Digbeth

[Biosonic]

Originally Posted by Joe Brody

Of course you are right. The last thing we need is to have the proper development of Digbeth as a bohemian place for art and music and culture and lively city living because of a few nimby stiffs in unsoundproofed flats.

As for reaching a compromise - remember the Fiddle and Bone RIP? These people really get on my nerves.

AFAIK the Fiddle is not a good comparison. Yes there were a few moaners, but (I think someone posted on here) apparently the Fiddle went well in excess of acceptable noise levels.

I have been in there in the past when a band has been on and it was much louder than any nightclub. I guess the Fiddle was just not the right place for a jazz club. A basement in somewhere like Tarnished Halo would be good.

[Joe Brody]

Clubs are noisy; thats the whole point. I dont recall the Fiddle being any noisier than anywhere else when I was in it. Or The Rainbow currently. It appears that the noise levels are acceptable until someone builds apartments nearby, then it becomes a problem. On current form, the club (and the hundreds of people who go there) lose to the handful of apartment dwellers who complain. So - allow more apartments in Digbeth - kiss goodbye to developing it as an artistic quarter?

[Biosonic]

Ultimately a compromise has to be reached - cities across the world managed to have bars, clubs, residents and workers living cheek by jowl so why should we be any different?

Now if the city council wishes to declare the east side of Digbeth High St as a resi-free zone then so be it, but it is equally unacceptable to allow clubs to emit noise externally as loud as they like "because they were there first" as it is for numpties to move into the city centre expecting peace and quiet 24/7

[brum2003]

I agree with Bio, go to the Marais in Paris, parts of Barcelona and countless other european cities and see bars/clubs/shops and apartments all piled on top of each other. They have systems such as 'airlock' doors, double glazing and bass limiters....but they have very successful night time economies, festivals etc etc

as Bio said its about balance....maybe residential developers should be made to soundproof neighbouring bars as part of the S106 agreements on the undertanding bars will keep noise to reasonable levels late at night

[abacus]

[QUOTE=Biosonic;19275928]Can you put up a poster in Abacus asking residents to subscribe to support the music venues? The Spotted Dog has a blog/website doesn't it - people can register their support and maybe lobby the council to protect the venues.

The Keepdigbethvibrant website was set up by an Abacus resident and although created because of what was happening to the Spotted Dog is also about trying to protect live music in Digbeth as a whole. Several residents of Abacus have and continue to lobby the council but in the main this has fallen on deaf ears. This is the reason 'The Digbeth Whisperer' started because taking the piss seemed the next alternative! Any other suggestions?

[Joe Brody]

Originally Posted by brum2003

I agree with Bio, go to the Marais in Paris, parts of Barcelona and countless other european cities and see bars/clubs/shops and apartments all piled on top of each other. They have systems such as 'airlock' doors, double glazing and bass limiters....but they have very successful night time economies, festivals etc etc

as Bio said its about balance....maybe residential developers should be made to soundproof neighbouring bars as part of the S106 agreements on the undertanding bars will keep noise to reasonable levels late at night

Maybe the developers should soundproof their own developments in the first instance - enough has been said previously about alleged failure to do so at Abacus

http://www.birminghammail.net/birmin...7319-20567016/

I suspect the party animals of Barcelona, most of whom dont even start going out til 2 a.m. are probably a bit less uptight than our local nimbies

[brum2003]

no, I suspect there are nimbys in barcelona too....but clear lines of communication between competing interests and a pro active city council deliver sustainable commercial and residential developments side by side.....I was not suggesting developers don't insulate their developments properly, quite the opposite...just contribute (in full) towards bars and clubs to insulate too, mitigating much of the problem

as has been proved in the gay village, concerted lobbying by a unified community can stop a developer (in that case crosby) building homes with sub standard sound proofing, in fact to get planning permission they have had to improve it, there was a small requirement for the club to lower its bass too....

hardly a chore in the circumstances and the clubs and bars there continue to play loud music and enjoy commercial success (although most bars now lower there music at eleven, but are still packed !)

if your saying the same solutions are incompatible in Digbeth then the area is doomed to be an semi derelict eyesore which I'm sure nobody wants

I agree with most of what you say though regards the aspiration for a gritty cultural led area with unique late night bars and clubs, its a refreshing part of the city from that angle, but looks and feels dreadful especially at night

the real culprits here are the city council for not enforcing strict planning guidelines on developers and burying its head in the sand about an all to obvious situation, residents complaints.

[Nacho]

From a Spanish perspective I have to say that noise is the norm in bigger cities ;with or without bars or music .I've lived above several bars and it's a case of 'aguantar'.Many nights if I haven't been able to get to sleep because of bar noise I've just got dressed and joined in the fun .

[Biosonic]

http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/spotted-...g-0104081.html

Digbeth’s Spotted Dog pub – whose future is jeopardised by a Noise Abatement Order issued by Birmingham City Council – has won support from 98% of residents in the nearby Abacus Apartments. Landlord John Tighe’s report appears to contradict the findings of the Council’s own independent research.

John invited everyone who lives in the 179 Abacus flats to give him their views about his Sunday night music gigs.

Fifty people responded, and 98% said they had “no complaint”- while just one tenant (2%) said they found the noise “intolerable”.

What’s more, none of those surveyed objected to plans for a permanent marquee in the garden of the pub, while 88% thought the Spotted Dog was an “asset to the area.”

[TJF]

Sounds good, but I guess it wont be given much credence as it was carried out by the Landlord

[Engels]

Birmingham City Council's own Independent Research.

Now that is surely the definition of an oxymoron.

[ultraviolet]

The rear of Digbeth Cold Storage

[Erebus555]

Definitely a candidate for a Time Team dig!

[Nacho]

Thanks for the photos UV .

[feltip]

Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Demonstration against gentrification - April 11th Birmingham

Demonstration against gentrification and for free, autonomous social space in Birmingham - meet outside the Council House, Victoria Square at 2pm, Friday 11th April. This is an event for spontaneous protest around these issues. Please bring your banners, whistles and drums! On Friday 11th April there will be a demonstration in Birmingham City Centre, outside the Council House in Victoria Square. A diversity of voices to be heard in one place, the demonstration will call for free social space in Birmingham. Various groups will be campaigning against the gentrification of Digbeth, the corporate take over of the city centre and the proposed closure of day centres across the city.

Birmingham, like many other cities, has a desperate shortage of genuinely free social space. Currently there are several developments going on, either carried out or supported by Birmingham City Council, that threaten social space and will increase social exclusion of the poor and minority or marginalised groups:-

http://www.spaghettigazetti.com/2008...ification.html

[djay]

i wont comment as a sociology student, it might end up an essay!

[feltip]

If you split up your reply into sections then you can boost your own and Birmingham's post count

go on, go on, go on, go on ...

[Biosonic]

I quite like the idea - the council set aside a piece of land, give it a basic makeover and turn it over to public use.

It would need continuing care etc but there's no reason why it can't work.

[Biosonic]

Kinda related to Digbeth. Will post it on Husrt St thread.

http://www.thestirrer.co.uk/new-thre...e-0304081.html

[mk61]

Had an opportunity to look around Abacus with a resident mate last friday. Not bad (bigger than his old shoebox in the JQ) though with a nice crack in the ceiling. Due to the structure settling, he told me. Despite the simple keypad-in, big white button-out arrangement on the main door seemed to have massive trouble exiting the place. Then that could have been due to the fact we could barely walk in a straight line. Or talk.

Oh yeah - one of the ground floor windows had been smashed to bits during the night. Area still seems to be a bit - y'know...