Plain English Version
At the moment, traffic jams are mostly around the main junctions on the Ring Road and along the A38 (Bristol Road). The main areas for traffic problems in the centre are at Holloway Circus, Paradise Circus, St Chads, around the Bull Ring/Moat Lane and at Masshouse. While access by car is and will remain vital for the sucess and vitality of the city centre, we must cut the amount of traffic to meet carbon emissions targets, and less traffic will also be good for the city. It is essential that we improve the quality of alternatives to the car (see later sections). We must also deal with how the actual traffic and road network affects the development of the city centre and how nice it looks.
Original Document
Traffic congestion is currently related primarily to key junctions on the Ring Road, while the A38 corridor also continues to experience high levels of traffic demand. The main areas of congestion in the centre are at the junctions of Holloway Circus, Paradise Circus, St Chads, around the gyratory systems at Bull Ring/Moat Lane and at Masshouse. While access by car is and will remain vital for the success and vitality of the city centre, reducing traffic levels will be necessary if carbon emissions targets are to be met, while reduced congestion will also benefit the city. Improving the quality of alternatives to the car will clearly be essential (see later sections). The negative impacts of the physical traffic and highway infrastructure on the development and overall attractiveness of the city centre must also be addressed.
Plain English Version
As a start we could create a network of really good walking routes, starting with the the ones people will use the most. These would link Birmingham’s key activities, destinations and urban/open spaces. One thing we need to plan for is how redevelopment schemes that straddle important routes (such as Paradise Circus) accomodate the paths where people would most naturally want to walk.
Original Document
To begin addressing the problem, one approach might be to identify and roll out a network of outstanding walking routes, starting with the highest priority routes where early intervention should be targeted for maximum return. These would link Birmingham’s key activities, destinations and urban/open spaces and could incorporate a mix of street-based links, pedestrian-only routes and public spaces. They could include core pedestrian ‘spines’ which would make pedestrian journeys to, from and within the city centre more viable and attractive. One issue is the need to ensure that redevelopment schemes that straddle important routes (such as Paradise Circus) accommodate fully all pedestrian desire lines in an attractive and inclusive manner.
Plain English Version
Westside been redeveloped a number of times, with:
- the offices around Five Ways
- Baskerville House and Alpha Tower
- the cultural area including the Rep theatre, the NIA, Brindleyplace and the Mailbox
- the leisure area along Broad Street (including the Broadway Entertainment Complex and Cineworld)
all being added.
The area we’re calling Westside also includes the Attwood Green area. Attwood Green is the new name given to the Central Area Estates. It includes the areas of Lee Bank (Five Ways Estate and Cleveland and Clydesdale Towers), Benmore, and Woodview.
It also includes the development at Park Central, which the first phase of a large 10 year housing regeneration programme. It is well under way and is already occupied. Park Central has of housing sizes and tenures set around “Sunset Park”.
Near Attwood Green is the Bath Row and Holloway Head area – an area on the fringe of the ciy Core that has seen little change over the last 30 years. The area is home to a mix of light industrial / warehouse uses, some community activities and offices, some of which may have functional connections with the city centre.
Two towers block of flats mark a gateway at Holloway Head with Beetham Tower (the Radisson Hotel) beyond. At ground level it’s not easy to walk around this area.
Westside has a mixed character. The area is pulled together by Centenary Square and Broad Street and by the canal network, but it isn’t seen as a complete “area”
Centenary Square, Brindley Place and Gas Street Basin look nice, but Broad Street and Five Ways don’t look as good. The NIA is nto attractive fron outside, and has car parks spoiling the view canalside.
Some development is already planned including:
It’s hoped that these developments will bring enough people to live and work in the area to help to support niche and specialist shops.
The Bath Row / Holloway Head area is the last place avalable to redevelop and is being guided by a development brief; so far there are not many plans. There is a good chance that we could provide better pedestrian links between Park Central, Westside and Southside through Holloway Head.
As well as the existing plans, there may be other opportunities in the future. We need to think about how to make the National Indoor Arena more attractive.
We could also improve the public spaces in the area around Fiveways, along Broad Street and the NIA and along some of the canal network.
Broad Street as a brash and buzzy entertainment strip? (See image)
The Broad Street area is an important thing to think about. Although it’s now mainly for entertainment, it could turn into something like a local “high street” with shops and services for the growing number of people that would like and work around it.
Westside (See image)
Original Document
Westside has seen several waves of expanding central area uses: the offices around Five Ways, Baskerville House and Alpha Tower; the cultural area including the Rep theatre, the NIA, Brindleyplace and the Mailbox; and the leisure area along Broad Street including the Broadway Entertainment Complex and the Cineworld.
Westside also includes the Attwood Green area and the ongoing development at Park Central, the first phase of a large 10 year housing regeneration programme, which is well under way and is substantially occupied. Park Central creates a new urban neighbourhood close to the cultural, retail, and commercial heart of the city with a range of housing sizes and tenures set around Sunset Park.
Near Attwood Green is the Bath Row and Holloway Head area - an area on the fringe of the city core that has seen little change over the last 30 years. The area is still home to a mix of light industrial / warehouse uses, some community activities and office uses, some of which may have functional connections with the city centre. Two towers, ‘the sentinels’, mark a gateway at Holloway Head with Beetham Tower (the Radisson Hotel) beyond. The pedestrian-level environment here is not of high quality.
As a result Westside has a mixed character. The area is pulled together by Centenary Square and the Broad Street movement axis and by the canal network, but still tends to function as a series of disparate elements. The high quality environment in Centenary Square, Brindleyplace and Gas Street Basin does not continue into Broad Street or Five Ways, and the NIA has a poor frontage with multi storey car parks fronting the sensitive canalside.
There are still a number of landmark projects in the pipeline, including the Cube, the V building, Arena Central, Baskerville Wharf, Paradise Circus and the relocation of the Library of Birmingham. These quality developments will bring a critical mass of people into the area which could help to support niche and specialist shops.
The Bath Row / Holloway Head area represents the most significant remaining redevelopment opportunity in the area and its redevelopment is being guided by a development brief; so far, not much development has come forward. There are major opportunities to provide better pedestrian links between Park Central, Westside and Southside through Holloway Head.
In addition to these development proposals which are already in the pipeline, there may be other opportunities in the future. The National Indoor Arena occupies a valuable city centre location adjacent to areas of major change, including Arena Central and as discussed above does not have an attractive presence. We need to think about how further improvements might be made in this area. There are also significant opportunities to improve the quality of the public realm within the Westside area, particularly in the area around Fiveways, along Broad Street and the NIA and along some of the canal network.
The Broad Street area is an important focus for Westside; although it developed an entertainment function in the 1990s, its role in the future may be more akin to the local “high street” with shops and services for the growing residential and business communities around it.