This is an unofficial 'plain English' version of the Big City Plan Work in Progress consultation document about how Birmingham (UK) should be developed over the next 20 years. For more information, see the About page.
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The official consultation closes at 23:59 on Friday 6th February. We closed comments on the same day at 12 noon here in order to get them to the council on time, in the format they want.
We sent a printed copy of all comments that were made before midnight on 4th Feb to the council by post (recorded delivery). We are currently processing comments made by 12 noon today (6th Feb) to email to them.
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Where and how might the city seek to get new arts exhibition space and venues incorporated into major new developments (for example, like New Street Station)?
Where and how could the city get new space for arts exhibitions within big new developments, such as New Street Station?
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I think that the idea of putting anything substantial in to New St Station is a very odd idea. The new station is being built as the old one has a capacity issue – and much research says that it will only just be big enough – so adding a destination that isn't about transport to the building is something that miay have to be thought about very deeply.
A major new arts space near to New Street would be a very good idea – and many have suggested that the Central Library building becomes this when the library functions are moved to a new building.
Totally agree that New Street Station should stick to its primary purpose (as far as it can within the existing building). However the Gateway project will give greater access to Station St and Southside. There's already the Old Rep and the Electric as 'anchors', why not develop some of the semi-derelict stuff around there.
New Street's primary purpose should be transportation but then that's one of the problems with its current incarnation, it's purely functional.
The new New Street should act as the gateway to the region and the arts should be an integral part of this. It wouldn't take a lot of space to hang a few prints, you can bet that the station will be full of advertising that will not impact the functionality of the building. If 10% of that advertising space was given over to displaying work by local artists, perhaps directing new arrivals to exhibitions throughout the city then the impressions that people will have of Birmingham would change. This is one of the biggest rail interchanges in the country and is often the only view of Brum that many people in the country have.
Surely its possible to view any new build with an eye to including something creative, displaying some art, a small cafe with a stage in one corner etc.