The Takeover Thread - Recon Group - NOW WITH NEW POLL

[damon loves JT]

If it is with a view to developing the area, I'm not sure it would be the specific charms of anything in Aston - even ourselves that is the biggest draw.

It would be more the case that you have so much land so close to the city centre (it practically is the city centre if your benchmark is larger urban sprawls) to work with.

A few years of getting the locals onside might smooth the path re planning for big projects further on down the track.

Indeed. I think a lot of people in Birmingham don't see what's going on. It has been named number one destination of the future for foreign direct investment (Columbia and the Czech Republic were second and third). It has been listed in the top five cities in Europe in eight important industrial sectors (Manchester - centre of the universe - was named in one). It has been named as the most investable city in the UK, sixth in Europe (London was tenth). It is the number one regional city for business start-ups. It is the number one destination of choice for migrating cockneys. A few years ago I mentioned in the Birmingham news thread that I looked forward to the Jewellery Quarter becoming part of the city centre and somebody countered that it would not happen in our lifetimes. Does anybody think that it is not now?

Look at the areas that surround the city centre proper - JQ, Digbeth, Edgbaston, the Gun Quarter, Aston - they're all becoming increasingly part of it. There is huge investment planned at Aston University, Aston Science Park, Aston Advanced Manufacturing Hub, Aston Cross and, everything crossed, Aston Villa. The area already has assets. It is an area of the second biggest city-region in the world's fifth largest economy, a city-region that is about to invest about £8bn in various infrastructure projects in the next ten years. The Chinese are already a part of that, and want to be a bigger part. Hopefully in one project in particular.

The only thing holding Birmingham back is a lack of strong political leadership. A friend of mine who runs a large housing association says that many organisations like hers would love to invest in Birmingham, but they don't know who is in charge, and who will be in charge in five years' time. Manchester has a stable continuous political identity, and an agreed (if unofficial) system of distributing investment, whereas Birmingham and the West Midlands are fragmented into competing political entities which are liable to change at each election.

[dave.woodhall]

Never knew he was christened in Selly Oak.
In the bag he goes!

he was looked after by the nuns and his mom at St Edwards convent selly park due to his mom being plauged by people in Ireland for being a unmarried woman having a suspected half cast child, Ive met his mom a few times during the unveiling of the statue in ireland a rememberence day with lizzie tribute bands at the roadhouse stirchley

Lived where the charity shop is now on Raddlebarn Rd apparently. Born at Sandwell Hospital.

Hallam, which became part of Sandwell when the latter opened c. 1976. As an aside, when it opened they launched an appeal to buy one of the then-cutting edge CAT scanners. It was, I kid you not, the Sandwell CAT, or SCAT appeal. I doubt they'd call it that now.

[old man villa fan]

If it is with a view to developing the area, I'm not sure it would be the specific charms of anything in Aston - even ourselves that is the biggest draw.

It would be more the case that you have so much land so close to the city centre (it practically is the city centre if your benchmark is larger urban sprawls) to work with.

A few years of getting the locals onside might smooth the path re planning for big projects further on down the track.

Indeed. I think a lot of people in Birmingham don't see what's going on. It has been named number one destination of the future for foreign direct investment (Columbia and the Czech Republic were second and third). It has been listed in the top five cities in Europe in eight important industrial sectors (Manchester - centre of the universe - was named in one). It has been named as the most investable city in the UK, sixth in Europe (London was tenth). It is the number one regional city for business start-ups. It is the number one destination of choice for migrating cockneys. A few years ago I mentioned in the Birmingham news thread that I looked forward to the Jewellery Quarter becoming part of the city centre and somebody countered that it would not happen in our lifetimes. Does anybody think that it is not now?

Look at the areas that surround the city centre proper - JQ, Digbeth, Edgbaston, the Gun Quarter, Aston - they're all becoming increasingly part of it. There is huge investment planned at Aston University, Aston Science Park, Aston Advanced Manufacturing Hub, Aston Cross and, everything crossed, Aston Villa. The area already has assets. It is an area of the second biggest city-region in the world's fifth largest economy, a city-region that is about to invest about £8bn in various infrastructure projects in the next ten years. The Chinese are already a part of that, and want to be a bigger part. Hopefully in one project in particular.

