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Park life in Brum plan
Aug 2 2004
By David Bell, Evening Mail
Birmingham's own version of New York's Central Park could blossom in a year's time, it was revealed today.
New cabinet regeneration chief Ken Hardeman has promised to breathe new life into the city centre project, which has been in the doldrums since first unveiled five years ago.
He intends to demolish and grass over properties acquired by the council on Eastside, including the site of a new £250 million Central Library there is no money to build. "It doesn't look as though this would present any problem and I am convinced I can do it," he said.
Around eight or nine acres will be grassed over, stretching out from Park Gardens towards the city centre.
"It will look a lot more attractive than a group of empty and derelict buildings as well as provide a much needed facility for the city," he added.
"When people start to use it, we may decide to keep it."
The park w o u l d provide a lunchtime retreat for shop and office workers whose only green space in the city centre are the grounds of St Philip's Cathedral.
Coun Hardeman is also anxious to get to grips with the toxic chemical plant which is blighting the whole £1.5 billion Eastside regeneration project, the biggest in the country.
US-owned metal finishing plant, MacDermid, stands in the middle of a Health and Safety Executive exclusion zone because of the risk posed by toxic chemicals such as cyanide and chromic acid.
HSE is threatening to block large scale housing developments at Warwick Bar, Rea Village, the Castle Cement Works and the Media Village.
The danger was underlined last week when hundreds had to be evacuated from homes and factories surrounding the Palmer Street plant following the accidental mixing of two chemicals resulting in an orange cloud of nitric oxide spreading over the area.
