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Official Birmingham Development Thread 38!

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#1 ·
Right, we have a new thread and a new leader, so what better to kick this thing off with some very very insightful articles from EGi

Sir Albert Bore: Back to the future

By Lisa Pilkington | 30-06-2012 | 07:00 | Print

After an eight-year hiatus, Sir Albert Bore is back as leader of the UK's largest local authority. In his first interview since the May elections, Bore shares his priorities for Birmingham with Lisa Pilkington Portraits by Ed Shaw Sir Albert Bore looks completely at home in his spacious Council House office. With piles of papers neatly stacked on a long boardroom table, the newly elected Labour leader of Birmingham city council is bursting with enthusiasm to crack on with the job.

It is fair to say voters' decision to oust the previous Tory/Lib Dem administration in May's elections was no surprise. Birmingham is traditionally a Labour heartland and Bore has been putting the final touches to his post-victory strategy.

This is a return to power for the married father of three who previously led the council from 1999-2004. A large protest vote against the Iraq war in June 2004 left Bore's Labour administration with no overall majority. Fast forward to 2012 and a landslide victory at the polls has returned him to office.

"It feels great to be back," says the 66-year-old. "There's almost a sense of having unfinished business to deal with."

The former lecturer is widely regarded as overseeing the renaissance of Birmingham and being intrinsically linked with landmark projects such as the Bullring, the Mailbox, the National Indoor Arena (NIA) and the redevelopment of Brindleyplace. Perhaps most famously, Bore was instrumental in removing the city's "concrete collar", which paved the way for 2,000 acres of the city centre to be re-masterplanned.

This time around, Bore's buzzword is "inclusivity". He says he and the Labour administration want to work in a more open and transparent way. "We want to see an inclusive city in which many more people can play a part. I want a strategy for Birmingham that is compelling, innovative and far-sighted."

And property is a core component of that strategy. So much so that Bore has already met a number of developers to discuss key projects, such as Paradise Circus, Eastside, Arena Central and Icknield Port Loop.

He is looking for feedback from the property sector and says: "I want developers and property guys to help draw up key agendas for Birmingham. I'm not going to be just reactive. I think it's absolutely necessary to create a one-stop-shop for developers, for example a liaison person for the big projects. We need this to appeal to developers and I'm not sure we're there yet. We want to make it easier and more welcoming for developers and investors to come to Birmingham. If we don't get it right, I hope someone will come and tell me."

Open invitations don't come much clearer than that. But potential development partners take note: Bore is a tough negotiator. He has a clear vision for the city and is known as a shrewd dealmaker at a political level.

Getting on the right side of him could have its advantages, particularly as property is at the heart of his new initiative to create a number of economic growth zones around Birmingham. The first phase is a proposed 50-acre advanced manufacturing hub on what is currently the Aston Regional Investment site located close to the M6 at Spaghetti Junction. Firms from the automotive sector will be targeted. Although the council owns most of the land, CPOs will be needed to bring the rest of the site together. Savills is advising the council.

Other clusters include: an environmental enterprise in Tyseley; a medical technology/life sciences campus around the Queen Elizabeth Hospital/Birmingham University site at Selly Oak; a Media City-inspired ITEC park with large floorplates to attract media firms at Longbridge; and a major development site at Washwood Heath - regarded as Birmingham's best logistics location (see HS2 feature, p77).

Commercial city centre priorities are the big-ticket developments outlined in Birmingham's Big City Plan, a legacy document from the previous administration. "We need hero projects," says Bore. "Paradise Circus is hugely important."

The 1.5m sq ft mixed-use scheme is arguably the council's main development priority. The project sees Birmingham council in partnership with Argent Developments/Altitude to deliver a new civic and office quarter of up to 12 new buildings next to the Council House and Victoria Square.

Argent and development partner Altitude will submit an outline planning application this summer and Bore says: "Argent wants to move quickly. We are close to putting in place a development proposal for Paradise Circus that will also lever in Miller Developments' and Bridgehouse Capital's neighbouring Arena Central development."

Looking to the future, Bore says: "In five to 10 years' time, we want to have brought forward elements of Paradise Circus and Arena Central.