The only thing holding Birmingham back is a lack of strong political leadership. A friend of mine who runs a large housing association says that many organisations like hers would love to invest in Birmingham, but they don't know who is in charge, and who will be in charge in five years' time. Manchester has a stable continuous political identity, and an agreed (if unofficial) system of distributing investment, whereas Birmingham and the West Midlands are fragmented into competing political entities which are liable to change at each election.

I would agree with that Damon.  The Council are living 25 years in the past .  They have produced the Big City Plan http://bigcityplan.birmingham.gov.uk/big-city-plan/ but are not progressive enough to make it happen.  The Council is a shambles and are still reeling from the equal pay ruling.

[Jimbo]

I don't think it's political stability as such - the London mayorship changes hands, so does the government, and life still goes on. Rather the calibre of our politicians, and their willingness to drive the city forward, is sorely lacking. There is little will to do anything beyond encouraging shopping and office development. There's a lot of talk, but precious little action, the metro extension being a prime case in point.

It'll be local entrepreneurs and outside investors like the Chinese who drive Birmingham forward, and they will frequently come across the same stumbling blocks at the council house.

[olaftab]

Not sure if already posted, but this isn't something we'd be used to:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/12-eeries-images-of-huge-chinese-cities-completely-empty-of-people-a6932936.html

Purpose-built whole cities before people are even ready to move into them. 

At the speed at which that country is still developing, there could well be millionaire/billionaires like Doctor Ghost who have close to zero profile and made an absolute fortune in a very short space of time.

If you go to China you really get the enormity of development. They are planning g for the next 100
years.

[supertom]

Not sure if already posted, but this isn't something we'd be used to:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/12-eeries-images-of-huge-chinese-cities-completely-empty-of-people-a6932936.html

Purpose-built whole cities before people are even ready to move into them. 

At the speed at which that country is still developing, there could well be millionaire/billionaires like Doctor Ghost who have close to zero profile and made an absolute fortune in a very short space of time.

If you go to China you really get the enormity of development. They are planning g for the next 100
years.

I think I read somewhere once that in the space of three years they used more concrete than America did in the entire 20th century.

[Yossarian]

If you want to see how the Chinese are already investing in Birmingham take a walk around Selly Oak. The number of students from China has grown massively over the last few years. They have brought a lot of money into the area.

[The Edge]

Never knew he was christened in Selly Oak.
In the bag he goes!

he was looked after by the nuns and his mom at St Edwards convent selly park due to his mom being plauged by people in Ireland for being a unmarried woman having a suspected half cast child, Ive met his mom a few times during the unveiling of the statue in ireland a rememberence day with lizzie tribute bands at the roadhouse stirchley

Lived where the charity shop is now on Raddlebarn Rd apparently. Born at Sandwell Hospital.

Hallam, which became part of Sandwell when the latter opened c. 1976. As an aside, when it opened they launched an appeal to buy one of the then-cutting edge CAT scanners. It was, I kid you not, the Sandwell CAT, or SCAT appeal. I doubt they'd call it that now.

That reminds me.
I've heard Blues are to be known as Small Heath International Team. Or S.H.I.T for short.

[Risso]

If you want to see how the Chinese are already investing in Birmingham take a walk around Selly Oak. The number of students from China has grown massively over the last few years. They have brought a lot of money into the area.

It was really popular with the Chinese when I was there in the early 90s.  Our halls of residence was easily a third Chinese, if not more.

[Lastfootstamper]

My missus has odd musical taste. It often drifts across my ears. Makes me wonder how successful Scatman John would be now.

[old man villa fan]

If you want to see how the Chinese are already investing in Birmingham take a walk around Selly Oak. The number of students from China has grown massively over the last few years. They have brought a lot of money into the area.

It was really popular with the Chinese when I was there in the early 90s.  Our halls of residence was easily a third Chinese, if not more.

Early 90s!  I had put you down as an old git like me.  When I was there in the 70s there were only a few Chinese when it was pie and chips at Mick's café in Dawlish Road or a pie and a pint at the Gun Barrels.

[PeterWithe]

Can we afford Juninho now?

[Percy McCarthy]

There are a lot of things the council could do better, but specific to this thread, attracting inward investment is something they excel in:

http://thebirminghampress.com/2016/05/business-birmingham-top-uk-investment-agency-global-locations-magazine/

Ignore the mistake in the first paragraph. Business Birmingham were rated top three by Site Selection magazine, not Business Birmingham!

[Comrade Blitz]

[four fornicholl]

brilliant