Longbridge Area Action Plan (24 October 2008)
The redevelopment of the former MG Rover site at Longbridge offers real potential for people across the North Bromsgrove / South West Birmingham area.
A public examination is currently taking place. At which I have tried to highlight the importance of making sure we set our sights high enough to make real improvements in jobs, opportunities for local people and public transport for the area.
What will make Longbridge a success story is the local people. Your voice should be heard when the priorities for the area are being determined. There has already been quite a lot of consultation on the outline plans for the area but it should not stop there. It is important that both the developers and the local councils keep local people at the heart of decision making both now and in the future.
This does not mean that things should be delayed. People who know the area will know that, while there has been a great deal of demolition at the Longbridge site, not much rebuilding work has yet taken place. Given the scale of the project and the amount of land reclamation needed, it is not surprising that things are taking time. The current economic downturn also does not help. However, we still need to get on with the Longbridge project in practice. Redevelopment projects like this can help the economy right now and offer new opportunities for local people.
We need a plan that is both visionary and practical. The current framework is a good place to start but the Councils involved need to get better at partnership working with others – including the local community – if the potential for the area is to be realised.
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