SPARKBROOK

'Sparkbrook' is an area in south-east Birmingham, England. It is one of the four wards forming the Hall Green formal district within Birmingham City Council.

Contents

Etymology

Population

Politics

Churches and other buildings

See also

References

External links

Etymology

The area receives its name from Spark Brook, a small stream which flowed south of the city centre. It was later channelled and partially used for a canal.

Population

The 2001 Population Census recorded that 31,948 people were living in the ward.
Sparkbrook has the second highest non white population in Birmingham, with a total of 79.3% ^[1] minority ethnic residents living in the mainly terraced area. Sparkbrook is home to Birmingham's "Balti Triangle", and many of the residents have their own balti businesses.

Politics

Sparkbrook ward is presently represented by one Liberal Democrat, one Independent and one Respect councillor on Birmingham City Council. Its Independent councillor, Talib Hussain, was elected as a Liberal Democrat but resigned from the party after being sacked from the council's cabinet^[2]. The other councillors in the ward are Dilawar Khan (Liberal Democrats) and Salma Yaqoob (Respect)^[3]
Sparkbrook Ward has adopted a Ward Support Officer with the current holder of the title being Becky Jones.

Churches and other buildings

Many of the churches within Sparkbrook were constructed in the late 19th century and early 20th century. One of the most prominent churches in the area is St Agatha's Church on the Stratford Road, consecrated in 1901. It is a Grade I listed building^{[4] [5]}.
Christ Church, on the corner of Grantham Road and Dolobran Road, was one of the oldest churches in the area, being consecrated in 1867. The spire belonging to the tower was removed in 1918, and following a bomb blast in World War II, the entire tower was demolished. In 1927, The Diocesan Home for Girls received a license permitting public worship within the building^[6]. Following damage caused by the Birmingham Tornado 28 July 2005 the whole church was demolished.^[7][8]
Consecrated in the same year as St Agatha's Church, Emmanuel, was a chapel of ease to Christ Church until it received its own parish in 1928. Located within the church is an ancient blank bell from Ullenhall ^[9].
Ladypool Road mission hall was opened in 1894 by the Sparkbrook Gospel Mission (founded 1886) ^[10].
In 1849, a group called the Methodist New Connexion, opened a chapel in the area, their first for 11 years along with a similar chapel on Bridge Street in the city centre ^[11].
Lloyd House is a Georgian building situated on Sampson Road. It was built between 1742 and 1752 by Sampson Lloyd, the founder of Lloyds Bank. The building is currently used as offices by the Bromford Corinthia Housing Association.
In 1780 Sparkbrook was the home of Joseph Priestley, one of the founding fathers of modern chemistry. In 1791 his magnificent mansion was partially destroyed in what became known as the Priestley Riots. It stood on what is now Priestly Road.

See also

★ Roy Hattersley, Baron Hattersley of Sparkbrook in the County of West Midlands.

★ UB40

★ Moazzam Begg, a former detainee in Guantanamo Bay who came from the area.

★ Ladypool Junior & Infant School

References

1. 2001 Population Census
2. ''Cabinet 'racism' claim'' - Birmingham Mail (Sep 27 2005)
3. Councillors' Advice Bureaux - Sparkbrook Ward
4. Saint Agatha's Church website
5. British History Online: St Agatha Church entry
6. British History Online: Christ Church entry
7. Indymedia UK - After the tornado: "market forces" force demolition of Sparkbrook Church
8. Ecclesiastical Law Society
9. British History Online: Emmanuel entry
10. British History Online: A History of the County of Warwick: Volume 7: The City of Birmingham - Religious History
11. British History Online: Protestant Nonconformity

External links

★ Birmingham City Council: Sparkbrook Ward

★ Sparkbrook Community Network

★ Sparkbrook Tornado July 2005

★ Sparkbrook Online: Sparkbrook's Councillors