"We've got Eastside to develop, the Wholesale Markets to sort out and there is still a phase of Snow Hill to build. There is more than enough to keep us busy."

CV: Sir Albert Bore

• 1946 Born in Ayrshire, Scotland

• 1969 Studied nuclear and reactor physics at Birmingham University

• 1974-1999 Lecturer at the University of Aston, Birmingham

• 1980-present Councillor for Birmingham Ladywood

• 1986 Formed the Eurocities network between Birmingham, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Milan, Lyon and Rotterdam

• 1994-present Member of the EU Committee of the Regions (CoR)

• 1999-2004 Leader of Birmingham city council

• 1999-2004 Board member of West Midlands RDA

• 2002 Awarded a knighthood for services to local government

• 2006-present Chairman of University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

• May 2012 Labour regains control of Birmingham. Bore becomes leader of Birmingham city council again

• Lifestyle Married with three children

Bore on...

LEPs/enterprise zones/TIFs
"We are fully supportive of Birmingham and Solihull LEP trying to bring forward enterprise zones in the city centre. This will create an £800m capital pot to use for investment in Birmingham and wider districts. I sit on the LEP board, so will have the opportunity to shape things. David Cameron wants growth and I need capital to drive investment. We need to accelerate this process. I am taking a delegation to meet Cameron in London in July."

Elected mayors
"I have mixed feelings about Birmingham voting 'no' in May's referendum. I have been in favour of elected mayors for 12 years and I am disappointed the city didn't vote 'yes'. But the 'no' vote has opened up a wider, longer opportunity for me as council leader."

City Deal Initiative/Metro
"Birmingham's City Deal Initiative may well form part of my discussions with David Cameron, as will a possible extension to the city centre's Metro tram line from New Street, past Arena Central and on to the airport and the NEC."


Wholesale markets
"I don't think the prospect of rebuilding the wholesale markets on its current site is viable, but there are some feasibility studies being completed to determine this. My feeling is that in the end we will have to relocate the wholesale markets and we will need to do so within the next five years. It's not an easy project but we need an early conclusion as to the site's future."

Icknield Port Loop
"This is one of the best opportunities for imaginative residential development this council has for future housing. LandProp, IKEA's property development arm, has been coy about its plans. But I have said there may be some adjustments needed."

Selly Oak/Battery Park
"I think Land Securities is looking for too much retail at Battery Park [430,500 sq ft]. The Selly Oak area needs more and I know Sainsbury's is desperate to get a new store there. I support that, but how much retail should be there beyond that is debatable. Land Securities' plans have serious implications for Longbridge, the city centre and nearby villages."

Manchester/Europe
"Manchester is sometimes a competitor of ours, but it is not the enemy. We are talking to Manchester about how we can share agendas. There is no reason why the cities can't work together."
 
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#2 ·
Bore excites with Brum growth plan

By Lisa Pilkington | 02-07-2012 | 12:00 | Print

Birmingham's new council leader Sir Albert Bore is to create eight new economic growth zones in the city.

Bore, who has returned for a second stint at the council after more than eight years, said he wanted to create "an entrepreneurial city by developing new economic growth zones to support inward investment, medium enterprises and value-added businesses using and promoting the cluster model".

He added: "We want to make it easier and more welcoming for developers and investors to come to Birmingham."

The eight zones will focus on several sectors, including logistics, medical technology, IT and media and the environment (see map).

The clusters will not be formally launched until September, but behind the scenes work on the first zone has already begun.

The £97m Advanced Manufacturing Hub, a 50-acre site close to the M6 at Spaghetti Junction, has potential for more than 1m sq ft of industrial and distribution space.

The public sector has already invested £14m buying land at the site - the council owns 11 acres, with the Homes & Communities Agency holding a further 20 acres.

Private sector investment in the project is expected to total up to £80m.

Waheed Nazir, the council's director of planning and regeneration, said development at the hub would be supported by a simplified planning system, with a local development order put in place by March 2013.

"We want to remove all restrictions to promote growth and send a very strong message to occupiers," he said.

Savills is advising the council on the plan.

