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The JQ Lobby is for people who are passionate about the future of the Jewellery Quarter!

It has been set up by representatives of the following groups as a forum to raise awareness of the changes in funding provided by Birmingham City Council (BCC) to the Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Partnership (JQRP)

The view expressed on this blog are personal to each blogger and may not necessarily represent the official views of these organisations.

The Story So Far!

In December (2009) Birmingham City Council issued Redundancy Notices to its four staff working in the Jewellery Quarter Regeneration Partnership offices.  Rumours flashed around the Jewellery Quarter of these ‘lay offs’ followed by speculation about Birmingham City Council’s commitment to the development of the Quarter.

Various groups (see above) within the Quarter requested a meeting with Councillor Neville Summerfield (the Cabinet Member at BCC with responsibility for Regeneration) to protest at the lack of consultation over these cuts and to seek clarification about the future.  A meeting took place on 21st January after which the various groups united to send a letter to BCC requesting the following:

  1. The community asks that BCC should prepare a plan of action for 2010/11 explaining how they will support existing projects.
  2. The community still believes that the BCC officer needs to be full-time based in the Quarter.  Otherwise the bid for World Heritage Site Status seems a bit ‘half hearted’.
  3. That the Information Centre should remain open and located in the centre of the Quarter.
  4. That the current marketing budget should remain ‘in situ’.

Responses from BCC both in terms of letters and verbal messages (and rumour) seem to be suggesting that BCC is moving towards agreeing to some of the community’s requests… updates will follow as they become available.

What Can You Do?

  1. Sign up to this site so we can demonstrate to BCC that we have support to the local community.
  2. Let us know your views!
  3. Tell anybody else who you think may be affected or interested!
  4. If you are interested in what is happening in the Quarter, contact the groups which most adequately represent your views and ask them how you can support them.