Call for new city centre park Environmental groups lobby council for green space to improve lives
BIRMINGHAM needs a city centre park to improve the health and quality of life for citizens, according to a coalition of green groups.
In an open letter, printed in today’s Post, Greener Birmingham is calling for more parks to accompany the great swathe of new buildings filling the city centre skyline.
Through a ‘CityPark4Brum’ campaign, it has set its sites on the new Smithfield redevelopment, on the former site of the wholesale markets, as the ideal place to create a major new park.
The currrent plan for the massive site contains a small park at the Barford Street end as well as some green roofs, but Greener Birmingham argues the park should be much larger – if not the entire site.
It says that with thousands of new homes being planned and built, particularly in Digbeth, Highgate and the Southside area of the city centre, a park is much needed to make the area both a more desirable place to live and encour- age healthy and happy lifestlyes.
Among groups that form part of Greener Birmingham are The Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country, the Birmingham Open Spaces Forum, Birmingham Botanical Society and the Birmingham Trees for Life campaign.
Georgia Stokes, of the Greener Birmingham Coalition, said: “Birmingham overall is a very green city but there is not equal access to green space and the city centre is almost completely a concrete jungle.
“Planning for developments such as Smithfield, Icknield Port Loop, Digbeth and other sites must take a different approach to make these sites greener and connect them to each other.
“We are all happier and healthier when we have regular access to green space.
“Businesses would benefit as employees are more productive when they spend their lunch break in nature, and more visitors will come to our city. Economically, it’s a no-brainer.”
Birmingham has 571 parks, but very little green space in the city centre. More than 6,500 people have already signed the CityPark4Brum petition and it will be handed to both Birmingham City Council leader Ian Ward and West Midlands mayor Andy Street.
Jim Tucker, leader of CityPark4Brum says: “There is plenty of evidence that creating more green space in cities makes sense as it improves health, reduces air pollution and brings communities together.
“This is our last chance to create a signature park right in the heart of our great city, one that creates a lasting legacy for generations to come as Birmingham continues to grow.
“A city can’t expand without also increasing and improving its green and open space provision.”
Developers have plans for more than 5,000 apartments within the A4540 middle ring road.
These include large developments at Icknield Port Loop in Ladywood, the Connaught Square site in Digbeth and the Barratts Homes site on Bristol Street.