Residents have taken to the streets of Aston to protest against the planned conversion of an abandoned school.
The Grade II-listed Broadway School building, on Whitehead Road, has been deserted since pupils were moved to a new site in Perry Barr in 2011.
Now it is set to be converted into a Hospitality and Catering Studio School for 14 to 19-year-olds from the surrounding areas.
Studio Schools are part of a Government-funded scheme to create state schools which combine academic learning with vocational training.
The project is being completed by Kajans, a social enterprise based in Aston.
But some local people claimed they were not consulted when the plans were being made, and that the conversion will not benefit their community.
Ayoub Khan, 40, a former Liberal Democrat councillor for Aston, led a protest of more than 50 people outside the site of the building.
鈥淚t is a scandal,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he local councillors should have consulted the community, but they didn鈥檛. It was all done behind closed doors. We want transparency.鈥
Ayaz Iqbal, 32, lives on Whitehead Road but insisted he was unaware of the proposals until building work had begun.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been taken under our nose without any consultation whatsoever with the community,鈥 he claimed.
鈥淲e require schools and local nurseries so that local children can go to these places. That鈥檚 why we鈥檙e here.鈥
But protesters鈥 claims were refuted by Hermin McIntosh, executive director of Kajans.
She said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not for any one community 鈥 it鈥檚 for young people who want to develop their career. I don鈥檛 understand why this community doesn鈥檛 feel it can participate.
鈥淲e know there is a need for community provision, and have designed the building in such a way that that can happen.鈥
Ms McIntosh rejected claims that local people had not been involved in the consultation process.
She said: 鈥淭he process took over a year and included an extensive consultation. There have been public meetings held here, and notices have been there.
鈥淭here have been open days to tell people what is going on, and we鈥檝e had leaflets that have gone through the door. We鈥檝e had parents enrolling their children based on information from those leaflets, so I know it鈥檚 been done.鈥
