Regenerating the Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Partnership usually meets twice yearly and includes membership from agencies such as Birmingham City Council, Advantage West Midlands and local representatives from the business and residential community. It was first formed a number of years ago following the publication of an Urban Village Framework which encouraged the regeneration of the Quarter through mixed use schemes. This was superseded several years ago by the Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Charter and a new revised Charter is available here Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Charter 2008
Current progress is set out on the various themes: -
Vision
By 2010, the Jewellery Quarter will be acknowledged as the City Region’s Creative Village an asset to both Birmingham and the West Midlands. A truly unique area where design quality is an integral feature of its renaissance. A Quarter with a vibrant atmosphere which not only attracts people to work, live, play and visit but acts as a honey pot for creative businesses ranging from the current jewellery business base to arts and media.
This vision will be achieved by creating:
A Dynamic Place to Do Business
• Introduction of an incubation scheme for young designer makers.
• Publication of a Trade Directory to help secure extra work for jewellers.
• ‘Made in the Jewellery Quarter’ initiative in development.
• Re-equipping of the Jewellery Industry & Innovation Centre to provide state of the art training for the jewellery trade.
• Proposed expansion of the School of Jewellery to provide further training, research and learning areas.
• Development under way of a business support strategy for the jewellery industry.
• Installation of 24 hour monitored CCTV with improved street lighting planned.
Quality Buildings & Places
• Improvements undertaken to Warstone Lane and Key Hill Cemeteries with further planned.
• Improvements to the Urban Realm planned.
• Development of new parking proposals for the Quarter including permits to meet the varying needs of the business and residential communities.
• Large developments under way include the Old Science Museum site, Brindley House, Derwent House, the Old Mint site and the Warstone Lane mixed use Health Centre development.
• Proposed strategy being developed to reduce dereliction from the current 50 sites by 50%.
• Proposals being developed for the Golden Square by the Jewellery Quarter clock.
• Sites scheduled for redevelopment include the A.E. Harris site (Northwood Street), Ludgate Hill / Great Charles Street car park site and the proposed St George’s Project in the Pope Street / Camden Street / Carver Street part of the area.
The Connected Quarter
• Improvements to signage undertaken and further planned.
• New pedestrian link from Snow Hill through to Livery Street under way.
• Improvements to the Snow Hill (Constitution Hill) area.
• Proposed replacement of Ludgate Hill to Church Street pedestrian bridge proposed in conjunction with developers of the Great Charles Street Car Parking site.
• Temporary improvements to Paradise Forum to Summer Row pedestrian route also proposed.
A Sustainable Community
• Tesco now based in the Quarter with other smaller food retailers in situ.
• Jewellery Quarter Neighbourhood Forum formed to represent the views of the local community.
• Development of the Health Centre under way.
• Pharmacy now based in the Quarter.
A Unique Visitor Destination
• Expansion of the Museum of the Jewellery Quarter under way.
• Friends of Key Hill Cemetery and Pen Museum proposing Heritage Lottery funding bids.
• Annual Jewellery Quarter Christmas Lights and In Bloom initiatives.
• Refurbishment of J.W. Evans building proposed.
• Coffin Works, Fleet Street project under way commencing with remediation of contaminated land.
Pzazz
• Annual Jewellery Quarter Festival showcasing arts and designer crafts.
• Jewellery Quarter Information Centre located by the clock.
• Jewellery Quarter website set up and new Jewellery Quarter Guide under way.
• Further marketing initiatives include working with Chiltern Railways, TV & media campaigns.
The Partnership is serviced by a small executive team which is funded by Birmingham City Council and is based at offices at Unit 2, 57 Frederick Street, Hockley, Birmingham B1 3HS. It is normally open Monday to Friday from 8.00 am until 5.00 pm. The Reception Desk telephone number is 0121-464 7013 (fax no. 0121-464 1189).
The Operations Director is Andy Munro and he can be contacted on 0121-464 1186 or 07985-169462. E-mail address is andy_munro@birmingham.gov.uk
The Team’s job is to support the Partnership in driving forward the Charter objectives, which range from tackling dereliction and business support to marketing the area. A number of Steering Groups meet to take forward various themes, which include a monthly Land & Property Group to consider and comment on Planning Applications, a Cemeteries Steering Group, a Parking & Transportation Group and a Community Safety Group. These generally meet quarterly.
Planning applications for the Quarter are also on the deposit at the Regeneration Partnership’s offices.
