Plain English Version
Highgate is one of the largest residential areas in the city centre but it is also where a lot of people work. Most of the housing is social housing. Highgate contains:
The quality of housing varies and the outdoor areas could be better. Open spaces are often unplanned, left-over spaces. Work spaces can sometimes be old, large, low-rise warehouses of poor quality.
Highgate Park does not meet its full potential. It is unimaginatively landscaped, has few benches or park furniture and large areas of concrete. The park can be dramatically improved.
There has been a strong residential community in Highgate for a long time. This can be developed to build a new residential area for families living in the city centre. More people living in Highgate will support more local shops, community facilities, new public transport services and make better use of the park. Better facilities will also help neighbouring areas on the other side of the ring road, such as Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath. For these areas to benefit connections across the ring road will need to be improved. Highgate fronts onto a long stretch of the ring road. Redeveloping this stretch will improve Highgate’s image and make it a better route into the city centre.
Highgate therefore has the potential for a big transformation with its mews, the park and being within walking distance to the city centre, it can be a desirable residential area. This would help deliver the ‘LIVE LOCAL’ ambition. There could be a variety of 3 and 4 storey houses, mews houses, maisonettes and some apartments with their own gardens, balconies and roof terraces. The area could form a focus for family city living. With the right mix of housing, schools and local facilities it could attract both professionals and those who need affordable housing.
Highgate needs better connections to the city core, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. We could possibly create a fine new walking route – the “Highgate Walk” from the south side of the city’s core.
Residential development will mean that ome local industries are displaced. There are some longstanding local businesses that will want to remain. This will affect the design of the areas around them. The development of Highgate will need to be sensitive to these local businesses.
Original Document
Highgate is one of the largest residential communities in the city centre, but is also a significant employment area. It has a range of housing, much of which is social housing, including semi-detached properties, terraces and tower blocks. It also contains one of the most important open spaces – Highgate Park – some interesting buildings including the Grade II listed Paragon Hotel and several very fine industrial buildings. It will be the location for the St Albans Academy. It is also the location of the Central Mosque, which is a landmark building and has one of the largest congregations in the UK.
However, the quality of the housing stock is variable, and the surrounding environment could be better. Open spaces, for example, are often incremental, left over spaces. Some of the industrial premises consist of low rise and space-hungry warehouses and work-spaces of a mixed age and quality.
Highgate Park does not meet its full potential. It is unimaginatively landscaped, has little park furniture and has large areas of hard surfacing. The park therefore has considerable scope for change and improvement.
The great advantage of Highgate is that it has an existing long established residential community that can be developed and extended to form an outstanding new residential area and a focus for family living within the city centre. A substantial growth in population will help to support more local shops and community facilities, support new public transport services and make better use of the Park. This will be better for the community that already lives there. Better facilities in Highgate can also benefit the neighbouring areas of Birmingham outside the Ring Road, including Sparkbrook and Balsall Heath if connections across the road are improved. Highgate also has a long ring road frontage which offers the opportunity for selective redevelopment to improve the image of the area and the entrances into the city centre from this direction.
Highgate therefore has the potential for transformational change. With its views, its park and its position within walking distance to all the facilities of the core area, Highgate has the makings of a desirable residential neighbourhood and has the potential to deliver the ‘LIVE LOCAL’ ambition. Three and four storey town housing, maisonettes, mews houses and some apartments could provide a critical mass and density of population to support local services whilst allowing the provision of private open space in the form of gardens, roof terraces and balconies. The area could form a focus for family city living, and with the right mix of housing, schools and local facilities it could be attractive to both affluent professionals, and those who need affordable housing.
The transformation of Highgate cannot come without better connections to the city core, particularly for pedestrians and cyclists. There is scope for creating a fine new walking route – the “Highgate Walk” from the south side of the city’s core.
