Eastside City Park | Curzon Street | U/C

[Erebus555]

I find it pretty damning on the city that there is not a single plastic recycling facility in the whole of Birmingham, I cant remember if there was even one in the whole of the West Mids either. In an email from the council, they told me they had no plastic recycling facility but they do have a facility just over the road from Asda in Small Heath which can burn plastic for energy. Whoopie! That's no reusing plastic and lowering the need for oil. Even the fumes produced by the plastic go into the atmosphere and do no good. We have a lot to do...

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

This looks great(ish) a big park... down in east side... but.. who will use it, I can't help but feel its a big fat waste of time and money, I'm trying not to be negative but I would MUCH rather see a focus on New Street and hurrying along plans and support for a new library and maybe the needle, there will be nothing there to attract people, its quite a walk out of town and just for a bit of grass (yeah I'm sure that will put the city on the map), I am commenting because I had reason to attend the Polar Express at the Imax this morning, the main Xmas period, kids off school and there were about 30 people in the first showing @ 10am, then you walked out at about mid day and still just as empty, but when you think... it makes my eyes bulge with anger and blood and froth to seep from my mouth when I think of how the bastards (not sure who but someone is responsible?) closed the "free", "centrally located" old science museum with the many fantastic well loved and looked after exhibits that represented the incredible feats our forefathers achieved whilst making Brum a massive well oiled mechanical heart of Britain, and where have all these exhibits gone?, the cars, the bikes... what is on show at Millennium point is a small representation of the old museum exhibits IMO, in-fact its quite poor and (now I have seen it twice) I am not sure I would go out of my way to visit Millennium point to see the museum again, not sure I would recommend it either, both occasions many exhibits didn't work, everything seemed plastic and tacky... the section on Brums history was an absolute fecking insult, almost as if it was an after thought, the Spitfire had a layer of dust so thick you could see it from the gallery, and to make it worse they raped the Birmingham Art Museum of all their stuffed animals and moved a tiny percentage down to Millenium point... it gets more incredulous though.. you now have to pay to see what once was free, there for the people and guests of Birmingham for them to see what made the city tick, what their families made and invented all (well a small amount) now locked behind bars only available for a fee.. I asked if there were plans to make the museum free in the future and the girl behind the Imax/Think Tank desk said "I don't know, we're separate from the council?" what does this mean then? do the council own the exhibits any more or have they sold them? I know they have lent out indefinitely many exhibits and I must say that I haven't heard of many stories where other places have repaid the offer on a permanent basis... really really pissed off at this, sorry for the rant.The idea was great.. a massive new science museum in a new building, for me it has been a massive dissapointment and I would like to see more of the original exhibits displayed... more thought go into the Brum history section and very much as it was... FREE TO ALL RICH AND POOR!

[El Paulo]

Do you remember every city in the country rushing through their own individual Millennium projects in time for 2000? - everyone wanted something iconic, only to decide later what it was they were actually going to do with them! (a la Millennium Dome). I'm not saying this is what happened with Millennium Point, but this project seemed to be poorly thought through and wasn't big enough - the space could be used much better. I'm sure in the future they'll see the error of their ways and start to fill this 'minimalist' museum again with all the goodies they have in cold storage.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

we can but hope.. as it stands its pretty crap, the imax is good and definitely worth the money, you don't mind paying extras but its no wonder the imax doesn't pay.. there's no encouragement for people to visit the whole complex, I think the girl said it was £7 for an adult to think tank... imagine the cost of taking a whole family, its a no brainer, make the museum free and more people will attend, more footfall = more chance of filling the imax and more interest in science in general among the young of the city.

There is bugger all in the area at the moment and this will be the case for many, many years yet, we most likely will NOT see the Library move to Eastside and the other developments when eventually (many years) are completed they will be mainly offices and residential, workers from the city centre will not want to waste 30-40 minutes of their valuable lunch break to wander to and from a park in the summer months, in winter time or rainy days it will be out of bounds and so as far as I can see the only people it will benefit are those of the immediate surroundings of which at present do not exist.. I agree a city park is essential in the right place but not sure this will ever reach the people it is intended for, why do they not simply plant the tree's now to give them a chance to become established then when/if Eastside takes shape a bit the council can think more seriously about implementing the changes... in the mean time the money they would save they should use to offer the science mueum open to all for free, get more people aware of eastside.. Jesus, I really do fear for the city with projects like this, so many more immediate and essential to Birmingham's well being than a fecking park half way to Aston.. New Street, New Street, New Street!!!!!!!

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

Originally Posted by El Paulo

Do you remember every city in the country rushing through their own individual Millennium projects in time for 2000? - everyone wanted something iconic, only to decide later what it was they were actually going to do with them! (a la Millennium Dome). I'm not saying this is what happened with Millennium Point, but this project seemed to be poorly thought through and wasn't big enough - the space could be used much better. I'm sure in the future they'll see the error of their ways and start to fill this 'minimalist' museum again with all the goodies they have in cold storage.

I do, also when it first opened I worked in the city and someone told me they lived out on a small hill towards Coventry, they said they could see the changing lights but I think that soon stopped... complaints or cost???

