary along the east side, then Lakey Lane as far as Broomhall Crescent. From there a line can be drawn to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre and continued along York Road to the North Warwickshire railway line. To complete the boundary the railway forms a barrier, as far as the canal.
From the Local Government elections in June 2004, the new ward of Acocks Green mostly reflects this geographical area. However, the area north of the Warwick Road is at present technically in Yardley District and the area south of it is in Sparkbrook District. To overcome this, the City has provisionally assigned the whole of the Ward to Sparkbrook District pending Boundary Commission decisions on constituencies for Birmingham.
Transport
Transport access to Acocks Green is good, if congested much of the time. There is a station on the Birmingham to Leamington line, and another on the border with Tyseley, on the North Warwickshire line. A number of bus routes to and from the city reach here, and the Outer Circle route and a number of cross-city routes also serve the area.
Many years of controversy about a bypass have not led to any far-reaching solutions, as businesses have concerns about loss of passing trade and residents do not want increases in traffic past their houses.
Housing
There is some terraced housing in the area, but also a significant number of fine earlier Victorian houses. Very large municipal estates needing a degree of refurbishment are to be found in the south and to the west, and two early municipal estates have been rebuilt recently.
Modern developments have been in the nature of replacement of large houses with small flat blocks or groups of smaller houses, and building over former sports clubs and nurseries with new estates. Three 1960s towers at Fox Hollies have been converted to warden-controlled blocks for the elderly. Acocks Green Ward is two thirds owner-occupied. There has been an increase in the number of private residential homes over the last decade: the Christadelphian home is still the largest in the area. There is a children's home.
Business
Industry exists on the western edges, by the railway and at Tyseley. The city is putting resources into regenerating Tyseley. Commercially, Acocks Green is an important shopping centre. The Warwick Road through to Olton is bordered by businesses of all kinds, although the number of charity shops has increased in recent years at the expense of other High Street enterprises. The Warwick Road has two supermarkets, and there is another at Fox Hollies.
