Official Birmingham Development Thread 36!

[joshwebb]

So is this a good step closer to getting regal of the floor?

[smysticed]

Originally Posted by Shel

Apologies, I saw CV2 and assumed it must be pretty central - I haven't been to that one.

Nevertheless, if you look at all the others my point remains.

Yeah, the thing is there are only about 6 postcode districts covering in the whole of the city.

I agree with your point though, it does seem wrong that there isn't one in the centre of town.

[djay]

Originally Posted by joshwebb

So is this a good step closer to getting regal of the floor?

in a word, no.

[joshwebb]

That wasn't the answer I was looking for

[djay]

lol what i mean is, if this was announced yesterday then we would be closer but this was in april and nothing has happened in 7 months. So we are no closer.

Also does anyone know what's happening at Beorma? That had funding and planning permission and they were moving into demo. They started some demo by the look of it but then nothing :-s

[Erebus555]

Originally Posted by djay

lol what i mean is, if this was announced yesterday then we would be closer but this was in april and nothing has happened in 7 months. So we are no closer.

Also does anyone know what's happening at Beorma? That had funding and planning permission and they were moving into demo. They started some demo by the look of it but then nothing :-s

Apparently there's a new planning application being drawn up - the corner site opposite Digbeth Police Station is to become a hotel. I don't know about any other changes, though.

[Brummyboy92]

New sign has been put up for 'The Custard Factory' suspended over the entrance.

Im crap, I always update without pictures lol, sorry guys.

[ellbrown]

I was round near The Custard Factory today, but only to get a pic of the new Alfred Bird plaque.

Never saw a new sign.

[Brummyboy92]

O Ell you've let the side down, your normally first there with the pictures of signs lol, it looks like the kind that illuminates at night.

[mikey23]

https://twitter.com/?photo_id=1#!/cu...997248/photo/1

[Brummyboy92]

Wahey there it is, cheers Mikey, is it temporary?

[mikey23]

Nope, permanent fixture.

[ellbrown]

Originally Posted by Brummyboy92

O Ell you've let the side down, your normally first there with the pictures of signs lol, it looks like the kind that illuminates at night.

I didn't see it!

I only went for this (and got a few other bits and pieces of the Custard Factory - check my Flickr)

image hosted on flickr

Custard Factory - Gibb Street - blue plaque - Alfred Bird by ell brown, on Flickr

I got this in July 2011

image hosted on flickr

Custard Factory - Zellig - banner by ell brown, on Flickr

[sefton66]

Anyone know whats going on under suffolk st queensway by the mailbox? part of the car park section under the bridge is cordoned off with a lorry trailer inside and workmen today?

Also scaffolding up next to sainsburys local on navigation st

[ellbrown]

I was briefly on Suffolk Street Queensway this morning. Didn't notice anything on the Mailbox side. Only this on the New Street Station side

image hosted on flickr

Ainscough mobile crane - Birmingham New Street Station by ell brown, on Flickr

[sefton66]

£17m funding boost to promote Birmingham and the West Midands across the world
By Alun ThorneNov 11 2011Add a comment Recommend (1)

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A successful bid for millions of pounds to promote the region will allow the region to spread its message to all four corners of the globe, according to the man tasked with promoting Birmingham.

The Investing In The City Region project has been awarded more than £8.8 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) which is managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government, with Marketing Birmingham and its partners providing the match funding to create a total budget of more than £17 million for the campaign’s activities.

Marketing Birmingham chief Neil Rami said the successful ERDF bid would mean more trade trips like the recent high-level visit to Chicago to meet with United Airlines and Kraft and a similar event this week to Atlanta would be possible.

He said: “This is the biggest funding boost for promoting the region for a number of years. The reality is that it is even more challenging in the economic climate to attract investment and the stakes are high as we have to create thousands of jobs over three and half years but that is the environment we are in.


“However, we already have 90 active projects from a standing start but this gives us much more resource to work with people like Visit England and Visit Britain and develop much more activity.

“The recently reported trip to Chicago and another one to Atlanta this week are what this kind of investment is about – it puts us in the league we need to be.”

Of the new investment, £1.9 million will go to fund a digital signs project for the city centre in partnership with funding from Centro and the city council, while the rest will be focused on sales and marketing.

Mr Rami said the key to the success of this bid was the partnerships that had been formed with the councils of Birmingham, the Black Country and Solihull, as well as Birmingham Airport and others.

He said: “It is really the only way that projects like this can be achieved as we have seen recently with some joint Regional Growth Fund bids. Ultimately businesses don’t see boundaries.”

The city has received a further boost after signing a memorandum of understanding with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI), enabling the organisation to become the main point of contact for inward investment on behalf of Greater Birmingham and Solihull.

Marketing Birmingham will deal exclusively with any foreign direct investment (FDI) enquiries from UKTI and lead activity for Greater Birmingham through its inward investment programme, Business Birmingham. The organisation will work closely with Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council, which continues to manage inward investment activity for the Solihull area.

Mr Rami added: “This will now make us the key point of contact for investment activity. Previously Birmingham has not had the exposure across the UKTI network but this has done a lot to redress the balance. We have already had a number of delegations from across the globe so this is a real coup.”

Steve Hollis, deputy chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull LEP, said: “This is a significant step forward for the Greater Birmingham region.

"With competition so fierce to attract foreign direct investment, this new partnership with UKTI, managed by Business Birmingham, has the prospect of generating greater levels of new inward investment to the area.”

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/birmin...#ixzz1dWUPyGxa

[woodhousen]

£17m for a marketing budget is pretty sizable... and its good to hear that we have it, i just hope all these trips reep rewards.... ie like this air link with chicago for example...

[CityGent]

Originally Posted by sefton66

Anyone know whats going on under suffolk st queensway by the mailbox? part of the car park section under the bridge is cordoned off with a lorry trailer inside and workmen today?

In previous years it has been storage for German Market.

[feltip]

Not sure if we have an xmas thread. Has anyone noticed interesting new xmas lights around. There are some pink ones with a kind of S in them which I guess is for Southside and linked to the BID around the gay village and then some Chinese dragon ones by China town.

[ellbrown]

No there isn't but they've put up the usual Christmas lights on New Street and Corporation Street (I've got pics of those from past 2 years).

I found this in Colmore Square (in daylight). Assume that it will be lit up at night.

image hosted on flickr

Fake Christmas tree with spheres - Colmore Square by ell brown, on Flickr