Parkgate/Asda scheme - Shirley - to start soon

[Assa]

Originally Posted by joshwebb

The woman in there scares me, she's used to ask me to go swimming, gym n in a hot tub with her when I was younger :L I was like nahh lool n she's goes sick at kids who try stroke her cat n she carnt cut a fringe properly :/

She goes to my gym - David Lloyd Cranmore. Thankfully she doesn't tend to use the pool/steam room/jacuzi. I try to work out if I'll end up with her from the numbers waiting and if I think I will I skidadle and come back another day. That said, she does trim my eyebrows!

[Anup24]

Originally Posted by Guilbert53

I dont think it "failed" as such, but they probably found once Touchwood cinema opened their takings fell.

Then maybe they got a good offer from BMW for the site (or the cinema manager woke up with a horses head in his bed).

When Odeon bought out/merged with UCI the deal with the competition commission was to sell off/close sites. So i think they closed this one down as it was a low earner. Especially after Twood.

Originally Posted by joshwebb

Yeah maybe a little one with 2 or 3 screens at the old woolworths unless something else is going to be there? I wouldn't know as I havnt been in shirley since april

Walked passed here the other day and saw low level shelving being installed but not sure it is a major retailer as they were using the old wollies one.

[Assa]

There's been activity in the old Woolworths for months on and off but it doesn't seem to lead anywhere, at least at the moment.

[joshwebb]

My first contribution?



One of the region’s longest awaited regeneration schemes is set to finally get underway in May.

Work will start on the Parkgate scheme in Shirley, Solihull, almost 13 years after initial proposals were first drawn up.

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The £85 million mixed-use regeneration scheme could well be completed in time for Christmas 2013.

The scheme, which was finally given the go-ahead following a public inquiry, will have an Asda supermarket at its heart and will include other retail units, houses, apartments and retirement flats.

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Robert Birch, of developers Shirley Advance, said, “This has been a long time coming and we have experienced several delays during the course of the project which have been entirely out of our hands. However, we have remained 100 per cent committed to Parkgate and, as a result, we are delighted that it will now become a reality.

“Parkgate will help to halt the ongoing decline seen in Shirley town centre over recent years. It will also act as a catalyst for further investment in the area.

“The vast majority of development projects across the UK have failed since the global recession hit; but, given our considerable track record and financial strength, this well proven and much needed scheme will now be delivered. “

BAM Construction and Fitzgerald Civil Contractors will build the development and it is thought up to 300 construction jobs could be created.

Site assembly will be completed in April before construction gets underway.

Mr Birch added: “Incredibly, we understand that there has been some recent suggestion that Shirley Advance has actually ‘failed’ over Parkgate. Given the fact that we have managed to get to where we have, in the face of everything that has happened over the past few years, we have not failed. On the contrary, we have clearly succeeded.”

Mr Birch said the estimated building cost would be around £35 million compared to the original estimate of £45 million, due to the fact construction costs had fallen.

[Guilbert53]

This info was posted in the Solihull thread a couple of weeks ago (see last two entries)

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=487205

[joshwebb]

Damn it

[Guilbert53]

Also posted in Solihull forum so sorry for double post.

Parkgate Shirley update

Went up to Shirley High St today and noticed a number of builders in yellow jackets.

Saw them walking into the car park behind the old Bank of Ireland building (roughly behind Blockbusters / the old Woolworths).

Went in there myself and noticed they have fenced off part of the area and already chopped down a number of trees at the "back" of the car park.

More about the trees here:

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/t...7319-30434788/

They told me the actual Parkgate project does not start till May and they were doing prepartory work.

Asked one of the guys how long the whole project would last and he said 3 years, though I am sure I read somewhere it was 18 months.

[Assa]

Originally Posted by Guilbert53

Also posted in Solihull forum so sorry for double post.

Parkgate Shirley update

Went up to Shirley High St today and noticed a number of builders in yellow jackets.

Saw them walking into the car park behind the old Bank of Ireland building (roughly behind Blockbusters / the old Woolworths).

Went in there myself and noticed they have fenced off part of the area and already chopped down a number of trees at the "back" of the car park.

