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Save Birmingham

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A Sparks said:
Here's a bit more about the prospective building on the old Orthopaedic Hospital. .
www.bbc.co.uk

Plans for 42-storey Birmingham skyscraper at former hospital site

The tower in Birmingham would include 300 rented apartments at the site of a 19th Century building.
www.bbc.co.uk
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So the building is "Brownfield land" ! that statement alone should bring doom to any proposal

EDIT
after writing this a discovered that technically the site is brownfield land, as that term refers to any land that has previously been built on. Nevertheless the term has previously usually been used with respect to derelict industrial areas. Strictly speaking then no 10 Downing Street is brownfield land
 
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pjmburns said:
When I started this thread it was in the hope that members would check out the site, vote for places they knew and loved as children or perhaps still know and love (for those who still live here), and tell us some stories about the places we are hoping to save.

It seems to have become a bit political and that, unless I am mistaken, is not what BHF is about.

Lets get back to the history of the places on the Save Birmingham site
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I could write plenty on the sites I care about and know well. I have looked at the Save Birmingham website, and it is a very laudable exercise. It may be missing the point, if the following passage from Birmingham Live in January is accurate:

"That leaves libraries in 25 neighbourhoods at risk, according to the document. It is likely that those libraries will only be retained if local groups and volunteers step in and the service can be moved into other neighbourhood venues. A sale of some buildings is expected to follow."

The intention is not to pay for a service in the existing building, whoever owns it, but to have a much reduced service elsewhere. I hope this will not happen, but I think a focus on only the building is not enough. I believe people want what the service does for them, with meeting rooms, computers, school visits, summer reading schemes, and staff who are numerous enough to look after the collections, including local history.

To me, this is not being political. Sorry if you don't agree.
 
Richard Dye said:
This shows occupancy for over 400 people but not listed are parking positions for automobiles. 300 parking spaces for bicycles are listed, or did I miss something?
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Richard, it is common now for private cars to be discouraged in new builds by not providing parking spaces. Inner city Birmingham has polluted air. There are train, bus and tram services nearby. There are also carparks in the area run by the private sector. Derek
 
I hope the "legs" on this 42-storey building are well made...... Looks like the kind of thing International Rescue used to get called out to on a regular basis.........
1709796945843.png
If you are going to indulge I would go for one of the flats at the back personally........
 
pjmburns said:
When I started this thread it was in the hope that members would check out the site, vote for places they knew and loved as children or perhaps still know and love (for those who still live here), and tell us some stories about the places we are hoping to save.

It seems to have become a bit political and that, unless I am mistaken, is not what BHF is about.

Lets get back to the history of the places on the Save Birmingham site
Click to expand...
I'm happy to be nostalgic about the places I know and love. Could I gently point out though that the wholly laudable Save Birmingham website is organised by Cooperatives West Midlands - the Co-op movement which I support is both broadly and narrowly political. But I'm happy to have my posts on this thread removed if they are not in the spirit of BHF. This is a campaign that goes beyond party politics. Derek
 
Mark Tooze said:
I hope the "legs" on this 42-storey building are well made...... Looks like the kind of thing International Rescue used to get called out to on a regular basis.........
View attachment 189814
If you are going to indulge I would go for one of the flats at the back personally........
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Imagine the outrage if this was being built over a similar building in the centre of London.
 
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localmike said:
I could write plenty on the sites I care about and know well. I have looked at the Save Birmingham website, and it is a very laudable exercise. It may be missing the point, if the following passage from Birmingham Live in January is accurate:

"That leaves libraries in 25 neighbourhoods at risk, according to the document. It is likely that those libraries will only be retained if local groups and volunteers step in and the service can be moved into other neighbourhood venues. A sale of some buildings is expected to follow."

The intention is not to pay for a service in the existing building, whoever owns it, but to have a much reduced service elsewhere. I hope this will not happen, but I think a focus on only the building is not enough. I believe people want what the service does for them, with meeting rooms, computers, school visits, summer reading schemes, and staff who are numerous enough to look after the collections, including local history.

To me, this is not being political. Sorry if you don't agree.
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Agree with everything you say.

Eleven libraries would not provide any realistic service for Birmingham residents. The geographical spread of libraries bears no resemblance to constituency boundaries but then it's a political decision. Even the eleven libraries left will be sharing premises with other agencies ie an even more reduced service in the survivers.

I have a particular interest in local heritage in local librararies. To give an example Weoley Castle Library has an outstanding collection of photographs [1000+], maps, documents and lots of other material. The collection is much larger/better/more accessible than anything in the so called Library of Birmingham. There are similar collections in many other community libraries. What will happen to them? How will schoolchildren students and residents carry out local heritage projects? Looks like back to referring them to the Library of Birmingham and knowing full well how unrealistic that is and how little help is available there even if they go. I could go on........................................ End of an era for local heritage research?
 
I live in a rural area where the library service has already been handed over to a charity. This relies on volunteers and local Friends of the library who fundraise. They have some funding from the Arts Council. Local ‘worthies’ are patrons of the service.

Responsibility for our Park has been handed over to the Town Council
 
Stokkie said:
Richard, it is common now for private cars to be discouraged in new builds by not providing parking spaces. Inner city Birmingham has polluted air. There are train, bus and tram services nearby. There are also carparks in the area run by the private sector. Derek
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I appreciate that, there are many large American cities that do the same, however the ADA, American Disabiliries Act requires handicapped parking. Not all can walk or ride on of the 300 bicycles parked.
Stokkie said:
I'm happy to be nostalgic about the places I know and love. Could I gently point out though that the wholly laudable Save Birmingham website is organised by Cooperatives West Midlands - the Co-op movement which I support is both broadly and narrowly political. But I'm happy to have my posts on this thread removed if they are not in the spirit of BHF. This is a campaign that goes beyond party politics. Derek
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Very well said Derek!
My comments are NOT intended to be political 8n any way, they are about poor and failures in management. For what it’s worth it has been painful to watch the city almost self destruct over my eight years on the Forum. The answer to everything seems to be more taxes. To anyone who has taken any courses in economics with tell you taxes are regressive!
Eric’s comment about the city is for the most part true, there has to be a day of reckoning!
Close comment.
 
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