Birmingham Friends of the Earth Action Briefing Dec 98/Jan 99

A Traffic Generating Development Near You

We are at a momentous time in the transport debate. Public transport is hitting back, the car is not the dream machine it once was, the costs of motoring are increasingly and rightly going to be borne by the motorist, yet the City Council is besieged by huge planning applications for Traffic Generating development. Some examples of this are:-

• Re-development of the Bull Ring Shopping Centre to create two department stores, a new markets area, public space around St Martin's Church and 4000 car park spaces.
• The Martineau Galleries Development, including two department stores, some mixed use including an hotel and health club, a public square and 3000 car park spaces.
• Arena Central, a mixed use leisure development, some of which is residential and Britain's tallest building, plus the odd 3000 car park spaces.
• Broadway, a leisure development on Broad Street by the Richardsons (Merry Hill), which could involve the demolition of the Old Bulls Head , now known as the City Tavern, for, yes you've guessed it, another car park.
• The redevelopment of the Children's Hospital for a mixed use leisure development, including some residential and of course the obligatory car park spaces.

However these re-developments will see some car parking capacity closed or converted into better income generating development for the City Council. This includes the current multi-storey at the top of Digbeth, the infamous defunct box car park on top of the Bull Ring and the NCP within the Bull Ring. There is still however a net gain in car park spaces, but most importantly for the car user, an increase in the quality of these car parks both in terms of the built environment and safety. At a time when we are trying to encourage people out of their cars, this is a confusing message.

The number of car park spaces to be built will always be in the marketer's mind when trying to sell his or her development. But this will only encourage people to drive and aim for the same car park causing massive congestion and air pollution in areas around those car parks. The development of public transport, both bus and rail, as well as taxi use has to be promoted as part of the scheme to enable all sectors of the community to share in the facilities provided by the City.

The story does not end in the City Centre. There are also traffic generating developments in the suburbs.

• Maypole:- Sainsburys plc want to construct a superstore, including 500 car park spaces, on the island between Maypole Lane and Alcester Road South.
• Yardley:- Landmark Securities want to build a massive new store plus 1300 car park spaces on a site off Church Road.
• Quinton:- The recently closed Bus Garage has been targeted by Tescos for a superstore plus associated car parking spaces.
• Selly Oak:- The complete destruction of Selly Oak could now become a reality with the Hospital, Sainsburys (again), and the proposed relief road all generating huge new movements of people and goods within an area already subjected to a huge traffic throughput. The full extent of these schemes has not yet come forward.

The City Council needs to know that the public do not want these developments. Lend your voice to the protest by writing to them expressing your concerns, raise the issue with your neighbourhood forum, or even start a campaign against your local development. Friends of the Earth will be happy give help and advice.

Richard Partridge