Plain English Version
This report also suggests choices based on policy for the districts whose economic activity is staying still or falling such as the Gun Quarter, Digbeth and the Jewellery Quarter. These choices include ideas to expand business, the creative industries and housing in these areas.
Original Document
This report also suggests policy-based options for the quarters that have experienced stagnating or declining economic activity including the Gun Quarter, Digbeth and the Jewellery Quarter, which include ideas for the expansion of business, creative industries and housing within these areas.
Plain English Version
The Gun Quarter lost almost a quarter of the jobs in manufacturing there in between 2003 and 2004. We can see that although there are lots of new offices being built and new shops there are areas of the City Centre with lots of empty factories and warehouses. This is especially obvious in the Gun Quarter, Digbeth and the Jewellery Quarter.
There isn’t much manufacturing left, which makes parts of the city feel empty. There are enough spaces in the city centre for industry, but few new businesses to fill them.
Original Document
The Gun Quarter for example lost approximately 25% of its manufacturing jobs in the 3 years from 2003 to 2006 and the trend is continuing. This trend is already very clearly demonstrated ‘on the ground’ in the city centre. There is a very strong contrast between the ongoing major office construction projects and vibrant shopping streets of the core, and the substantial swathes of under-used and vacant industrial premises within certain sectors of the city centre, particularly the Gun Quarter, Digbeth and even the Jewellery Quarter. Genuine manufacturing has become the exception rather than the rule and parts of the centre lack activity and vibrancy. Despite the retention of employment premises through protective policies, the evidence is that business start-ups in the city centre are low in relative terms given the supply of potential premises.
Plain English Version
The Jewellery Quarter already has a lot of mixed-use development — and we could encourage more.
Original Document
The Jewellery Quarter already exhibits some of the characteristics of a mixed use area and could be developed further along these lines.
Plain English Version
The city centre includes several areas of distinct character which used to be mainly industrial, such as the Gun Quarter, Jewellery Quarter and Digbeth. One of the clear trends from the economic analysis (see above) is less manufacturing and lots of empty and under-used buildings in these areas as a result. Some of the nicer buildings have been converted into housing and there has also been some new housing built. However, there is still a lot of empty and under-used floor space and some empty sites and these could be a good opportunity for more housing very close to the city core.
Original Document
The city centre comprises several areas of distinct character which were formerly largely industrial, such as the Gun Quarter, Jewellery Quarter and Digbeth. One of the clear trends from the economic analysis (see above) is the reducing level of manufacturing and the resultant stock of vacant and underused buildings within these quarters. Some of the more attractive building stock has been converted to residential use and there has also been some residential development. However, there is still a lot of vacant and under-used floor-space and some vacant sites and these could present a major opportunity for residential growth on brownfield land within a stone’s throw of the city core.
Plain English Version
How much and what types of housing should we have alongside the small businesses and creative industries in districts such as the Jewellery Quarter, Digbeth and the Gun Quarter?
Original Document
How far and in what ways can we accommodate more housing within mixed use quarters and traditional industrial quarters like the Jewellery Quarter, Digbeth and the Gun Quarter whilst retaining small businesses and creative industries in those areas?
Plain English Version
Public open space within the city centre is limited. The largest area of open space is Highgate Park — we’ve bid for some money to improve it (along with CSV) from the Parks for People lottery fund.
We could extend Highgate Park so it was big enough for all the people that might be living in the city centre to use.
Other parks in the city centre include St. George’s Park and Sunset Park which forms the centrepiece of the new Park Central development.
There are plans for a new park for Eastside, which will occupy an area of 0.032 square kilometres (0.0124 square miles, about 4 and a half football pitches) and will stretch from Park Street, past Millennium Point and through the Digbeth Branch Canal.
The cemeteries in the Jewellery Quarter provide green space and could be improved.
If we build more houses, we will need more parks and other open space.
Original Document
Public open space within the city centre is limited. The largest area of open space is Highgate Park, which has been subject of a Parks for People lottery bid following extensive consultation. There is potential, however, for the extension of Highgate Park to serve a growing residential population within the city centre. Other notable parks in the city centre include St. George’s Park and Sunset Park which forms the centrepiece of the new Park Central development. In addition, there are plans for a new park for Eastside, which will occupy an area of 3.2 hectares and will stretch from Park Street, past Millennium Point and through the Digbeth Branch Canal. Otherwise, many of the quarters outside the core have very little open space. The cemeteries in the Jewellery Quarter provide green space and have considerable potential for improvement. The potential of the city centre to accommodate more housing will require the creation of more open space and the improvement of existing open spaces.
