Birmingham 1945 - 1980
| Post 1945 Plans now being carried out or prepared include a completely
new Inner Ring Road and the rebuilding of the whole of the most ancient
parts of Birmingham, centred on the Bull Ring; underpasses and bypasses
at the worst suburban junctions; the clearing and complete rebuilding
of five of the worst slum areas about the City centre - Aston Newtown,
Nechells Green, Highgate, Lee Bank and Ladywood. Industry will be
zoned in those areas, and this separation of housing and industry
will continue gradually elsewhere, as will the improvement of highways
& amenities.
Birmingham is a City of 1,100,000 people, and still growing : recently immigration from the Commonwealth and Eire has created new problems of accommodation. Although it has absorbed 15 manors in three counties, the City is already short of building land, and has an enormous list of applicants for council houses. Pleas for more land beyond the boundaries have been rejected : building upwards, and at a higher density than is desirable has become necessary, new estates have been built in other authorities' areas, and now one or more new towns, beyond the Conurbation and its green belt, are to be built. But still Birmingham is overcrowded, with thousands of sub-standard houses too close together. It is a boom-town, of prosperity and high prices, the Mecca of
the jobless, and the acknowledged centre of the whole Midlands area,
for entertainment and shopping in the huge new stores. Its future
looks bright - but the bill will be very heavy!! |
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