Business News
Home working could boost city centres
The push towards working from home during Covid-19 could end up helping to make city centres more residential, younger and exciting. That’s the view of Mike Olley, general manager of Westside Business
Improvement District in Birmingham, who has noted the massive impact that the lockdown during the pandemic has made on offices in his area of the city. And he predicts the long-term result could help meet some of the demand for tens of thousands of new homes and student accommodation. Mr Olley said: “The coronavirus means many managers have come to
terms with the fact that people are often more efficient in the comfort of their own homes, with simple management tools allowing for greater supervision. This means that for many, working from home has become a better option that works. Indeed, one in five of us could well largely disappear from the office and therefore the area the office operates from. “Will this have a negative impact on our city and local centres? I would
argue not. Birmingham has a current housing crisis and an immediate demand for at least 90,000 homes. We also have a burgeoning and unmet student accommodation demand. The market will step in and supply both these needs. “Much of it will be in Westside, building on the youthful nature the
area has offered for many years now. This will also be driven by the adjustments in the property market resulting from a largely generational shift to homeworking. “As a good percentage of the more seasoned of the work force
change to home working, this will leave space to be filled by the new generation, fulfilled by different work and socialising environments. “The feel of the area will become more bohemian. The wave of
residential skyscrapers that are emerging and planned will add to the spectacular skyline and feel. Coffee lounges and spacious, unconventional office accommodation will supplement and complete their needs.”
Hospice creates digital care offering
A Birmingham hospice has adapted it services by developing a digital suite of resources for staff and patients. Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice
has created a range of resources so it can continue to support people with life-limiting illnesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. The hospice, which received
funding from NatWest to develop new services, has continued with urgent and essential care services via its Impatient Unit. However, it has suspended its
Day Hospice, Welcome Group, Space to Breath and Support at Home services due to social distance guidance. The team has created a digital
offering for some of the services while also providing telephone support. Hospice staff have also upskilled
staff at local care homes on various issues including palliative care. Emma Bryan, finance director, at Birmingham St Mary’s Hospice, said: “Like many organisations across the UK, we have had to
Emma Bryan: Invaluable support
adapt our services so we could continue to serve our community over this period. “We have developed new
programmes to support our staff as they support those that need it and we have worked with other organisations including John Taylor Hospice and Marie Curie on the best way to support those that need us. “The support we have had from NatWest has been invaluable.”
Mike Olley: Changing spaces
HS2 site plans set out in £3bn masterplan
An ambitious £3billion masterplan to create a sustainable new business, leisure and residential centre near HS2’s Interchange Station in Solihull has been launched. The Urban Growth Company have published the Arden Cross
Masterplan, with proposals for the 346-acre site surrounding the HS2 site and the NEC to potentially boost the regional economy by more than £1bn and create up to 27,000 new jobs. The scheme would also deliver up to 3,000 new homes and up to
six million square feet of commercial development. Arden Cross sits alongside Birmingham Airport, the NEC, Birmingham Business Park and Jaguar Land Rover, and is an integral part of the Urban Growth Company’s wider plans for what they call the UK Central Hub. Nick Brown, chairman of the Urban Growth Company, said: “A huge
amount of work has been undertaken by all the partners to get to this stage so we welcome the ambition of this masterplan which is perfectly aligned to our wider ambitions for the UK Central Hub. “For example, we now see HS2 on board with plans for The Hub, including support for multi-storey car parks at Arden Cross rather than surface car parks which would hugely frustrate development opportunities there. “That coming together of partners and agreement of shared principles
means we are moving ever closer to our joint goal of greenbelt release and delivering high-quality, sustainable, mixed-use development. That is how we’ll create the jobs, homes, commercial spaces and world-class connectivity the region needs now more than ever.” The masterplan document, which sets out the proposed framework
and structure of the long term development is available to view and download at
www.ardencross.com
August/September 2020 CHAMBERLINK 17
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