Locals question what Birmingham's regeneration is really for

Local TV

Billions are being poured into Birmingham – but while the centre gets a facelift, other parts of the city are falling apart. We hit the streets to ask: who’s this all for?

Transcript

00:00The Crimes are busy, so are the promises.

00:03A super stadium in East Birmingham,

00:05HS2 Carbanger Corridor of glass and steel across the centre,

00:09whole districts like Smithfield, White Plain and rebranded as iconic destinations.

00:14Paradise by name, but for who?

00:16The branding says jobs, homes, investment.

00:19The council says this is how we recover.

00:21But in the same breath they're slashing services and declaring bankruptcy.

00:26Equal pay debts unpaid, council repairs frozen.

00:29Even bins left out for weeks in some areas.

00:32If this is a city being lifted,

00:34why does it feel like the same places always get left behind?

00:37We're told this is the future,

00:39but for the people walking past the hoardings every day,

00:42what does it actually feel like?

00:44I think Birmingham needs it.

00:47It's a bit dire in some areas

00:50and I think we're competing with London at the end of the day.

00:52I think you need a bit more to it.

00:55It lacks a little bit compared to the cities.

00:56Yeah, I think a stadium is definitely needed.

00:59A stadium is definitely needed.

01:00That will bring a lot of new people in, I think.

01:02Yeah.

01:03And they're running the green project.

01:04I can't remember the name of it here,

01:06but I think that's going to make it much nicer visually.

01:09I guess that could be seen as a vanity project,

01:12but it's also good.

01:13I think it's just the way things are moving generally.

01:16I think it's something you have to consider.

01:18I think any regeneration in a city is great.

01:21You've got to move forward with the times.

01:23Things get old.

01:25We've got history like the council has,

01:27but we've also got new projects coming forward.

01:29And I think investment is brilliant for Birmingham,

01:31just for longevity, great business and our future.

01:35Regeneration always looks good in a press release.

01:38Rendered skylines, time-lapse videos,

01:40job numbers rounded for headlines,

01:43but a step outside the city core and the sheen fades.

01:47Perry Bar got new roads and a revamped stadium, sure,

01:50but residents further out in places like Franklin or Tall Cross

01:53still queue at food banks while playgrounds rust and streetlights fail.

01:58Some blocks haven't had proper maintenance in years.

02:01When council staff do turn up, it's patchwork and light.

02:04Adding the strikes, the missed bins,

02:06the silence from housing teams

02:08and a lot of people say they feel forgotten.

02:11Meanwhile, thousands of homes are being built

02:13where the old market stood.

02:15But who gets them?

02:16Who decide what affordable means?

02:18It's one thing to talk about regeneration.

02:20It's another to live next to it

02:22and still be waiting for the basics.

02:24I think focusing on areas that really do need work doing to them.

02:31I think you find it in a lot of cities, you know,

02:34they concentrate more on the city centre

02:36and the outskirts tend to get left behind a bit

02:40and I think the people in those areas

02:42sort of wonder, well, why are we being left out?

02:47Why is it always concentrated on the city centre?

02:50And, you know, because there were probably things

02:52in the outside areas of Birmingham

02:54that would not only benefit the people who lived there

02:57but also people visiting as well.

02:59For more information, visit www.fema.org.

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