Big City Plan – Autumn 2009 progress report

You can read the latest news from the Big City Plan team in their Autumn 2009 newsletter.

Click on the BCP website link here to download it.

Floral Trail wins National GOLD

As we reported yesterday, Birmingham city centre’s entry in the Urban Communities category of 2009 Britain in Bloom won Gold and ‘Best in Category’.

The judges’ summarised their assessment of our entry:-

“This large Urban City Centre has become a place of horticultural excellence and an area used by the many residents who now reside within the Centre. This was amply demonstrated by members of the community and school children who take part and enjoy the facilities provided.

Floral displays and features were outstanding along with excellent sustainable planting and the quality of maintenance was generally superb. Heritage plays an important part, particularly in the canal area and also in the recognition of local historical figures such as Matthew Boulton.
There were many innovative ideas and we (i.e. the judges) enjoyed a well conducted, interesting and informative tour.”

There’s was lots more detail, too, including some useful ideas for improving further. Informally, the judges also revealed that we were ‘miles ahead’ of our competition in the category (including Manchester City Centre)!

Together with the news about the Staffordshire hoard, what a couple of days for Birmingham!!

David Foster
(Chair, City Centre Neighbourhood Forum)

Raising the level of protest on policing

The Neighbourhood Forum wrote to the Birmingham Post recently, protesting at the inadequate attention paid by the police to the need of residents. Here is a copy of the letters page on which the Post printed it:

So top billing on the letters page that day!

Possible City Centre demonstration – Saturday Sept 5

West Midlands Police briefed city centre businesses this morning on some possible demonstrations on Saturday, September 5. I attended as a residents’ representative (possibly the only one?).

City Centre disturbances – West Midlands Police response

The Neighbourhood Forum’s protests to the Chief Constable, copied to others, have produced the response below: