Public consultation has begun on a wide-ranging regeneration programme for the Aston, Newtown and Lozells suburbs of Birmingham, which will see the transformation of the area over the next 15 years.
The proposals form the basis of a new ‘Area Action Plan’ (AAP) which, following public consultation, will be submitted to Central Government for formal approval later this year.
Cllr Timothy Huxtable, Cabinet Member for Transport, Environment and Regeneration, said: “The plan provides a clear direction for how investment and growth is to be co-ordinated across Aston, Newtown and Lozells into the future. It outlines how the Council will work with residents and our partners in using a number of key sites within the area as a catalyst for regeneration.”
Key features of the proposed AAP include a 20 hectacre Regional Investment Site near Salford Lake, on Aston Hall Road, and the former Serpentine site providing up to 3,000 new jobs and over 1,700 new homes with major housing regeneration in Newtown and Birchfield and a range of improvements in Lozells.
There will also be extensive regeneration in the A34 corridor, which will aso see improved transport links as well as developments at New John Street West for health, leisure, housing and employment.
The initial work to develop an Area Action Plan began in 2007 with four possible options put forward for consideration. This resulted in the selection of a ‘preferred option’ which was subject to extensive public consultation in the latter half of 2009.
The plan has now been refined following comments made during the consultation and been published for final formal consultation which started on Monday 21st February and ends on the 1st April 2011.