Daniel Davies

The following arrvied by email this morning; I'm not sure exactly who its from, or how it came to my address. None the less, if true its worth posting here.

Dear Resident & Businesses

The New development on the corner of Alcester Street & Cheapside opposite The Fountain which was a case of a stagnating building due to Builder/Developer Liquidation is nearing completion. This has come about by the Bankers who held the development have disposed of it to a Development Group in London who specialise in letting bunk beds to anyone for £10-£15 per night. They intend using this sight as a let in the same style of their other 6 properties in London that are used by "Young Tourists" visiting the capital. Yes l thought the same as you are now when l heard this.  The building is 4 floors and has been designed and built to provide 12 car park places and a retail unit on the Ground Floor. 1st to 4th floor contains 20 luxury apartments and is an acceptable and inevitable type of building we all will be familiar with cropping up in areas like the Jewellery Quarter and others. This application for change of use is a big leap from the existing application. Should the application be granted and overnight accomodation Tourist type be allowed and fail due to lack of use, then the next leap would be very small to change it  to an emergency/drop in and temporary accomodation for new comers to this country.

The new application is for the ground floor to have part retail, kitchen, cafe and beds. 1st to 3rd floor 68 beds per floor and the 4th floor to have 46 beds ( TOTAL PLAN inc Beds in the retail area 256)
YES! YOU READ THAT RIGHT!
The change of use has to go through Planning and will be vigourously opposed by all tenants and property owners around here as these details are staggering. We have little tourists to the city and already have a good range of cheap Hotel accommodation including THE PARAGON within 100yds of this site. l can imagine that as they start off, suddenly we will have many very undesirable characters turning Digbeth into a place NOT to live or work in. This is exactly the type of use for a new building we all should be opposing.

The following 6 local residents/businesses have already been to view the application and meet with John Davies at Alpha House, the meeting was positive and John was very receptive to our views. John asks that we should any local Residents/Businesses want to oppose the application they should write,file on the website or email John Davies as the details below to register their views before 5th August  2009.
Please consider the following areas of concern:  Increased noise (Especially late at night), Traffic, Insufficient Parking, Fire Hazard, Possible undesirables in the area, Potential for increase in Crime, Transient Residents with no local pride in the area.

Attendees at the meeting with John Davies
Paul Sankey (PS Graphics), Kim Johnson (VIP Publishing), Paul Jones (Paragon Hotel), Dave Fisher (Father Taffe House), Brian Tohill (The Fountain) & Mick O'Loughlin (Local resident).

Thank you for taking time to read this letter, please play your part by adding your comments to the Planning application:
The application reference is C/02504/09/FUL and if possible please send a letter opposing the application via email: john.davies@birmingham.gov.uk or post to: .

John Davies
Planning Service
Birmingham City Council
PO Box 28
Alpha Tower
Suffolk Street Queensway
Birmingham
B1 1TU

www.birmingham.gov.uk/planningapplications

C/02504/09/FUL

Regards  Paul