The Big City Plan – update

Consultation on the Big City Plan Work in Progress report was carried out from the 12th December 2008 to the 6th February 2009. All of the responses from this consultation have been analysed and the information that has been collected will be used to inform future work on the Big City Plan.
The Big City Plan was intended to be a single plan for the City Centre but as the work has progressed it has become apparent that it should be more than just a single document. The Big City Plan is intended to stimulate a continued debate about the future of the City Centre from which ideas, policies, projects and developments will emerge. On this basis the Council will now be producing a number of different documents, building on the work to date and the results of the consultation, which will all contribute to shaping the future of the City Centre.
The Council will be producing the Big City Plan City Centre Prospectus. This document will take the ideas and projects that are emerging and apply them to the areas within the City Centre. The target is to have a well developed draft of this document complete by the end of 2009.
The Council is also currently producing its Core Strategy, a statutory planning document, which will set out the approach to how Birmingham will develop over the next 15 years. To reflect the importance of the City Centre a specific City Centre chapter will be included in the Core Strategy. This work will provide the key policies for the City Centre. This may in the future be supplemented by detailed guidance and site specific policies for the City Centre in the form of other Big City Plan titled documents including Supplementary Planning Documents and site specific Area Action Plans.
The aim will be to produce a draft Core Strategy, which includes the City Centre specific chapter, toward the end of 2009 and further public consultation will follow.
We will keep you updated with news and progress.

Future Focus – Paul Fielding – Future member and BID Director

Birmingham Future’s growing influence on important matters that affect us all in the city has been demonstrated once again by the announcement that we have been given a Stakeholders seat on the Board of Directors of the Colmore BID. Paul Fielding, of Brewin Dolphin and current chair of the Events Committee, has been appointed as that future representative. He gives below his answers to some questions that our members may have about the BID.

What is the Colmore BID?

The BID is a ring fenced, not-for-profit, company that is financed by other firms in the area agreeing to pay a fixed levy over the five years of the BID. This financing was agreed in a recent vote where 50% of those companies voted and a large majority agreed in favour of a small surcharge based on their rateable value. The BID company will use this money to improve the district by working alongside the council but never duplicating or replacing existing services.

Why is the BID needed?

The Colmore Business District provides visitors to Birmingham with a wealth of top class national and globally renowned business from many different professional sectors. These sectors include Accountants, Lawyers, Property specialists, Financial companies such as Banks and Investment Managers, PR companies and many others.

The BID is therefore needed for a number of reasons which include:

- Further improving the area’s identity,

- improving the look of the area by making it cleaner, greener and more attractive,

- improving transportation in and around the area

- making the area more safe and welcoming.

By tackling important matters such as these we can help to further enhance the area’s reputation as a prestigious place to do business not only nationally but also internationally.

How will this be achieved?

The BID board will shortly appoint a BID Manager who will work alongside the Board. The Board will determine this individual’s role but it is likely to include matters such as liaising with the council, police and transport companies, managing a team of Street Wardens, helping to brand the area, arranging for events, extra cleaning and organising more floral arrangements etc…

Why is it important that Birmingham Future is involved?

Birmingham Future is one of the main voices of the young professional in the city and one of its aims is to try and ensure that the top young talent want to stay in the city. Birmingham Future can therefore help to achieve this by having a say in matters such as the BID. Hopefully our involvement in this company will see that collectively we are helping to influence major decisions that are made in the city.

How will Young Professional’s be able to have their say?

If there are any matters that you feel need to be addressed please feel free to get in touch with me or any member of the leadership team and I will ensure that your thoughts and ideas are relayed to the rest of the Board. If you would like my contact details please contact the office and they will send them on to you.

A new year for a big city with a big plan…

On Monday I received a copy of the Big City Plan ‘Work in Progress’ public consultation document The purpose of the report is to seek the views of the public on the issues that will affect development of the city centre over the next 20 years.

The Big City Plan team has spent the last few months identifying these issues and defining options for how Birmingham could look, feel and function in the future.

