Council to move to All Saints?
| Published: 21st June 2008 11:43 |
Birmingham City Council could move its local office into the new heart of Kings Heath if behind the scenes discussions bear fruit.
AboutMyArea understands that the current Neighbourhood Office in Silver Street could be closed, partly as a result of development pressures from the neighbouring Lidl supermarket. The pre-fabricated building also fails to present the right image for a council going through a multi-million pound transformation of front-line services.
The All Saints Centre, with its mix of health and community facilities, has been suggested as an ideal location for a new city council base - and the idea has been broadly welcomed by the centre's management.
"Any organisation that is for the good of the community is welcome, it's just a matter of logistics," says All Saints vicar Rev John Wilkinson.
He said having the council part of the growing development would be another string to the project's bow. "One could speculate that it would help us if certain people then took the project more seriously," he said.
Funding has still to be found for the next phase of the ambitious project, which would also create a new public square at the heart of Kings Heath.
Director of the All Saints Community Development Company Brian Miles said the idea was certainly "fertile ground to explore."
"A neighbourhood office fits in with our values, but fitting it in physically might be a different matter," he said. "We couldn't fund it on a speculative basis, the council would certainly have to build it."
Community Comment:
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A new public square could also be a true centre point for Kings Heath, only it will need careful planning and protection too. Its upkeep most be included in any plans. I trust some wonderful trees will be part of the plan, as well as a great breathing space.
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