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History of the Michael Blanning Trust Housing Association MBTHA

Mr and Mrs Reginald Blanning

Michael Blanning was born in 1934 and died in 1953 at Silverstone whilst testing his car for racing.

He was the only son of Reginald Blanning and his first wife, Reginald later married again to Florence.

Florence and Reginald Blanning at the end of their days with no other immediate family decided they would create something in the memory of their son.

They founded the Michael Blanning Trust in 1973 on the 20th anniversary of their son’s death.

The purpose of the Trust is to provide suitable accommodation for the elderly.

Founding Members

Reginald and Florence turned to two close family friends and business associates to set up the trust, Keith James and Robert Oulsnam both of whom had considerable experience in this field having founded the Bromford Housing Association which has since grown to be one of the largest Housing Associations in the country.

Taking advantage of Government legislation, they then set up the Michael Blanning Trust Housing Association to work alongside the Trust. The picture shows Keith James and Robert Oulsnam with Geoffrey Brown an early board member, sadly none of the three are with us today.

The first development was in Moseley as part of Wake Green Park and called Michael Blanning House with 31 flats as an adjunct to Bromford Park House which was a retirement development. These flats were later sold off separately.

In 1995 a new development of 31 flats and 14 bungalows set in landscaped grounds was completed called Michael Blanning Gardens and situated in Dorridge, Solihull and was carried out in conjunction with Solihull Council

Included in this development were a communal lounge kitchen and laundry facilities and an office so that part-time scheme manager was available during the day to look after residents. A call system is available out of office hours.

The board of the Michael Blanning Trust Housing Association has brought together over a long period of time a blend of professional skill, experience, enterprise and prudence to the task of building retirement homes. The Association is concerned with the housing of the elderly in a caring and secure environment whilst providing homes of quality that are to be proud of and with high standards of management. Previously the Association has provided retirement accommodation under the Government Scheme for Warden Housing but looking to the future the Association intend to provide extra care accommodation with the far higher standards that will impose.

The Associations next development was at Balsall Common and was again in conjunction with Solihull Council and completed in 2001.

This development comprised a block of 22 flats with which were rented out together with 3 penthouse apartments and 14 bungalows which were sold leasehold.

Again there was a communal lounge, kitchen and specialist bathroom and scheme manager’s office for the benefit of all and Solihull Council created a day-care centre for the benefit of local residents in the adjoining block.

In 2019 a new development was started Wake Green Road Moseley to comprise a retirement village with a superbly designed block of luxury retirement apartments on the Tolkien Trail in Moseley.

They will include one and two-bedroom flats of varying sizes and in addition there will be the availability of 24 hour care and amongst the many communal facilities will be a Restaurant, Coffee Lounge/Bar, Village Hall, Hairdressing/Beauty Suite, Well-being room, Hobbies room, Communal Laundry, Community Shop and Fitness Leisure suite.

The directors of the Michael planning trust Housing Association have experience in many areas critical to the future of the Association and give a great deal of their time free of charge for the benefit of all.

Meet the Board of Directors

  • David Loudon, Joint Chairman

    A non-executive director and trustee of a number of charities and companies

  • Rob Kennedy, Joint Chairman

    Consultant at Robert J Kennedy Consulting Limited

  • Andrew Oulsnam, Board Member

    Chartered Surveyor and managing director of Robert Oulsnam and Company with a wide experience in the sales and management of social housing.

  • John Hughes, Board Member

    Solicitor Shakespeare.

  • Ashley Knowles, Board Member

  • Herbie Andrews

    Herbie Andrews, Board Member

    Retired solicitor.

  • John Wheatley, Board Member

  • Alan Garnett, Board Member

"Beautiful Retirement Communities Creating the Living Environment of Choice"

The day-to-day management of all of the flats and bungalows owned by the Michael Blanning Trust Housing Association is carried out by Robert Oulsnam and Company, 79 Hewell Road, Barnt Green, Birmingham B45 8NL. Telephone: (0121) 445 2499 www.oulsnam.net

The architect who is carried out the designs for the new development at wake green road Moseley is Ian Brinksman a director with the Malcolm Payne Group, chartered architects with a wide experience of housing in the social and extra care sector.