Longbridge, The Technology Park and the former (& hopefully future) Rover works

[Biosonic]

Not at all. We're just worse than most and we actively helped ourselves get into the mess.

[sefton66]

A Bit late,, this is already well into construction with groundworks and foundations already down

Lovell appointed to develop £4.5m housing scheme in Longbridge
Jun 1 2010 by Alun Thorne, Birmingham Post

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Midlands-based affordable housing specialist Lovell has been chosen by West Mercia Housing Group to build a £4.5 million affordable homes scheme at Longbridge in Birmingham.

The scheme will include Birmingham’s first affordable zero-carbon homes, built to Level 6 of the Code for Sustainable Homes, the system for measuring the sustainable performance of new housing.

The development in Thelbridge Road will create 48 new houses and apartments: 28 for affordable rent and 20 for shared ownership. It will be made up of 42 two-, three- and four-bedroom houses and six two-bedroom apartments.

The development is set to be completed in June 2011. The scheme is the final phase of an £17.1 million development of the former Nimmings Farm Estate.

Nick Edge, development project manager from West Mercia Housing Group, said: “We are pleased to be working with Lovell on this high profile development because of their commitment to provide high quality affordable housing and expertise in the provision of ‘zero carbon’ technologies and modern methods of construction. Thanks to the partnership, we will be able to provide eco-friendly affordable social housing ahead of current Government targets, benefitting both our tenants and the environment.”

http://www.birminghampost.net/birmin...5233-26560083/

[sefton66]

Application Number 2010/02376/PA

Application Type Full Planning

Site Address A38 (Bristol Road South), Lickey Road and Longbridge Lane Longbridge Birmingham

Proposal Application to vary planning conditions and allow phased implementation for the construction of new highway, associated service infrastructure, drainage, bridge over river culverts, foot and cycle ways, crossing facilities, access points and landscaping following part closure of existing highway

http://www.longbridgebirmingham.co.u...lane-works.pdf

The Roadworks appeared to have started outside the college now http://bcfe-camera.dyndns.info:88/cg...uestimage.html

[ReissOmari]

Its amazing how fast that college has shot up

[fruit&nut]

Originally Posted by marmite747

It's by public spending projects that you get the economy moving. Roosevelt knew this, America & Canada still know this, Labour knew this.

Not taking sides, purely as a comment...

Canada made savage public spendng cuts of 40% in the 1990's to take their economy away from the abyss it was facing. Class sizes went from 25 to 35 overnight, infrastructure investment was virtually halted.

They came out of the pain a lot stronger economically.

[marmite747]

Originally Posted by fruit&nut

Not taking sides, purely as a comment...

Canada made savage public spendng cuts of 40% in the 1990's to take their economy away from the abyss it was facing. Class sizes went from 25 to 35 overnight, infrastructure investment was virtually halted.

They came out of the pain a lot stronger economically.

Ahh, but now, Canada are spending $62 Billion on a massive roosevelt-esque spending plan in Infrastructure.

http://actionplan.gc.ca/eng/feature.asp?featureId=16

[fruit&nut]

Interesting stuff!

Seems a change of tack from the '90's. There are some correlations there with what UK is doing, but as you point out some paradoxical (is that a word?) differences.

[Erebus555]

I guess the changes in how we deal with recoveries following recessions is very much down to how the recessions were started. The causes of each recession has been different in some way.


As for the funding being pulled here. If it was a Kickstart funded project then it seems that these homes were social housing, as most of the schemes that won Kickstart funding did so because they had a large proportion of social housing. So, in a city where such housing is desperately needed, it's a terrible shame...

[djay]

Originally Posted by Erebus555

I guess the changes in how we deal with recoveries following recessions is very much down to how the recessions were started. The causes of each recession has been different in some way.


As for the funding being pulled here. If it was a Kickstart funded project then it seems that these homes were social housing, as most of the schemes that won Kickstart funding did so because they had a large proportion of social housing. So, in a city where such housing is desperately needed, it's a terrible shame...

history does show us that conservative governments are not really keen on social housing, esp. that in the control of the local authority

[marmite747]

I think I've come across a little bit too pro-Labour lately, rest assured I despise the Labour party.

