News - Midlands
Horns of a Dilemma
Acity "racked by indecision and procrastination" was how The Birmingham Post recently put it in a scathing editorial. Others talk openly about the momentum of the Bullring being lost, the continued political wrangling over landmark projects, the loss of jewels such as the Motor Show, continued transport woes, inertia and malaise within City Hall - to name but a few. Welcome to the wacky world of Birmingham, UK.
And yet...others talk just as passionately about a city of endless opportunity, a metropolis that is one of the most under-developed, most diverse, and youngest in the UK. Who is right? Well, both are. Making sure the negatives are addressed so that even more can be made of the positives is the city's biggest challenge.
That's what this feature is all about.
An in-depth analysis of the biggest issues the city faces, and how it can achieve its true potential over the next 15 to 20 years. Behind all the playground politics of recent months lie some serious issues. Here we try to address them.
The round of infighting began a few months back when CBI director general - and Birmingham's greatest ambassador - Sir Digby Jones accused the council of talking too much and doing too little. "As a city, Birmingham has to pee or get off the pot," he famously retorted. The claim has led to fevered debate - and fallings out - about where the city is going and, more to the point, if it is going in the right direction.
Our themes on the following pages identify what Insider regards as the biggest challenges: the appointment of a new chief executive; a co-ordinated lobbying campaign for New Street and Birmingham International Airport; spreading the marketing message better; getting behind Birmingham City Football Club's plans for Saltley.
What's abundantly clear is that the council needs to prioritise like we have.
We hope they agree with what we think. The city's MPs need to speak with one voice. The city needs to lobby fervently in London, where decisions are made.
It also needs to promote better what is already happening. The new landmark Beetham Tower (housing an SAS Radisson hotel and separate apartments) at Holloway Circus is a case in point. As hotel general manager Kathrine Ohm Thomas remarks: "Birmingham was a natural choice for the development. The way Birmingham opens its arms to newcomers is exceptional.
We need to shout about it more."
Major setbacks haven't helped the city's confidence. Losing the Motor Show to London, failing to win nomination as European Capital of Culture in 2008, and coming second to Wembley in the contest to build a national football stadium, all still irk. Business leaders also see Manchester as a growing competitive threat, along with Milton Keynes, the focus of government expansion plans for the South-East.
Yet the need for the next generation of development is all too clear. Alan Chatham, the brains behind Birmingham's Mailbox, puts it succinctly: "Birmingham had a golden period of 15 years with Brindleyplace, The Mailbox and Bullring. It feels to me that it is calming down a bit. I think it's important that we all lift our eyes to the horizon and have a vision for the next 15 years.
"We need to keep our game going."
And yet...others talk just as passionately about a city of endless opportunity, a metropolis that is one of the most under-developed, most diverse, and youngest in the UK. Who is right? Well, both are. Making sure the negatives are addressed so that even more can be made of the positives is the city's biggest challenge.
That's what this feature is all about.
An in-depth analysis of the biggest issues the city faces, and how it can achieve its true potential over the next 15 to 20 years. Behind all the playground politics of recent months lie some serious issues. Here we try to address them.
The round of infighting began a few months back when CBI director general - and Birmingham's greatest ambassador - Sir Digby Jones accused the council of talking too much and doing too little. "As a city, Birmingham has to pee or get off the pot," he famously retorted. The claim has led to fevered debate - and fallings out - about where the city is going and, more to the point, if it is going in the right direction.
Our themes on the following pages identify what Insider regards as the biggest challenges: the appointment of a new chief executive; a co-ordinated lobbying campaign for New Street and Birmingham International Airport; spreading the marketing message better; getting behind Birmingham City Football Club's plans for Saltley.
What's abundantly clear is that the council needs to prioritise like we have.
We hope they agree with what we think. The city's MPs need to speak with one voice. The city needs to lobby fervently in London, where decisions are made.
It also needs to promote better what is already happening. The new landmark Beetham Tower (housing an SAS Radisson hotel and separate apartments) at Holloway Circus is a case in point. As hotel general manager Kathrine Ohm Thomas remarks: "Birmingham was a natural choice for the development. The way Birmingham opens its arms to newcomers is exceptional.
We need to shout about it more."
Major setbacks haven't helped the city's confidence. Losing the Motor Show to London, failing to win nomination as European Capital of Culture in 2008, and coming second to Wembley in the contest to build a national football stadium, all still irk. Business leaders also see Manchester as a growing competitive threat, along with Milton Keynes, the focus of government expansion plans for the South-East.
Yet the need for the next generation of development is all too clear. Alan Chatham, the brains behind Birmingham's Mailbox, puts it succinctly: "Birmingham had a golden period of 15 years with Brindleyplace, The Mailbox and Bullring. It feels to me that it is calming down a bit. I think it's important that we all lift our eyes to the horizon and have a vision for the next 15 years.
"We need to keep our game going."