Residential growth of this kind and any proposed new route will almost certainly result in the displacement of some industrial activity. There are some very long established businesses in the area which provide significant employment and these may seek to remain. This will have implications for the design and development of the areas around. The approach to the development of Highgate will have to take this into account and will require a fine-grained and sensitive strategy.
Highgate (Popup full image)
Plain English Version
‘Highgate Transformed’
Highgate will be developed as a high quality residential area with good schools, doctor’s surgeries, shops and cafes. It will be held up as a model example of a good residential area. It will be a clean and safe environment with good local facilities, utility services and digital communications. A mix of housing types will be adaptable to people’s changing needs, as their families grow and economic circumstances change. This option builds on Highgate’s existing strengths. It already has an established residential community, primary and secondary schools and Highgate Park. The park will be improved with with an emphasis on developing the surrounding housing, giving the park more security. Highgate will have better links to Southside and the City Core with an attractive new walking route. This will encourage more people to walk through Highgate to the city centre.
Original Document
Highgate transformed. Highgate would be developed as an exemplar family residential neighbourhood supported by high quality local services such as schools, doctors surgeries, local shops and cafes. It would be held up as a model example of a residential neighbourhood in terms of its environmental standards, its utility services, its adaptable homes, its neighbourhood facilities, its accessibility, its digital communications and its vibrant, safe streets. A mix of homes would be provided which would be designed to be adaptable to people’s changing needs and to the evolving social and economic environment. This option would build on the existing residential strengths of this area; there are already primary and secondary schools as well as Highgate Park. The park would be improved and there would be a focus on housing renewal to provide a better edge to the park and better natural surveillance. The new Highgate would be linked to Southside and the City Core by an attractive new route to encourage people to walk to the centre.
Plain English Version
‘Highgate Improved’
The mixture of housing and employment uses in the area would not change significantly. But there will be focused redevelopment or improvement of existing housing and industrial buildings. Also some infill development of left-over open spaces. This option promotes gradual change as and when opportunities arise. The frontage to the Park will be improved through selective renewal of the overlooking houses to provide better security.
Original Document
Highgate improved. The mixture of housing and employment uses in the area would not change significantly but there would be incremental change including selective redevelopment or improvement of existing housing and industrial buildings and some infill development. This option would promote gradual change as and when opportunities arise. The frontage to the Park would be improved through selective housing renewal to provide better natural surveillance.
Plain English Version
‘Highgate Strategic Park’
Highgate Park will be expanded with a greater range of facilities. This will create another city park to match Birmingham’s aspiration as a world city. The park will be of the highest quality design, with imaginative landscaping and a variety of uses to cater for the diverse local neighbourhood. The park will be promoted to be used by people of all ages and abilities. It will be used for relaxation, learning, sport and children’s play. The park boundary and the houses along it will be improved, providing better security at all times of the day.
Original Document
Highgate Strategic Park. Highgate Park would be expanded and its range of facilities greatly increased in order to create another major city park to match Birmingham’s aspiration as a world city. The park would be of the highest quality design, with imaginative landscaping and a variety of functions which reflect the diversity of surrounding communities. The park would be promoted as a resource for people of all ages and abilities and would be used for relaxation, learning, sport and children’s play. Improvements would be made to the boundaries of the park, ensuing that buildings front onto the park, providing natural surveillance at all times of the day.
Plain English Version
‘Highgate Local Park’
Highgate Park will remain in its current form with improvements to its overall quality and function. There will be a better park edge made by targeted redevelopment. Investment will ensure that the park is of the highest quality design, with imaginative landscaping and a variety of uses that cater for all the surrounding communities. Where possible, the park boundary will be improved, which will provide better security.
Original Document
Highgate Local Park. Under this option Highgate Park would be retained in its current form with improvements to its overall quality and function and a better park edge through selective redevelopment. Investment would ensure that the park was of the highest quality design, with imaginative landscaping and a variety of functions that provide for all surrounding communities. Where possible, improvements would be made to the boundaries of the park, ensuring an element of natural surveillance at all times.