You may have had a letter from the council about voting and were wondering ‘what is that about’? On page 25 in this issue there is a story about ‘Residents and businesses in the Jewellery Quarter have the opportunity to shape the future of the area by voting on a new Neighbourhood Plan.’ Hopefully the article explains all you need to know.
The greening of the Jewellery Quarter raised many an eyebrow last issue, both with the articles and my editorial, and I have found out a bit more of the plan for The Hockley Flyover. If the proposals go ahead, I am intrigued with the ideas to say the least.
The proposals are to demolish the Hockley Flyover, and re-route the main traffic along Icknield Street, and making better use of the listed building Icknield Street School designed in 1883 by J.H. Chamberlain of Martin & Chamberlain, the main architects for the Birmingham School Board. The building is now in quite a bad state of repair and on two lists – the English Heritage ‘Heritage at Risk Register’, and in December 2021, was included on the Victorian Society’s annual ‘Top Ten Endangered Buildings’ list. That’s what has me intrigued – what better use?
Mark
