We need a biodiversity consultant
Budget: £1,500 – £3,000 GBP
Great Healthcare for Community Ltd. is a Company Limited by Guarantee incorporated in 2011 (Registered in England Number 07841092). It’s main operating based and Registered Office is The Witton Community Centre 150 Deykin Road Witton Birmingham B6 7BU. The land and buildings of these premises were purchased from Birmingham City Council a few years ago. The company is the freeholder of the site, including the buildings and the surrounding land. There is no outstanding mortgage or other Charges. The surroundings include a private car park and an area of under-used land, which includes some trees. The purpose of this application is to transform this land into a new community green space with the help of grants from BIFFA and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
We have written a project outline which is attached. The feedback we have received is that we need to increase the biodiversity impact of the project. It is a relatively small site in the middle of an intensely urbanised part of Birmingham. We need to work with a consultant to develop the project so that it includes much richer biodiversity outputs and outcomes.
The satellite photographs clearly show how very little green coverage there is in this part of Birmingham. Nearly all the land to the South and East of the site is occupied by modern factories, industrial estates, distribution centres and their car parks. Early 20th Century terraced housing is located to the West and North of the site. When these houses were built about 100 years ago, they had small gardens at the front and rear. However, nearly all their front gardens have now been cemented over for carparking while the back gardens have been used to build extensions to create 3- and 4-bedroom houses. The neighbourhood now has one of the highest percentages of Black and minority ethnic residents outside London. Most of the neighbourhood is also in the top 10% on the government’s Index of Social Deprivation.
This means that there is no ‘tradition’ or knowledge of gardening amongst householders. Very little disposable income is available to pay for gardening materials and equipment including lawnmowers. During the 21st Century many houses have also been turned into privately rented accommodation including HMO’s. This all explains why houses in Deykin Avenue and Wyrley Road don’t appear to have gardens when viewed from space. It's quite a long walk to Aston Park which is the nearest public managed green space. Also, pedestrians would need to cross busy roads to get there. In these circumstances, GHC considers that there is an overwhelming justification for a new easily accessible green space.
Please see the attached project outline, OS map and satellite photographs for more information.
We have written a project outline which is attached. The feedback we have received is that we need to increase the biodiversity impact of the project. It is a relatively small site in the middle of an intensely urbanised part of Birmingham. We need to work with a consultant to develop the project so that it includes much richer biodiversity outputs and outcomes.
The satellite photographs clearly show how very little green coverage there is in this part of Birmingham. Nearly all the land to the South and East of the site is occupied by modern factories, industrial estates, distribution centres and their car parks. Early 20th Century terraced housing is located to the West and North of the site. When these houses were built about 100 years ago, they had small gardens at the front and rear. However, nearly all their front gardens have now been cemented over for carparking while the back gardens have been used to build extensions to create 3- and 4-bedroom houses. The neighbourhood now has one of the highest percentages of Black and minority ethnic residents outside London. Most of the neighbourhood is also in the top 10% on the government’s Index of Social Deprivation.
This means that there is no ‘tradition’ or knowledge of gardening amongst householders. Very little disposable income is available to pay for gardening materials and equipment including lawnmowers. During the 21st Century many houses have also been turned into privately rented accommodation including HMO’s. This all explains why houses in Deykin Avenue and Wyrley Road don’t appear to have gardens when viewed from space. It's quite a long walk to Aston Park which is the nearest public managed green space. Also, pedestrians would need to cross busy roads to get there. In these circumstances, GHC considers that there is an overwhelming justification for a new easily accessible green space.
Please see the attached project outline, OS map and satellite photographs for more information.