It all just comes down to what your economic model is. There is no 'right' way, in the past both approaches have worked and both approaches have failed. There is no denying that the deficit is high and we need to reduce our spending, things such as the new Magistrates courts and ID cards; which aren't necessary and really don't need to be build are good ways of cutting the deficit - but this country is facing a housing shortage of monumental proportions, it's really scary and shocking if you look into it, and the Conservatives were the biggest critics of Labours' failure to address this. By building private homes it's a big upward spiral of job creation, investment and economic activity - from an unpartisan view and from an economic one I cannot see the logic in cutting government grants for housing :/

-

On a seperate note, does anyone know of the plans for Frankley? They demolished a lot of the eastern part of the estate (The area surrounded by Egghill, Frogmill and Tessall Roads) years ago and now it just lies empty and eerie, it's right by this redevelopment and it seems silly not to incorporate it.

[Erebus555]

I keep hearing of big plans for the Egghill area, but have never seen anything definitive...

[morestoreysplease]

I once saw some nice housing layouts and a new road that went from opposite Elan Road into the Egghill Estate. I went past the new solar panel houses on Black Haynes Road today and they are pretty innovative in design.

[sefton66]

Talking of Eco homes, has anyone seen the new ones built down in weoley castle just past Shenley Courts school? they look disgusting!

[Biosonic]

That's the new Bournville Village Trust scheme.

They look pretty grim.

[sefton66]

They look like theyre going to age terribly, the solar panels stand out from a mile away not being built into the roof but ontop of it they look like a last minute idea instead of being built in, the roof looks really high pitched and the doors are horrible with a stupid L shape glass panel that just doesn't look right, so much for trying to get people to go eco friendly i would never buy a home looking like that, i just hope the ones lovell won the contract for in longbridge are nicer looking. Has anyone got any renders of what will be built by lovell?

[marmite747]

Originally Posted by sefton66

They look like theyre going to age terribly, the solar panels stand out from a mile away not being built into the roof but ontop of it they look like a last minute idea instead of being built in, the roof looks really high pitched and the doors are horrible with a stupid L shape glass panel that just doesn't look right, so much for trying to get people to go eco friendly i would never buy a home looking like that, i just hope the ones lovell won the contract for in longbridge are nicer looking. Has anyone got any renders of what will be built by lovell?

I rather like them

[sefton66]

Forgot to post this earlier, on friday they was demolishing part of the remaining part of the factory behind the bournville college development, i walked past the roundabout as it was coming down and there was quite a few people watching one man was telling someone theyr'e knocking it down to survery the land for something to be built on it, haven't heard anythin though anyone know anything about this?

[sefton66]

New Website layout for the longbridge development site: http://www.longbridgebirmingham.co.uk/ Theyre advertising retail opportunities now so im guessing they'll start to crack on with this town centre to have it open up in line with college open date, And that ties in with my previous post about the rest of the factory being demolished to make way.

Also this page: http://www.longbridgebirmingham.co.uk/grand-plan.html gives a very simple idea as to what kind of stuff is planned, not much detail to be honest

[edgexedge]

Originally Posted by sefton66

They look like theyre going to age terribly, the solar panels stand out from a mile away not being built into the roof but ontop of it they look like a last minute idea instead of being built in, the roof looks really high pitched and the doors are horrible with a stupid L shape glass panel that just doesn't look right, so much for trying to get people to go eco friendly i would never buy a home looking like that, i just hope the ones lovell won the contract for in longbridge are nicer looking. Has anyone got any renders of what will be built by lovell?

the solar panels are solar thermal, very difficult to actually integrate into a roof.
they were not a last minute idea, but are part of the original 'eco' design, providing up to 70% of a houses heating & hot water.

they look a lot better than what was there
http://www.bvt.org.uk/resource/shenl...ons/index.html

as for buying one, theyre not for sale

[marmite747]

Originally Posted by sefton66

New Website layout for the longbridge development site: http://www.longbridgebirmingham.co.uk/ Theyre advertising retail opportunities now so im guessing they'll start to crack on with this town centre to have it open up in line with college open date, And that ties in with my previous post about the rest of the factory being demolished to make way.

Also this page: http://www.longbridgebirmingham.co.uk/grand-plan.html gives a very simple idea as to what kind of stuff is planned, not much detail to be honest

Sorry, are you being serious? You're suggesting the town centre will be completely finished in 15 months?
It will take at least 24 months to build the thing, let alone all the preparations, consultations, planning permissions and what not.
You're talking September 2012 at the VERY earliest.
And all this is currently stalled as well remember whilst St Mowden refuse to pay up what they promised to for the road/rail works. Greedy bast***s.

Still think they've missed a trick not opening up a railway station at 'Longbridge East' as they've decided to call it, or Cofton Hackett for everyone else.