There was a trial project along bristol st by university of Birmingham which basically monitored emissions along the road then planted ivy/climbing plants along the stretch on the fence/barrier running alongside the road to see its effects on reducing emissions

It’s still in place and I haven’t heard anything since of the project but even if the research came back as having little to no effect I think it’s a great idea and makes the area seem nicer without all the metal railings, perhaps this could be expanded across the city and even used at schools along their fencing for added privacy too?

I’d also like the council/Amey to start using car park grids which allow grass to grow but not be damaged when parked on, especially when they’re fitting raised double bank kerbs to stop parking on grassed areas aswel...


Generally the city is quite good in planting replacement trees

Anyway We have “more trees than paris” :lol:

I think longbridge town centre river rea route is often under appreciated because of the town centre as a whole but would be good to bring covered parts of the rea back to the surface with similar treatment and improve the current course/rote with cycle path and footpath alongside

Living walls are actually quite good as added insulation to buildings and can also be used to manage rain water, should be encouraged along all dead street frontages and instead of brick or concrete walls in my opinion, I think up to 1st floor level would be ideal as any higher and maintaining them becomes more of an issue

Also helps with reducing graffiti problems, that said the living wall along new st went through a phase of the local drug addicts putting their used needles in the bedding...

Should encourage either solar panels, rooftop gardens or the living moss roof tops on all new developments or as a condition to refurbishing buildings

I think if that was adopted across the city the need for a full park would be reduced with greenery surrounding every part of the city in the form of living walls etc.

Spiceal st one always looks good when I’ve gone past

^^ That would be ideal for the big brown thing on hill st....

Conservative council pledge to add living walls along commuter routes including Aston expressway



https://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/how-aston-expressway-could-look-14260043

Think it depends what plant is used, the railings on bristol street are green all year around

BhamBadger said:

Doesn't Ivy die back in the Autumn and Winter.

Seems an odd choice of plant, though I suppose low maintenance is the key.

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I remember something about they couldn’t allow it to become too established as the ivy may damage the railings and talks of using different variants of the plant and of covers with moss on or something but I don’t think it’s fake

I don’t think maintenance would be an issue, rather than ivy by the Aston expressway you’d probably get moss, like they have on the living roofs at many buildings which don’t require access to maintain

If they did require maintenance it would be completed when they do planned programmes closures such as street lighting and inspections anyway

Did anyone see the documentary on car pollution trialed in kings heath? The planted trees they used to line the car parking space would be awesome along a lot of our streets in permanent stone bases spaced out along streets

Here is the report on the scheme

https://mobilane.co.uk/wp-content/u...s-PM10-Research-BID-Final-Report-July2015.pdf

The only mention I can find of the project and H&S is that the ivy has to be fixed to the back of the railing so staff would not be road side of the railings, which makes sense

The findings come to the conclusion that it did improve air quality so hopefully we see this scheme start to spread, even hedges or trees along central reservations?

I think the way things are going the future will see a lot more greenery everywhere to be honest it’s really come to the publics attention lately and getting a lot of media attention which seems to be taken seriously, same goes for plastics too

Over the past few years we’ve seen the snow hill living wall, new street and this and they do look good, the best thing about them is they cover what would otherwise be blank walls/graffiti etc.

First time I’ve been city centre in a long time, what’s with the bollards and tarmac ramps? hno:

I know they’re clearly a temporary safety measure and quick solution but seriously look horrendous, some large concrete planters would have been more ideal, there was a huge puddle collecting in front of the one tarmac ramp...

Not a bad idea, save on cutting grass in long term too

https://m.facebook.com/Solihull/posts/10155158851685810

Birmingham’s greenery clearly helping here I was expecting to see us quite high on the list to be honest

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-43964341

Birmingham has won its 7th consecutive gold at RHS Chelsea flower show

Following on from the floods, obviously over a months rain in the space of an hour and low lying areas are going to cause problems but maybe time to rethink some of the areas


Kings heath and harborne high st both heavily flooded as did many high density residential areas in Selly Oak

Perhaps addition of soakaways, trees, grass grid for parking?

I think your right most was down to surface water and no doubt in yesterday’s event they wouldn’t have coped but the streets have flooded in the past with smaller and less concentrated rain periods they also lack greenery with paved/tarmac surfaces

Without digging up roads and causing loads of hassle I think smaller measures are achievable in existing streets though and would also go towards improving air quality along harborne, kings heath and stirchley high streets

Sir johns road only flooded 2 years ago, some residents had reportedly only just moved back home after the last flood!

As you say the water subsided within a few hours to be honest so perhaps some breaking of tarmac to create some lower lying areas with greenery to absorb some of the floodwaters and drain quicker

I appreciate the amount of rain we had in such a short space of time would not be absorbed by the introduction or sunken greenery along the road but would help atleast and perhaps spare a more likely flood of half the rain or give added time for resident to get sandbags etc. In place move valuables in future

Nope.

Highways drainage Severn Trent will refer you to the highways department for that area be it motorway or regional council in our case Amey via BCC


Severn Trent will only attend and investigate sewer flooding

Only time Severn Trent get involved with highways drainage is if the water remains for a long period after rainfall has stopped as may be the connection to their part of the system and that will only be after the highways contractors have attended to clear their bit and prove theirs not at fault

djay said:

Drains are maintained by Seven Trent i believe. Not the Council. So money shouldn't be an issue... More capitalism and maximising profit.

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Generally Severn Trent’s side of things usually cope they look after the bigger network, they only tend to get issues when idiots flush thing they shouldn’t which were told about regularly it’s the smaller highways network that can’t cope as flow is restricted due to smaller pipes leading to the bigger network

Also sewerage is totally different to storm water as storm water drains are tried at best to be kept separated from sewerage waste

Think older streets with a drain every couple of house perhaps? Compared to new roads with drainage kerbs the length of the road to help take the flow away

Not helped on the older streets by storm drains filled to the brim with rubbish leaves and dirt washed down which should be cleaned see below link as an example I’m not saying that’s the cause but I haven’t seen regular drain cleaning in Birmingham and am on the road a lot travelling around the city

https://twitter.com/thetomstokes/status/1002658998678642689?s=20