More about the trees here:

http://www.birminghammail.net/news/t...7319-30434788/

They told me the actual Parkgate project does not start till May and they were doing prepartory work.

Asked one of the guys how long the whole project would last and he said 3 years, though I am sure I read somewhere it was 18 months.

The local media reported it would be 'hopefully' completed by Xmas 2013 but I never really expected that to be true - it's far too large a development. Some sections may be open by then such as ASDA I suppose but not all of it.

The Ex-Catalogue Shop currently occupying the BoI lower levels is closing down so I'm guessing this will be the first bit to be bulldozed.

[BhamJim]

The project in it's entirety will probably be 3 years, including improvements to the park, old folks home etc...

We had a leaflet through our door saying that they want the ideas of local people on what to spend money on in the park, and what improvements/changes we would like to see.

[joshwebb]

I remember in school we had to vote for the design of the skate park in shirley park

[Guilbert53]

Went up Shirley Park yesterday (Sunday 12th March 2012) and took a few pictures of the park after the removal of all the trees.

Here are two views from inside the park looking roughly East towards the Stratford Road.

Wide panoramas so you will need to scroll across to see the whole picture.

(I will post some more pictures in the next few days)

Trees there in July 2011



Trees not there March 2012

[Assa]

I actually find that quite shocking. I knew the trees were going, in fact I knew they had been felled already but to actually see the result and how different it looks is quite profound. I will try to take a walk down there and see for myself in the next couple of days.

[Guilbert53]

Another view of the non-trees (have not got a "before" I am afraid)

Taken from the "corner" of the car park looking roughly towards Haslucks Green Road.

All the area in the front of the picture (apart from the grass on the left) will become an Asda.

Note that some of the grass on the left will be "lost" to become flats overlooking the park.

Very wide panorama.

[joshwebb]

any rendors?

[Guilbert53]

Originally Posted by joshwebb

any rendors?

This is the web site for the project, and there are some pictures there:

http://www.parkgateshirley.com/

[BhamJim]

We walked through the park to do our weekly Aldi shop last night and the area is unrecognisable. Not only are the trees and other obstacles cleared opening the whole area up, but the house on Haslucks Green Road is ready for demolition for the service road, and it looks like they've started digging out the basement car-park. Definately time to move this thread to U/C IMO.

[Guilbert53]

Originally Posted by BhamJim

Definately time to move this thread to U/C IMO.

I spoke to one of the people doing the trees and he said they were doing the prepatory work and the actual building project starts in May.

However that is splitting hairs I guess so I think this can be said to be "under construction".

[Guilbert53]

Couple more picture from Shirley Park taken today, 5th April 2012.

A rather dull day, but it gives a good indication of the huge number of trees and other foilage they have taken down.

The two pictures are taken from roughly the same position so not hugely different.

Very wide panoramas so you will need to scroll across.

[BhamJim]

The Oak Tree stump in Guilbert53's photo above (beside the lampost) has a bunch of flowers laid upon it by Solihull MP Lorely Burt. So glad she has time to be pissing about with such matters. The 'one' Oak Tree in the supposed 'ring of oaks' had definate confirmed signs of disease, and the .5million to be spent on the park surely outweighs the loss of one dieseased oak tree?

[Guilbert53]

Originally Posted by BhamJim

...has a bunch of flowers laid upon it by Solihull MP Lorely Burt. So glad she has time to be
pissing about with such matters.

Yes terrible isn't it. I believe she went out for a family meal the other day as well when she could have been doing something
more useful.

She also has 8 hours sleep a night when she could be doing more MP related things, and also had the nerve to take a holiday last
year as well. How does she find the time.

Originally Posted by BhamJim

The 'one' Oak Tree in the supposed 'ring of oaks' had definate confirmed signs of disease...

It always seems to be the way that when a developer wants to chop down a tree (or trees) they can always find one that has
disease, thus justifying chopping down the tree in question (or a load of trees).

While I dont have too many concerns about general Parkgate development I do feel the council have no right to sell parkland to
a developer to build houses / flats on.

As far as I am concerned any council in power does not OWN the land, they are merely looking after it during their term in office,
the land is not theirs to sell.