JEWELLERY SNORTER - PART TWO

06-11-2006

It seems it's not only The Stirrer who's bemused by Birmingham Council's decision to look again at a controversial plan to redevelop part of the historic Jewellery Quarter which has already been rejected. Like many traders and residents, Edward Cameron is mystified...

Birmingham's planning committee will this week look again at plans to turn part ofJewellery Quarter conservation zone into apartments and offices - even thoughcouncillors have already voted against it.

Developers working for A E Harris Harris Engineering works on Northwood Street will have the chance tocome back again to address the ‘issues' raised by elected politicians who have already been given the answers once and decided they weren't adequate.

They deny that there's been insufficient investmentin the business, but say that afterspending £4.5 million over the last decade, they realized three years ago that they couldn't squeeze any more profit out of the current buildings.

“As a consequence of that decision, resources were no longer directed towards the modernization and renewal of the existing premises but were instead directed to support the relocation project,” they said.

Excuse me, but isn't that effectively the same as an admission that theymade ‘no effort to invest in the business', as councilors claimed, over the last three years? Talk about weasel words of the week!

So having been given another month to contest what the councilors and the Stirrer first accused them of, they'vereturned to essentially admit it, just with fancy words .

The rebuttal of “issues” raised by councilors continues by saying that the company would not survive if it stayed put, but offers no explanation why.

But it tries to placate our elected politicians by saying it wants to stay within Brum and has identified two potential sites, only it couldn't afford them.

And finally it pulls at the heart strings by mentioning the 60 employees with an average 15 years service each who would be secure if the company stayed in Birmingham.

Is that a threat? If we can't stay in Brum we'll leave, and those jobs are on your heads, they seem to be implying.

The planning committee will meet again to “determine” the application, whatever the heck that means, thisThursday (9th). It promises to be lively.