FAULTY TOWER

04-10-2006

It's theamazing new feature on the Birmingham skylinethat'sgoing to change the face of leisure in the city. Or is it? Edward Cameron tries to get the lowdown on a skyscraper.

How easy is it to get a simple answer to a simple question?

With Birmingham Council it's impossible. I felt today that I was the only one not allowed to know a ‘secret' everyone else was sharing.

At the weekend developers unveiled computer images of Birmingham's proposed £60 million Pinnacle tower, which will boast a vertical theme park and one of Europe's highest restaurants.

The city's regeneration boss Clive Dutton was quoted in the local papers saying that this 574 feet tall additionto Eastside would give a ‘world class skyline to a world class city'.

My question was this: Has the Pinnacle been granted planning permission yet?

If it doesn't,then all of this could come to nothing; there might be serious objections raisedabout interference withflight paths, for example, in which case the public, having had their hopes raised,will then be entitled to feel cheated.

I first went to the planning department - logical choice right? Except that the phonelines were down today due to ‘technical difficulties'. Their websitewouldn't load either,and anyway, without a planning reference it's all but useless.

So I found Mr Dutton's office number on the internet and gave it a ring, only to be told that the relevant person was away from her desk.

A call back a little later revealed that in fact I needed to speak to one Phil Crabtree.

Another lady at his office referred me back to the planning department and said she was unable to help further.

I then tried the Labour group office. I figured there must be a councillor hanging around who'd know. But no.

Same story with the Tories. I ran out of rhymes for the Lib Dems and didn't bother them(s).

So I tried the architects themselves, Telford-based SMC Hickton Madeley. I was told by an architect that it wasn't her project and she'd have to get the company handling their PR to call me back.

Two hours later came the call. The answer is: No. No application has been registered yet and there won't be one until next year.

Thank you, that's all I wanted to know.

So for all the council's bravado about the regeneration of the city this could all still be chucked out if the plans don't sit well when scrutinised by councillors and officers.

But then with the city's top regeneration civil servant already backing the scheme I guess the democratic process probably need not come into play after all.

Despite the issue attracting a lot of local attention ,nobody on the front line of either the council or the architects knows or is authorised to tell you what's going on.

Let's just hope the council's planning department phones don't break down again when you need to know if your neighbour got permission to put up that conservatory that's going to block all the sun to your geraniums.

If the council can't tell me about a 574 foot tower in the middle of the city, an 8ft perspex extension next door's never going to bother them.