Plain English Version
What do we need to do to make sure that the New Street Gateway project greatly improves access to the station from all sides, especially Southside? How can we make the Snow Hill, Moor Street and Jewellery Quarter stations fit in with their surroundings? (and also a new Bordesley station, which we need to move because of the suggested rail chords).
Original Document
What steps need to be taken to ensure that the New Street Gateway project radically improves access to the station from all points, especially Southside. How can we best integrate Snow Hill, Moor and Jewellery Quarter stations with their surroundings (and a relocated Bordesley station, which would need to be moved as a result of the proposed rail chords).
Plain English Version
The Core as the focus for fine buildings, great streets and fine walking routes
If we follow this plan, we will want more landmark buildings in the city centre. We want Birmingham to be a global city, and these new buildings will help.
We will turn the large roads (such as parts of the A38) into green walking areas for pedestrians. We will improve connections across Queensway, and into nearby areas such as the Jewellery Quarter.
Original Document
The Core as the focus for fine buildings, great streets and fine walking routes. Further landmark buildings would be encouraged to mark the centre of the global city. The large highways such as the A38 axis would be greened and made into pedestrian-friendly boulevards. Better connections would be established across Queensway into the neighbouring quarters, such as the Jewellery Quarter.
Plain English Version
The Jewellery Quarter (for a larger version click on the map)
The Jewellery Quarter has many high quality buildings set in a very industrial area. It is protected by a conservation area and is a potential candidate as a World Heritage site.
Specialist jewellery makers, designers and shops still exist in the quarter. Now though they work alongside a growing entertainment, commercial and professional business sector in the area around St Paul’s Square, a neighbourhood we consider the centrepiece of the historic environment in the Jewellery Quarter.
This part of Birmingham wasn’t always about industry. The first buildings there were homes. These started to change as small businesses converting bedrooms into workshops. Buildings containing both houses and workshops are now rare, although one example is 27-32 Mary Street. Today the character of the area is shaped by purpose built factories and workshops from the 19th Century. Fringe central activities (sorry the previous phrase is tricky to translate) occupy land by Great Charles Street/Queensway. There are more modest offices and some residential developments next to St. Paul’s Square and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal. The only open spaces are Key Hill Cemetery and the Church of England Cemetery on Warstone Lane.
You only need to look out from the Jewellery Quarter to see just how close it is to the core part of the the city centre. However getting there can be a problem. For example: Church Street traditionally linked St Paul’s Church to St Philips Cathedral but is now cut by the Queensway.
So this plan should find ways to make it easier for people to travel between the Jewellery Quarter and the core of the city centre. We may find that redevelopment of some major sites presents an opportunity to make it easier for people to walk. The Metro Line 1 runs through the Jewellery Quarter and provides a connection from Snow Hill to Wolverhampton whilst a railway line also runs through the quarter from Snow Hill to Stourbridge and Solihull.
We think the Jewellery Quarter is generally considered a success, but there are still many empty and under used buildings. Developers have been keen to build homes and buildings which are used as homes and offices on the less historic industrial fringe, but in the more traditional parts of the quarter there are tensions. Here the Council’s current policy stops developers buildings homes. It is a policy designed to protect the historic core as a place for factories, workshops and business. The Big City Plan should take another look at the planning policy for the quarter.
The Big City Plan will need to consider the opportunities for mixed use development within the Jewellery Quarter. There are already a number of proposals, including a new development around Carver Street, Camden Street and Pope Street and the future of sites on Great Charles Queensway are also being discussed. The existing Unitary Development Plan (you can find the whole document it through this link, the section on the Jewellery Quarter is here.) includes a proposal to create an urban village which will provide for a mixture of small businesses and new homes.
Original Document
The Jewellery Quarter has strong functional links with its past, retaining specialist jewellery manufacturing and designing as well as retailing. It also has a growing entertainment, commercial and professional business sector in the part nearer to the city centre around St Paul’s Square. It has many high quality buildings set in an uncompromisingly industrial street-scape, is protected by a conservation area and is a potential candidate as a World Heritage Site.
The centrepiece of the historic environment in the Jewellery Quarter is St Paul’s Square. The quarter is also home to Key Hill Cemetery and the Church of England Cemetery on Warstone Lane. These are the only areas of open space in the quarter.
The earliest buildings in the Jewellery Quarter were residential. Later demand for industrial uses led to the conversion of properties in a number of ways. Some of them continued to be lived in with little division between domestic and industrial accommodation. Buildings containing both houses and workshops are now rare. An example being 27-32 Mary Street. Today the area is characterised by purpose built manufactories and workshops from the 19th Century. Fringe central area activities occupy land fronting Great Charles Street / Queensway, and more domestic scale office and residential developments abut St. Paul’s Square and the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal.
