Professional Documents
Culture Documents
DIGBETH -
A WAY FORWARD
Andy Munro
2
Operations Director
Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Partnership
3
Contents
1. Methodology
page 3
4. Progress to date
page 6
7. Recommendations page
12
Appendix 1. Bibliography
page 15
Appendix 2. List of Organisations
page 18
4
Appendix 3. Summary of Comments
page 20
5
Methodology
6
Digbeth Characteristics
7
Structures and Organisations
8
Progress to Date
- Custard Factory
- Devonshire House
- The Bond
- Rhubarb Rhubarb and other high profile media
locations e.g. Maverick TV
- Fazeley Studios
- Residential Developments, particularly in the
Bradford Street area
- South Birmingham College Complex
- St Patricks Parade
- Bradford Street Improvements (funding
secured)
- High Street/ Corridor Study (underway)
- ‘Retention’ of ‘Irish Centre’
- Birmingham (Digbeth) Coach Station
- Marketing e.g. Website, Irish Quarter Leaflet
9
Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats
Strengths Weaknesses
• Vibrant Creative Community • Lack of Irish Heritage focal
• The Custard Factory point
Complex • Lack of awareness of the
• The Irish Community and area
Organisations • Poor image
• The Irish Pub/ St Anne’s/ • Unattractive appearance of
Heritage the area
• Available development sites • Current Low Level of
• Historic buildings and Marketing/ Marketing
architecture Materials
• The heart of Birmingham’s • Public transport links
heritage – where it all • Car parking issues
started • Lack of clear / branded
• Connected by location to signage
Eastside • Difficulty of formulating a
• Close to the City Centre, successful BIDS initiative
Selfridges and the Bull Ring • Digbeth High Street (traffic
• St Patrick’s Day Parade flows and general
• Landmark buildings appearance)
• Birmingham Coach Station • Lack of interesting retail
• Main arterial route (Digbeth opportunities – just
High Street) entertainment sector
• Most organisations share • Lack of physically defined
the same basic priorities boundary for the area
• Nearby flagship • Fine grain development
regeneration proposals – with no flagship apart from
Wholesale Markets and the Custard Factory.
Boerma development Consequently lack of
• Comparative low cost of political profile
10
progressing priorities • Lots of splinter groups not
identified joined up
• Lack of basic services
Opportunities Threats
• Raise awareness of the • Larger flagship schemes in
area locally (particularly Birmingham taking up
politically), regionally, funding
nationally and globally • Credit Crunch stalling
• Improve the image of the movement on sites
area and change poor • Creatives Working from
perception Home unless Environment is
• Press and PR to gain right
greater awareness and
improve the profile of the
area
• Exploit the Irish Quarter
and Custard Factory
• Increase the range of retail
opportunities
• Encourage additional
business during quiet
periods
• Further improve access,
signage, CCTV security and
parking
• Incorporate the area into
the city’s tourism work
• Progress the findings of the
High Street/ Corridor study
• Linking into the Boerma,
Wholesale Markets,
Custard Factory and
Eastside Park proposals
11
• Highways P.F. Initiative
• Eventual demolition of
Smithfield House ‘Triangle’
• Improvements to Bradford
Street to galvanise the Irish
Quarter
• River Rea, the Railways
and Warwick Bar
12
Responses from the Community and
Stakeholders
More detail on the individual views are at Appendix
3 but the overall impression was that most
organisations generally had the same vision and
priorities which, in itself, was very heartening. The
main questions asked were first of all to find out
whether people’s idea of what area constitutes
Digbeth was similar. Did people think there should
be a Digbeth brand and how did that relate to the
Irish Quarter, Custard Factory etc. Was there a
shared vision and joined up working within the
community and what were the top three things
that people felt that could be done realistically
within the next three years given the lack of
available major public sector investment.
13
What area do you think is covered by
Digbeth?
Most people settled on the area that is identified at
Appendix 4 but there was the occasional plea for
something slightly different. For example, one
interviewee felt that the Deritend brand was still
historically important and should remain separate
to Digbeth. One or two others also felt that the
area of Digbeth on the City Centre side should
encroach a bit further into “Eastside” area by
Curzon Street and Millennium Point.
14
What are the top three things that you feel
can be done in the next three years?
15
Recommendations
16
Step 3. Subsequently set up a Digbeth
Partnership ‘Board’ (which would
incorporate the existing Irish Quarter
Board) with a revised membership with a
number of regalvanised sub groups to
move things forward.