See also: Sir Alfred Bore - back to the future

• Birmingham’s new economic growth zones

 
#4 ·
^^I've just come to expect it nowadays...

What the smeg is a 'women's enterprise hub'?
 
#8 ·
^^

Taken from an article I posted earlier in the month on the Harbourne Clock Tower thread..

Would make sense,
The glut of new investment came as Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore announced a new food zone in the east of the city bringing together businesses from across the sector as part of his first major policy announcement since regaining power with Labour last month.

A business park will be set up for a cluster of firms in the food distribution and processing line where the firms will share a number of key facilities and good links to the motorway network. They will benefit from economic growth zone status
http://www.birminghampost.net/birmi...nary-reputation-65233-31184460/#ixzz1xmt077wg


The womens hub is to be textiles, aimed at the Asian areas of Birmingham
 
#9 ·
Israeli insurance company buys Colmore Row offices for £32.2m
by Cillian OBrien, Birmingham Post Jul 3 2012

An Israeli insurance and financial services company has bought 115 Colmore Row for £32.2 million.

Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings, listed on the Tel Aviv Stock Echange, has a portfolio of properties with 76 per cent in Israel and the rest in London.

The 80,000 sq ft Colmore Row property near Victoria Square is rented to law firm Eversheds LLP in a lease with 11 years left to run, with no early exit clause.

The net operating return on the building is £2.2 million a year, for a gross annual return on investment of seven per cent.

Clal Insurance said the current rent reflects a price of £25.20 per sq ft per year, but that the property has improvement potential, as prevailing rents in the area are £28.50 per sq ft per year.

Amir Schostak from Clal Insurance real estate operations said that the purchase improves the company’s foreign property portfolio, with the goal of diversifying the company’s assets.

Clal Insurance posted net earnings attributable to equity-holders for the first nine months of 2011 of around £16 million, compared with earnings of around £70 million for the same period in 2010.

The loss after tax in the third quarter was around £32 million, compared with around £29 million the year before.

Clal Insurance is a subsidiary of IDB Holding Corp, chaired by one of Israel’s richest men Nochi Dankner.
Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/birmi...fices-for-32-2m-65233-31305389/#ixzz1zaIK9mu0
 
#17 ·
Having Just spent 2 days in London, visiting Canary Wharf and seeing first hand just how much money there is the both there and across the Capital as a whole. I've become very aware of just how important HS2 is going to be.

London is where the Money is, HS2 will bring it to Birmingham by the Billion. The whole city will hit a Boom on a scale we won't be able to comprehend if its pulled off correctly.

The need for either an Underground system or a vastly expanded Metro system is also apparent, you just can't get around Birmingham with the ease you can down there.
 
#20 ·
Having Just spent 2 days in London, visiting Canary Wharf and seeing first hand just how much money there is the both there and across the Capital as a whole. I've become very aware of just how important HS2 is going to be.

London is where the Money is, HS2 will bring it to Birmingham by the Billion. The whole city will hit a Boom on a scale we won't be able to comprehend if its pulled off correctly.

The need for either an Underground system or a vastly expanded Metro system is also apparent, you just can't get around Birmingham with the ease you can down there.
~

Appears nothing for transport in Birmingham's City Deal, real shame as that's one of the areas that needs most attention. I hope the city gets these powers ASAP as I think a few of the other city deals include transport. Perhaps not working with the Black Country affected this:bash:
 
#19 · (Edited)
Sir Albert Bore: Back to the future

By Lisa Pilkington | 30-06-2012 | 07:00 | Print


The former lecturer is widely regarded as overseeing the renaissance of Birmingham and being intrinsically linked with landmark projects such as the Bullring, the Mailbox, the National Indoor Arena (NIA) and the redevelopment of Brindleyplace. Perhaps most famously, Bore was instrumental in removing the city's "concrete collar", which paved the way for 2,000 acres of the city centre to be re-masterplanned.

."
Funny, i could have sworn there was someone called Sir Dick Knowles who did all that as well? I suppose it wouldn't be the first time history was re-written for political gain!
 