The views of the city centre from the quarter accentuate its proximity to the core. An important connection to the core is Church Street which connects St Paul’s and St Philips. This is however severed by the Queensway. The Big City Plan should examine how the connections between the Jewellery Quarter and the Core can be improved and whether redevelopment of major sites presents an opportunity to improve pedestrian connections. Metro Line 1 runs through the Jewellery Quarter and provides connection from Snow Hill to Wolverhampton. A railway line also runs through the quarter from Snow Hill to Stourbridge and Solihull.
Although generally regarded as a success, there remain significant levels of under-use and vacancy in the area. The area has proved popular with residential / mixed use developers, with major redevelopment taking place in the less historic industrial fringe, but in the more traditional parts of the quarter there are potential tensions between residential growth and the retention of workshop accommodation. Indeed, at the moment, the Council’s existing policy restricts non-industrial activity within the heart of the Jewellery Quarter, particularly within the Golden Triangle and the Industrial Middle. In light of these factors, the Big City Plan should examine options for different planning policy approaches in the quarter.
The Big City Plan will need to consider the opportunities for mixed use development within the Jewellery Quarter. There are already a number of development proposals in the pipeline, including a new development around Carver Street, Camden Street and Pope Street, and there are discussions regarding the future of the sites on Great Charles Queensway. Furthermore, the existing UDP identifies opportunities for mixed use development – the urban village proposal encourages the provision of space for small businesses as well as new residential development.
Improved transport linkages between the Jewellery Quarter, the Core and the Convention Centre can provide further opportunity for a smoother transition from the quarter to the core.
Plain English Version
Jewellery Quarter: a growing creative quarter.
With this option we would focus on increasing the number and range of quality freehold workshops and offices for jewellery businesses, other creative industries and the ‘professions’. These would need to have parking. There would need to be larger sites, whether newly built or converted, which have a wider choice of unit sizes for businesses.
Where the existing historic buildings are hard to convert for modern businesses then it would be OK to turn them into homes.
Original Document
Jewellery Quarter: a growing creative quarter. The focus would be on expanding the number and range of quality freehold workshop and business premises with parking, suitable for jewellery businesses, professional offices and other creative industries. Larger development sites including new build and conversions would be developed for commercial uses with a range of unit sizes including such workshop/professional space. Where the existing historic buildings did not lend themselves easily to this approach, residential conversions would be acceptable.
Plain English Version
Jewellery Quarter: a desirable residential and mixed use quarter.
With this option we want to create a highly desirable and fashionable residential quarter whilst keeping keeping the existing character of the Jewellery Quarter. We would want people living in the upper floors of buildings throughout the Quarter (with parking) while small manufacturing carries on at the street level. New homes will also be created in larger, newly built sites. This option would also help us meet targets in the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Original Document
Jewellery Quarter: a desirable residential and mixed use quarter. This option would encourage, where appropriate, residential development and conversion on the upper floors of buildings throughout the Jewellery Quarter, with parking, whilst maintaining the existing character of the area on ground floor level with small manufactories. Larger new build sites would be developed mostly for residential. The aim would be to create a highly desirable and fashionable residential quarter (see also Option 3). This option would still maintain the existing character of the Jewellery Quarter whilst encouraging more residential development to help towards meeting the targets of the Regional Spatial Strategy.
Plain English Version
Jewellery Quarter: a specialist shopping and tourist destination.
With this option we imgaine the Jewellery Quarter as Birmingham’s centre for upmarket and niche shopping.
We would encouraging specialist and niche retailers to set up shop on the ground floors of the historic parts of the quarter. Not just jewellers but fashion goods and other stores. We also make the area more appealing to shoppers by improving the streets, signs, parking etc. We think this would encourage more people into the area, help to protect the historic building stock and raise the national reputation of the Jewellery Quarter. This would complement option 2, which would bring spending power into the quarter.
Original Document
Jewellery Quarter: a specialist shopping and tourist destination. There would be a strong impetus towards encouraging specialist and niche retailing on the ground floors, particularly in the historic parts of the quarter. The range of shopping would go beyond jewellery to include, for example, niche fashion goods. A focus for retailing would be identified, with associated signage, parking and public realm improvements. The aim would be twofold: this would become Birmingham’s upmarket niche and specialist shopping area; and the initiative would encourage more people into the quarter to sustain the historic building stock and raise the national profile of the area. This option would work well with option 2, which would bring spending power into the quarter.