As young professionals, most of us work in the city centre, the majority of us use it for the base of our entertainment, socialising and shopping, and a significant number of us live within the area covered by the Big City Plan. It is therefore vital that these key stakeholders get the opportunity to ‘have their say’.

The Colmore Business Improvement District is go go go…

The Colmore BID is being led by Birmingham Forward and Birmingham Future, supported by Birmingham City Centre Partnership and was launched last week at an event hosted by PwC.

The BID Prospectus lists the ten BID pledges, details the key actions that will be undertaken, provides a detailed breakdown of the first year’s budget and explains the voting process for early 2009.

The Colmore Business District is Birmingham’s premier concentration of professional and business service firms and home to some 500 companies that employ almost 24,000 people. The area welcomes many of the city’s business visitors and is due to play a major role in the development of the city centre as detailed in the Big City Plan.

This is the first UK BID with such a high concentration of commercial occupants at over 90%.

A part of the BID’s key pledges is a promise to promote a clear identity for the district and to deliver a high quality and user friendly “streetscape.” Also contained within the prospectus are pledges to make the area safer and cleaner. It is also hoped that the BID will bring a collective voice for the business community within the area and opportunities to network and engage with neighbours.

Within the specific actions detailed by the BID is the recruitment, during the first year, of a team of “street wardens” to provide both meet and greet in addition to safety and security services to staff and visitors alike. There is also a commitment to improve safety with upgraded lighting and other physical improvements and to initiate a range of street and IT based signage and information media.

The BID will be financed by an annual levy being collected by Birmingham City Council. All business sectors will be included and a 1% levy of rateable value will be charged on all properties with a rateable value in excess of £10,000 per annum. The largest occupiers in the district will have their contributions capped.

As part of the prospectus the BID team presented the first year’s spending priorities from an anticipated budget of £680,000. Of this £170,000 (25%) will be allocated to improving the streetscape and public realm environment including the commissioning of sculpture, greening, floral displays and festive lighting.

£160,000 (23.5%) will be set aside to finance the full time uniformed street wardens.

£40,000 (5.9%) will be allocated for the BID caretaker service to ensure maintenance and cleaning is kept up to standard.

At the launch, the team confirmed the BID Ballot timetable.  The Ballot will be conducted by Independent Scrutineer, Electoral Reform Services.

• January 9^th 2009 – Notification of the ballot will be sent out to all those businesses eligible to vote.

• January 19^th 2009 – Ballot papers will be dispatched

• February 27^th 2009 – Ballot will close at 5 pm

• March 2nd 2009 – The result will be announced and if it is in favour, the BID will formally be established for a five year term on April 1^st.

 A not-for-profit company will be formed to run the activities of the BID with a voluntary Board made up of representatives from different sectors of the business community taken from firms situated within the BID area and from other strategic partners. The BID will be run by a dedicated manager and a small support team based in the BID area.

Commenting on the launch of the BID Prospectus, Gary Cardin said; “This is a very exciting initiative for one of the city’s most prestigious business areas. If the BID is successful we will, through the BID company and by working with partners such as Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Police, change dramatically the environment and atmosphere of the Colmore Business District.  During the five year term of the BID we are able to invest just under £3.5 million pounds into this important area of the city centre that will significantly improve the landscape for the firms and their staff who work here and also provide a more welcoming and pleasant place for our visitors.”

The ten Colmore Business District BID pledges:

·       Promote a clear identity and profile for the District and the businesses within it.

·       Deliver a high quality and user friendly ‘streetscape’ throughout the District.

·       Achieve enhanced environmental cleaning and maintenance standards.

·       Provide a safe and welcoming business environment.

·       Improve the District’s accessibility and wider city centre connections.

·       Promote local business networking and community  engagement.

·       Operate as an effective business led ‘voice’ with the resources to make things happen.

·       Engage with and support businesses

·       Deliver visible improvements and get things done – it will not be a talking shop.

·       Deliver projects and services that are additional to those provided by Birmingham City Council and others.