after the Ward meeting . .

The meeting on March 3 gave some local residents a chance to vent their frustrations at the City planners over the vagueness of the “Big City Plan”. It also tantalised us with the prospects – yet again – for a community swimming pool in Ladywood, only to have the inevitable doubts surface, this time about transport links. And where is the money to come from?

The City Centre Neighbourhood Forum can put pressure on the City planners on both of these issues – and others, of course.

When Forum management committee members met recently with the Big City Plan team, we discovered that they aim to produce another working document later in the year. We shall be pressing them to bring forward concrete ideas rather than the vagueness that has been the hallmark of their stuff so far.

Of the big schemes, we know that the designs for “The Library of Birmingham” will be launched at an event today, April 2. If you want to see a clip showing the scheme, click here. Also we understand that the ownership of the Pallasades shopping centre has now transferred to the City Council; this is an essential precursor to the New Street station redevelopment.

The swimming pool plan is scheduled to be submitted to senior council officers and councillors before the end of the year for the next decision. It will have to be no later if they are to meet their ambitious target for completion (namely 2012).

As we hear any more, we’ll post it here.