#23 ·
Birmingham gets new £25m medical centre - but airport link is on hold
by Jonathan Walker, Birmingham Post Jul 5 2012

A new £25 million medical centre bringing together businesses and academics is to be built in Birmingham after Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg agreed to sign a “city deal” that could bring 10,800 jobs to the region.

But plans to improve transport links near Birmingham Airport, to ensure the region can make the most of the economic opportunities offered by high speed rail, have been put on hold.

The transport proposals were included in a bid submitted to the Government by Birmingham City Council and neighbouring authorities, along with Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, the business organisation chaired by John Lewis managing director Andy Street.

But these plans, which would include creating a new transport authority, have been put on ice and may be included in a “phase two” city dealt to be negotiated in the future.

However, Ministers have given the green light to a range of proposals which are designed to attract more than £15 billion of private sector investment to the region.

It follows months of negotiation between a team of ministers led by Mr Clegg, which also included Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles and Transport Secretary Justine Greening, and Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership, representing Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase, East Staffordshire, Lichfield, Redditch, Solihull, Tamworth and Wyre Forest.

Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore, and his predecessor Mike Whitby, who led the authority until May this year, also helped lead negotiations.

Measures which have been approved include the creation of an Institute for Translational Medicine, which will have state-of-the-art clinical facilities and provide an international centre of excellence for businesses and academics in the healthcare sector, from small firms to international pharmaceutical companies.

The aim is to capitalise on Birmingham’s leading position in life sciences and its existing status as location for clinical trials.

The £25 million cost of building the institute will be met with a grant of at least £8 million from the government, with further funding from coming from Birmingham University and University Hospital Birmingham, the NHS trust which runs the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Edgbaston.

Other measures include the creation of a Greater Birmingham and Solihull investment bank, to be named GBS Finance, to manage the variety of government funding streams and grants designed to help the economy.

It is expected to manage public funds of £1.5 billion.

But under the city deal proposals, it will be expected to use this money to attract private sector investment of £15 billion to the region.

Other measures which have own approval include:

* Tackle the region’s long-standing skills shortage by introducing a “Skills for Growth Compact” in which employers, colleges and schools work together to improve skills and provide students with work experience. The aim is to sign up a quarter of the region’s businesses by 2015.

* Kick start housing and mixed-use development on public land by building of 2,800 additional new homes, using publicly-owned land. This land was purchased by Advantage West Midlands, the former government agency which has now been abolished, and is currently held by the Homes and Communities Agency, a national government body.

* Refurbish 15,000 homes to reduce electricity and gas consumption.

* Establish “Smart Growth Zones” to collect and publish local data, giving residents and businesses access to better information about health, transport and energy.

Mr Street said: “This is evidence that the Government is determined to fulfil its commitment to rebalancing the economy and devolving power locally.

“But they have also said we can’t have everything we have asked for at this first stage. What they have made clear is that the door is open for further discussion.

“I am very pleased that we have go as much as we have.

“One of the most important developments will be the creation of a pot of capital which goes some way to making us masters of our own destiny, instead of having to go asking Whitehall for funding for individual projects.”

The measures were backed by the region’s business leaders.

But Birmingham Chamber chief executive Jerry Blackett said they should just be the start of measures to devolve power from London.

He said: “Civil Servants have proved effective defenders of the status quo and the government has struggled to encourage departments to work together to maximise what powers can be delivered to cities like Birmingham.

“The LEP can draw confidence from recent months and should stand firm on the next wave of ‘asks’. Not least, for example, the powers we expect to be seeking in the autumn over transport.”

“We need to remind the government that the agenda for change is to achieve radical devolution. Today’s announcement is a good start but the job remains unfinished.”

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/news/...t-plans-on-hold-65233-31327240/#ixzz1zm0EsmBN
 
#26 ·
I agree Brum - how did this strange situation arise? The neighbouring boroughs and city of Wolves look at Brum with suspicion yet they need us to help bring in investment. The Metro travels through Sandwell, Dudley into Wolves just missing Walsall but this should be one of the most important aspects of the "connected city" - there are no electrified fences or Berlin Walls between each council authority.
 