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

for those that can't be arsed to read above... IMO... THIS PARK IS A COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND MONEY, IT WILL NOT BE USED FOR MANY YEARS (IF AT ALL) AND IS A DIRECT EXAMPLE OF EAST SIDE PIE IN THE SKY CRAP, NEW STREET STATION, NEW LIBRARY, BRUM NEEDLE & BRUM "HEART OF ENGLAND" STADIUM ARE MORE WORTHY CAUSES... IF NEED BE PLANT A SMALL INNER CITY WOODLAND WALK IN NAME OF THE CITY AND GET PEOPLE OF THE CITY TO SPONSER A TREE EACH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING BRUM HAS BEEN RAPPED FOR NOT THINKING ECO FRIENDLY.

[ROYAL BLUE]

Strongly disagree!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It will be a huge assett to the city FACT!

[Fusionist]

With the Curzon Park Developments complete, and possibly the Pinnacle/City Park Gate, the Eastside City Park will certainly be lively and not a waste of time and money. I think ECP could end up something like a larger and bolder version of the squares in Brindley Place, adding a lot of charm and character to the Eastside developments.

[Biosonic]

I absolutely disagree EK. The critics of Symphony Hall said it would be a waste of money and would not be used but it is a great success.

The park will drive up local land prices, therefore generating more money for the council through sales and rates. Once Eastside is connected to the city centre properly, it will be integral and we wouldn't be able to imagine the city centre without it. Martineau Galleries and City Park Gate are the keys to this, naturally drawing people toward City Park.

Once these schemes are up and running, Millennium Point (I agree it should be free to visit the museum) will really take off (it would be good for the council to build another museum in this area and split the collections into Science and Engineering, and Natural History, Nature and History).

I was battling through the heaving masses in town yesterday and it struck me just how condensed the city centre is. The only other place in the UK I have experienced with the sheer number of people in such a small area is Oxford St in London. With a larger city centre, and many shops having more than 1 branch, numbers will thin out to manageable levels and the whol city centre will be busy, all of the time.

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

oops sorry (I became a little carried away there)... I hope you all prove me wrong, I really do but after a couple of visits to the area it feels way too disjointed from the rest of the city, I wouldn't personally make a beeline for any park that is such a walk, IF... it looks great and IF it is maintained properly then MAYBE it will encourage people to reside there but New Street and the Library are priorities.. maybe I am looking at this in a blinkered way???

I still say that it is a disgrace that the museum isn't free!

I still want to know what has happened to the many exhibits from the old science museum?

I mean... which other city in the world would close such a great free mueum then remove half the exhibits and reopen it but with an entry fee and then puzzle as to why it is quiet???

[Biosonic]

Rest easy EK - once Martineau Galleries drags the shoppers over to Dale End, and the apartments, bars and restaurants establish around there, Masshouse and CPG, and when the city centre connects back on itself via Snow Hill and Colmore Plaza, this area will be as lively as Brindley Place and the Convention Quarter, with the added bonus of a university being there

[U475 Foxtrot]

The area will be buzzing in a few years but I do think that the Thinktank should be free or even as little as £2.50 and made over with more Birmingham Heritage and Industry artifacts.

[Biosonic]

Yeah - we don't really have a Museum of Birmingham (or West Midlands) do we?

[El Paulo]

The closest we have to a regional museum is the Black Country Museum but that's... er... the Black Country!

After the Science Museum went there was really nothing that reflected the manufacturing roots of Birmingham or the life of Birmingham people. This is what the Thinktank should be. Bring back the cars and the bikes!

[U475 Foxtrot]

I think so much more could and should be made of the old companies and brands that started here. There are tons of them Lanchester, BSA, Webley and Scott, even HP immediately spring to mind and they need to be remembered.

Oh my god. I think I'm turning into Carl Chinn

[Elizabeth Kinoke]

I think that if the council pulled their finger out... a combination of the Midland Red bus museum in Wythal, the national Motor bike museum by NEC and the old Science Museum, a Gun and Jewellery section combined with the current think tank and maybe a Bio sciences section all housed under one roof would make it one of the most fascinating museums in the world.. easily!!! and it is possible, now THAT I would pay to see.

[FLD]

The Birmingham Post - today.

Birmingham will find out by the end of this Summer if it has been successful in getting the £25 million grant from the Lottery fund to kickstart the new City Park at Eastside.

[city living]

So if they don't get the money are they going to ditch it? that would be a real shame.

[blahblah]

Originally Posted by city living

So if they don't get the money are they going to ditch it? that would be a real shame.

They'd have to get the funding from elsewhere I suppose. Hopefully the Big Lottery fund will show a bit of regional bias for us!

[U475 Foxtrot]

It will go ahead whatever happens. If we are unsuccessful with winning one of the £25m pots of money from the £140m Big Lottery Fund Living Landmarks scheme or even the £50m it will be a phased development.

I think it was £12million for the park and whatever extra (hopefully £38m! but more likely 13m) they gain will go on the Canal basin.

Here's some living Landmarks info http://www.biglotteryfund.org.uk/prog_livinglandmarks

Under the Living Landmarks funding stream, 23 projects have made it on to the shortlist to compete for a small number of grants of between £10 million and £25 million each. A programme committee that includes experts in the areas of architecture, regeneration and the environment will make decisions on grants to be awarded in September 2007.

Under the second stream, six projects will battle it out for a single grant of between £25 million and £50 million as part of the Living Landmarks: The People’s Millions programme run in conjunction with ITV, where the winning project will be decided by a televised public vote.