Exciting times for Victorian city haven
| Published: 9th November 2007 08:58 |
This article was written by Bob Prew, KHBA publicity officer, for the Birmingham Civic Society newsletter
Major improvements are being made to Kings Heath shopping centre as a result of the efforts of the Kings Heath Business Association (KHBA) and recently formed Centre Partnership.
All Saints and the market from the air
These include the creation of a Floral Trail linking the shopping centre with the surrounding parks, the preparation of a design brief to conserve and build on its Victorian heritage and the £4.5 million All Saint's development that will culminate in the creation of a new Market Square.
Kings Heath is an area of many contrasts. The side streets off the High Street now fall within the 25% most deprived parts of the country. Yet terraced houses regularly sell for up to £250,000 and it has the largest university educated population of any part of Birmingham.
It hosts a major Gardeners' Weekend that annually attracts over 30,000 people to Kings Heath Park that is also the home of former TV gardens. Yet until this year there was little greenery in the shopping centre. It is the third largest shopping centre in Birmingham. Yet there has been little investment by the Council compared to the millions of pounds spent on the city centre and Sutton Coldfield. It retains many fine Victorian Buildings. Yet these tend to be obscured by some appalling 1960's developments. All this has now started to change.
This summer has seen the creation of a 10,000 step Floral Trail that has recently been awarded a top category prize in Heart of England 'in Bloom. A blaze of colour now greets those entering Kings Heath from the direction of the city centre through a series of railing baskets over the railway bridge. Hanging baskets and flower tubs then link together the shopping centre with the surrounding Green Flag award winning Kings Heath Park and historic Highbury Park created out of adjoining Chamberlain and Cadbury estates and land donated by the Civic Society.
Bob Prew and Freddie Gick
from the Civic Society
One of the aims of the trail was convince the business community that it was possible to make Kings Heath centre more attractive. They have responded by voting to become only the third Business Improvement District in the city. Up to £1.2 million could be raised with match funding and this will be used by the Business Association to improve the centre and make it even more attractive to shoppers.
At the same time a comprehensive design brief is being prepared that will lead to colour coordinated street furniture and ensure that any future development builds upon Kings Heath's Victorian heritage. Already the Victorian tiled interior of the listed Hare and Hounds pub has been restored to its former glory and a Victorian Gas Lamp and railings have been repainted.
But the jewel in the crown of all these improvements is the £4.5 million All Saint's development. Already a new building that will house a new medical centre is under construction and eventually a new Market Square is to be created at the corner of the High Street and Vicarage Road. This is already the venue for a Farmer's Market held on the first Saturday of each month. The Business Association also hope to acquire and convert the existing toilet building on the site into an Information Centre and office for a Town Centre Manager.
Stan Hems, KHBA Chairman, says "These are exciting times for Kings Heath. We want to work closely with the Civic Society to realise our plans for improving Kings Heath. We hope to introduce more trees particularly on the side streets in the shopping centre and to conserve and build upon our many fine Victorian buildings".
