Birmingham City Council is holding a public consultation on its East Birmingham Inclusive Growth Strategy and wants to hear your comments.
You could be able suggest features to develop and improve East Birmingham. The massive area, population 230,000, that includes Ward End, Star City, Small Heath, and all points East, is to take an exciting new direction as developing people, their skills, and the environment takes centre stage as the Climate Emergency is addressed.
The consultation covers the area shown in purple
It could be that your experience in parts of Birmingham or elsewhere, will be just the advice that is needed. You may think of places that you like because there is always something happening, are the way forward. Many years ago a development called Bed Zed (in Beddington) strove to blur the separation of places to live and sleep from a ‘zone’ for working. You could argue that the centre of Birmingham has steadily returned living accommodation in harmony with its offering of shops and offices.
Key in the agenda is how more people are to be accommodated. One answer is to have policies that allow conversion of some buildings and extensions, to achieve a greater density of population. A street frontage on a wide road can comfortably be three or four storeys high (taller buildings on a narrow road can feel like a chasm).
One way of renewing an area is by wholesale demolition and rebuilding
Higher density of population can mean other outcomes; green open space, a green lung and an area for human well being, is stressed by many to be important for well being.
Birmingham Friends of the Earth would like you to contribute your ideas at one of the meetings or by email. It is valuable to engage with people who know and love the different parts of the city.
It is important that as many people as possible respond to the consultation. You can find the consultation at:
https://www.birminghambeheard.org.uk/economy/ebigs/
There are several options for sending in your responses. One is to do the online questionnaire, the other is to send your ideas to: planningandregenerationenquiries@birmingham.gov.uk
(By Post: Birmingham City Council, PO Box 28, B1 1TU)
Deadline for comments is 31st August 2020
