Posts Tagged ‘ Big City Plan ’

More Big City Planned

From the Big City Plan consultation document (still no results of that consultation, by the way): “Birmingham could create a new way of building smart neighbourhoods. The ‘Birmingham House’ idea should reflect the needs of modern living but builds on the authenticity of the place.” So did we decide that such a thing would be a good idea? Who knows. Was it happening anyway? You bet your ass. It’s a super idea, just wonder why we were being consulted on a (already being) don deal. Here’s a vid (give it time to load, it will): Get the Flash Player to see this content.

The Big City Plan, it’s what gets decided while you’re looking the other way

While we wait for the results of the Big City Plan consultation, for the new report and it’s follow-on consultation, and its passing by central government for approval, it seems that decisions are dripping out. Here’s a round-up of things announced and “happening” that I’d have considered to be still part of the consultation process: “The council has given the nod for Birmingham Wholesale Markets to relocate to a site three miles from the city centre near the M6 in Witton and has appointed property firm Prupim as preferred bidder.” Birmingham Post “The relatively unsung – and unexploited – “gay village”, five minutes from the Bullring and next to the Chinese Quarter, is in line for some upgrading.” Birmingham Post “Birmingham’s historic Jewellery Quarter is in line for a £1.5 million makeover with the creation of a “Golden Square” chosen by the public. Local architects Capita Lovejoy beat off competition from five rivals to secure the contract for the new space, which is designed to provide a focal point for visitors and shoppers. It will also accommodate ad hoc events including markets and exhibitions.” The Stirrer “Digital transport project to be rolled out in Birmingham, for an integrated transport...

So, the big city plan has been a stunt for comic relief? Lenny Henry has been playing Mike Whitby all along. Seriously, happy red nose day to Peter Schmeical and the rest of the fundraisers.

Big City Plan – Last Week

It’s the last week to get your comments in to the consultation on the Council’s Big City Plan. You can email, phone, or send an old fashioned letter (all the contact details are at the link above), but Friday (6th Feb) is the closing date. If you’re struggling with some of the concepts, or would like to discuss your ideas then the independant Big City Talk website may be the place to go. It’s got a “plain English” version of the doccument and also comments by other Brummies who care just as much as you about how the City Centre might change over the next 20 years.

Bright Lights, Big City

You know how big and complex Birmingham is, well it is. Very. Sometimes things like even knowing who owns a building is tricky (that falling into itself one by the Silver Blades opposite the indoor Market — I’m guessing the owners might be sealed inside) — so how do you make huge decisions about the whole of the City Centre that will affect things for the next 20 years? Well, you’ve got to have a plan. And in this instance it’s The Big City Plan (which we’ve mentioned before) — an overarching document that is attempting to make big and brave decisions about how the city centre will work in the future. At the moment, there’s a consultation process about it — which lasts until the 6th of February. I’ve been involved, with a number of other bloggers, in putting together a blog-site version where we hope some of the “wisdom of crowds” will help pull together Brum’s finest minds and crack some of the problems. It’s at bigcitytalk.org.uk and you’re invited to link to it, copy chunks of the blogged version for your own use, but most of all go discuss and comment and feedback to the Council...

Step aboard the Big City Plan Bus today

The “Beyond Midnight” bus, which has more info about the Big City Plan (that will decide what happens in Birmingham over the next 20 years), is in the city centre today and Highgate tomorrow. Only just heard about this and we’re too late to let you know that it was in Ladywood yesterday. Please go along if you can, in great numbers, to find out more about the Big City Plan, have your say and show the council that we really care about our city. The details: Tuesday 13 January City Centre * 9am – 3pm, Edgbaston Street, Markets area * 3pm – 8pm, Victoria Square Wednesday 14 January Highgate * 12 noon – 3pm, Joseph Chamberlain College * 3pm -5pm, Gooch Street shops * 5pm – 7pm, Stanhope St Youth and Community Centre * 7pm – 9pm, St Martins Youth Centre Gooch Street, Highgate, Birmingham B12 Not quite sure why it’s called the “Beyond Midnight” bus, as it only seems to be open during the day and early evening. Oh well, I suppose 9am is beyond midnight. If you can eat After Eights at any time of day, we’re sure you can visit the Beyond Midnight bus too...

Big City Plan – speak now or forever, er, don’t

You can now be consulted about the ‘Big City Plan‘. Just to be cynical for a moment, it’s hard to see what we’re being consulted on when so much is already decided: Eastside Locks, Westside, white elephant shaped Olympic Swimming Pools, not having a Creative Director… but I’ve not had the time to delve into the huge wodge of text yet (it only went live a few minutes ago). Maybe it’s good to have the consultation period over Christmas when people might have time off, or maybe that’s a bit stupid as people are busy. Maybe having two documents — a “leaflet” and a “work in progress” — to consult on is confusing. But if you want to at least feel you’ve had a say in the “next 25 years” then you’ve got no choice other than to digest all this stuff and make your views heard. The online consultation is happening at this site. Go read, please. This stuff is too important to be left to the usual suspects.

If Eastside wasn’t an awful enough name, the latest Big City Plan stuff introduces us to Westside. And it’s associated Ali G connotations. What next? The area between the Turks Head and the Royal Mail Sorting Office becomes Northside, and residents are themed into madchester gear and trained to say “top” a lot? There’s a website, full of the usual vile canalside living photographs and meaningless words like “global”. And if you dig there are little PDFs where the “vision” for the various areas are explained — they seem to be already hived off to developers, during the consultation process (?) — including the previously mentioned Baskerville Wharf. Taking a look at the drawing, and comparing to the recent now with Google Earth (click on the pic for big) and there seems to be no difference, apart from painting the car park white and the water blue. It looks like at this stage they don’t have any ideas. But they have words (albeit meaningless redevelopment words): “Baskerville Wharf has the potential to deliver Grade A office accommodation, high quality city centre apartments, family housing, hotel and conference facilities and a range of shops, bars and restaurant facilities throughout. A...

I’ve held off mentioning much of the Big City Plan, launched on Wednesday, until I had chance to read it. So often these sorts of initiatives – you know, one’s where there have been consultants – sound great then have little substance to back them up, I didn’t want to make a snap judgement. I’m reading it now – the major problem so far is that the name reminds me of nothing so much as L!VE TV*’s finance programme Tiffany’s Big City Tips. That said, it all seems positive – and the charter document almost deliberately lacking in actual plan – which is as it should be given that it is a consultation process. Yer Man Stef has been on this for ages, and has audio, video, commentary. *L!VE TV featured my favourite ever TV ads – in its Post & Mail building produced local half hours – that’s ‘Kav’s For Lavs’ and the one for JB Fletcher’s car spares “there’s not a lot they haven’t got, in fact I think they’ve got the lot… where’s this of where I speak? Just off Dartmouth Middleway on Great Lister St”. And it put Tony Butler on TV doing a radio...

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Posts Tagged ‘ Big City Plan ’

More Big City Planned

The Big City Plan, it’s what gets decided while you’re looking the other way

Big City Relief

Big City Plan – Last Week

Bright Lights, Big City

Step aboard the Big City Plan Bus today

Big City Plan – speak now or forever, er, don’t

Westsiiide, Aii

Mike’s Big City Tips

@onBirmingham – Breaking Brum News on Twitter