17
such as a retail area where image and marketing
are particularly relevant to the businesses
themselves. Alternatively areas like Colmore Row
have heavy weight financial players albeit in the
office and commercial areas.
18
Appendix 1
Bibliography
19
the areas architects, architecture and development
proposals.
20
comment from businesses was about the Digbeth
“image”.
21
Appendix 2
List of Organisations
22
ICIS - Mike Finkill - 07710 175347
IKON Eastside - Helen Legge - 0121 248 0708
International Stock - John Cullen - 0121 443 3111
Irish Development Board - Mike Nangle - 0121 608
1864
Irish Quarter Regeneration Board - Pat O’Neill -
0777 5420232
Irish Welfare & Information – Bridie - 0121 604
6111
Joe Holyoake – 0121 633 8918
Keep Digbeth Vibrant
Kinetic - Bob Ghosh - 0121 212 3424
Locate in Birmingham - Mike Loftus - 0121 303
7822
MADE - Julia Ellis - 0121 633 9333
Marketing Birmingham - Tim Manson / Neil Rami -
0121 202 5115
Mike Finkill - ICIS - 07710 175347
Moseley Arts
National Express
Naus Group
New Digbeth Whisperer
Paragon Hotel
Police - PC Phil Bates or Kate Ollis
Rhubarb Rhubarb - Lorna
Sandhar & Kang - Aftal Kang - 0121 622 2941
Salhia Developments - Alistair Grills - 0208
9402284
Selfridges - Steve Jones - 0121 600 6627
South Birmingham College - M Hopkins 07802
380158
Space Foundation - Bennie Gray - 07973 5777773
Spotted Dog - John Tighe 772 30121 7723822
St Ann’s Church
The Arches
The Bond
The Chinese Community Centre
23
The Digbeth Landlords Association
The Harp
The Rainbow – Lee McDonald
Vivid - Yasmin Clifford - 766 7876
White Swan - Angela Rattigan 0779010 3228
24
Appendix 3
Summary of Comments
These summaries have been graded, wherever
possible:-
1. -
2. -
3. -
4. Would like to see improvements to Digbeth
High Street implemented and hope to assist
in progressing developments such as Typhoo
Wharf, Warwick Bar, the Beorma and the
Beorma Quarter amongst others. Would also
like to see a Digbeth Animateur similar to
that initially kick started the Jewellery
Quarter
5. -
25
2. Yes to a Digbeth Brand as long as the Irish
Quarter was branded as a discrete part of
that
3. Generally a shared vision but not particularly
good joined up working
4. Priorities would be marketing (including
effective website), signage, urban realm and
events
5. Need for niche retail
26
Concept Design Solutions Ltd (Tony Corbett)
1. -
2. Digbeth should be Birmingham’s Left Bank
3. -
4. -
5. Much more potential to bring out the heritage in the
area. Don’t forget Polish and Italian heritage
1. -
2. -
3. –
4. –
5. Will be surveying businesses regarding the
introduction of 100 megabytes per second
27
bandwidth then ongoing discussion with
providers
28
4. A cash point and other services, more
support for small business and initiatives
Joe Holyoake
29
4. Improvements to the public realm particularly
on Digbeth High Street and possibly Fazeley
Street, the strength of the market, the brand
and improved signage
1. -
2. Yes there should be a Digbeth Brand
3. There needs to be a joined up vision and
working which is not in place currently
4. -
5. Marketing Birmingham are very supportive of
Digbeth events such as Gigbeth, the Irish
pubs, St. Patrick’s Festival etc.
30
Mucklows (David Foulkes)
1. -
2. -
3. -
4. More flexible use of planning policies and
encouragement of retail
1. -
2. –
3. Enthusiastic community
4. Services e.g. supermarket, cashpoint, post
office; canal improvements/ living; digital
district
1 -
2 -
3 -
31
4 Higher marketing profile for Digbeth, more
use of ERDF and urban public resources and
install the “next generation” Broadband
32
1. Camp Hill to the Wholesale Market and from
Highgate border to the other side of Fazeley
Street
2. Yes it should be a Digbeth Brand and John
mentioned the “Free State Digbeth flag”
3. Yes generally a shared vision although there
needs to be more joined up thinking at the
City Council end because of the problem of
mixed use
4. Some money on Highgate Park,
improvements in services and revisit the
abacus scenario with tighter controls on
residential development
33
Footnote
Andy Munro
34