#27 ·
I agree Brum - how did this strange situation arise? The neighbouring boroughs and city of Wolves look at Brum with suspicion yet they need us to help bring in investment. The Metro travels through Sandwell, Dudley into Wolves just missing Walsall but this should be one of the most important aspects of the "connected city" - there are no electrified fences or Berlin Walls between each council authority.
sorry, meant Black Country not working with Birmingham SLEP, sadly I think this will give Whitehall the excuse they need not to cede powers. Still lets see what happens in the autumn. No one likes giving up power! Still this is an encouraging development :banana:
 
#32 ·
Top tip for the day people. If ever you're in your own car, and you see other cars driving through water like that - with water almost to the radiator grille - DON'T DRIVE IN THE WATER!

That guy in the merc will have as little as a centimetres clearance between the water level and the air intake for the engine. Cold Water being sucked into hot cylinders normally leads to a wrecked engine and a fooked car.

And your insurer may not pay out.....
 
#30 ·
http://www.trips4schools.com/news/news.asp?sCont=Thinktanksnewgallery

Thinktank, Birmingham’s science museum, will open a new gallery in February called We Made It.

The hands-on space will uncover the science of materials and manufacturing in the region, showing how and why Birmingham became known as ‘the workshop of the world’, and demonstrating to school groups how innovation remains part of the region’s cultural identity.

We Made It aims to take visitors on a journey from raw material to finished product, demonstrating how everyday goods are produced. It will be illustrated by 1,200 objects and split into four distinct areas.

Nuts and Bolts will look at Birmingham’s role in making iron and steel goods for the world; Treasure will focus on possessions made from precious metals and gemstones from Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter Tins and Things is themed around packaging for food and drink using glass and aluminium developed and made in the West Midlands; and Gadgets will be based on inventions that changed everyday life, focussing on the use of plastic and wood.

Thinktank’s educational, interactive galleries are supported by an extensive education programme. This includes workshops, shows, planetarium shows and IMAX films, suitable for all ages from Early Years through to Post-16.
 
#31 ·
Another great win for the NEC, Resortsworld is going to be a major success in my opinion
NEC SET TO MAKE A SPLASH WITH LAUNCH OF THE UK POOL & SPA EXPO
Monday, July 09, 2012

The Birmingham NEC is set to make a splash when it hosts the UK Pool & Spa Expo in January 2013, a brand new show which has been created to meet industry and customer demand for a national event, with the UK being Europe’s fourth largest market for swimming pools and spas.

The show, which is organised by New Events Ltd, will be open to both trade and the general public over the three day event allowing visitors exclusive access to the latest industry innovations and will feature exhibitors from suppliers of swimming pools, spas and other related services and accessories.

Set to attract more than 4,000 visitors over three days, the show will run from Thursday 24th – Friday 25th January 2013 for trade, and Saturday 26th January for consumers. Trade visitors are welcomed on the Saturday and will be qualified accordingly by registration staff, a clear badge format will be used to distinguish ‘trade’ from ‘consumer’.

Claire Saunders, Events Director, New Events Ltd, said, “We’ve enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the NEC, having worked with them on other shows, and found them to be a professional, supportive and responsive team, especially when it comes to launching new events like the UK Pool & Spa Expo. The NEC’s central location, in close proximity to the airport will attract international exhibitors so, for us, there was no other choice but the NEC to launch this new show.”

The event will showcase the elite from the industry, including a range of swimming pool, spa, water heating/cooling equipment, filter, cover, lighting and safety equipment manufacturers, as well as a variety of suppliers and distributors. The event is proving popular with exhibitors as the majority of spaces have already been filled.

Chris Hartley, Business Development Director, The NEC, said, “We’re absolutely delighted to be working with New Events Ltd on the launch of the UK Pool & Spa Expo. The fact that the show will debut at The NEC, opening to both trade and consumer visitors, demonstrates our ability to host events that appeal to multiple audiences, under the same roof, and showcases our appeal as the venue of choice for smaller, launch events as well as larger, established shows.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming the event next year and are excited about this event really meeting the needs of the swimming pool and spa industry.”
http://www.necgroup.co.uk/news-and-...a-splash-with-launch-of-the-uk-pool-spa-expo/
 
#33 ·
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