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IN PURSUIT OF THE URBAN VILLAGE - January 2007
The last twenty years have seen numerous attempts to regenerate Birmingham’s famous Jewellery Quarter with varying success.
Philip Jackson, from city centre agents Maguire Jackson, says now might just be when the Quarter finally realises its potential and becomes the much anticipated urban village Birmingham has been waiting for.
The challenge for the Jewellery Quarter has been to regenerate the area while preserving the elements that made it world-famous in the first place, namely the jewellery businesses.
The dense mix of converted houses, factories and ancillary buildings dating back to the eighteenth century are what make the Quarter stand out from other parts of Birmingham’s city centre.
Strict planning policies and the involvement of bodies such as English Heritage mean that the fine grain of the Quarter has been largely preserved. Additionally, of the businesses based in the area, almost 40 per cent are still directly involved in the jewellery trade. That tells us that previous policies have helped retain that uniqueness that we cannot afford to lose.
Times are changing though. The trend for city living has put residential pressure on the Jewellery Quarter. At the same time, smaller professional and creative businesses have realised that commercial rents can be half those in the city centre (up to £30 per sq ft versus £8-14 per sq ft) while being located only a few minutes from the core centre. Likewise, freehold properties to buy are of a scale that is affordable.
The rejuvenation of some former workshops into live/work units has also proved popular. Combined with the intimate scale of the local architecture, it’s becoming an increasingly attractive place to live and work.
It’s been interesting to see a number of firms relocating from Birmingham’s other ‘alternative’ city fringe location – Digbeth – to the Jewellery Quarter. A combination of a better choice of smaller units and the perception that the Jewellery Quarter is safer is attracting expanding firms to make the move.
It’s resulted in a step-change and within the 265 acres that now make up the Jewellery Quarter, there are 1,100 businesses registered and 2,500 dwellings, mainly apartments. We’re a long way from the 50,000 employed at the turn of the 20th century.
The retail scene here is also undergoing a change. The arrival of a Lloyds Pharmacy and the imminent arrival of a Tesco Express have been greeted with a mixture of excitement from landlords and fear from conservation groups. In addition, an increasing number of planning consents have been granted for future restaurant space.
Two locally-based developers are leading the change and investing heavily in the shape of mixed-use projects across the Quarter. Chord Developments and MCD (Midland & City Developments) have recognised the opportunities that exist here and are developing former industrial and manufacturing sites.
The retention of the area’s character has had an impact on residential development too. The smaller scale of many modern apartment blocks found stand out from the larger purpose built blocks built elsewhere in Birmingham city centre. These more unusual blocks are attracting a more eclectic audience, which in turn helps keep the special character of the area intact.
I believe the creation of the long awaited urban village is finally underway. It’s been close to happening for a while but there are finally enough people wanting to live and work here to sustain the changes that are happening.
There are still changes that need to take place because, in my opinion, planning laws are too strict in some places. Within the very heart of the Quarter – the ‘golden triangle’ from the Clock Tower on to Warstone Lane and Vyse Street – residential development is actively prohibited resulting in a limited ‘nine to five’ economy.
It’s needless given the amount of suitable but unused space above the listed retail and commercial properties. Those spaces were originally built for residential purposes and could easily be converted back without it impacting on the character of the area.
Once you have people living in an area, the demand for leisure facilities also increases and suddenly you are able to create an 18-hour economy.
Let’s make the Jewellery Quarter the perfect example of an urban village and somewhere Birmingham and the rest of the UK can be truly proud of.
Maguire Jackson, Leading Letting & Estate Agents in Birmingham City Centre: flats & apartments to rent Birmingham, property to rent Birmingham. Property, flats, apartments, for sale in Birmingham. Commercial property, offices to rent and for sale, Birmingham.
