Tall buildings will create 'Berlin Wall' in Nottingham
MORE tall buildings could create a 'Berlin Wall' dividing one area of Nottingham from the city centre, it is feared.
A proposed guide for the development of the city suggests a 'tall building zone' around Huntingdon Street and the Eastside regeneration area, both of which sit between the city centre and St Ann's and Sneinton.
Residents' groups are urging the city council to think carefully about the proposals in the Urban Design Guide.
Nottingham Civic Society chairperson Hilary Silvester said: "It would cut St Ann's and Sneinton off physically and socially. It has already happened to some extent all the way down Huntingdon Street."
The Civic Society previously produced a DVD, called The Long View, in which Nottingham South MP Alan Simpson warned against creating a divide in Nottingham, with commerce and financial wealth on one side and an "exclusion zone" on the other.
Mr Simpson said allowing a concentration of tall buildings poses the risk of creating what he called a "Berlin Wall".
The issue was debated last year at a public inquiry into the building of a 14-storey apartment block in Brook Street, in the city centre.
Mat Anderson, of the Victoria Park Tenants' and Residents' Association, which represents people living to the east of Huntingdon Street, described the Urban Design Guide as a "total mistake."
He said: "I thought this matter had been settled. It seemed the argument against tall buildings to the east side of the city was a no-brainer.
"Nottingham desperately needs more sensitive developments in tune with the needs of the community."
The Civic Society is compiling a response to the Urban Design Guide, which will be sent to the city council's planning department.
Civic Society members support the idea of a development guide, but are against too many tall buildings.
Coun David Mellen, who represents the Dales ward at Nottingham City Council, and Coun Dave Liversidge, who represents St Ann's, pointed out that the guide does not say anything about views of the city from the east.
Speaking at the council's committee meeting for the area this month, Coun Mellen said: "The views from Sneinton and St Ann's are important. The view from the windmill into the city, and from the city to the windmill, are perhaps some of the most important.
"If you could put some tall buildings around the incinerator I would be really happy."
Coun Liversidge said: "Given that St Ann's and Sneinton are to the east and south of the city, there tend to be shadows from the west, and I would like to ensure that people's use of parks and open spaces is not interrupted."
caroline.lowbridge@nottinghameveningpost.co.uk
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by Andyman, Derbys
Saturday, January 24 2009, 12:57AM
“Sounds dodgy to me, erect many tall buildings around areas with seemingly high crime rates. Move this on slightly, we can stick loads of CCTV cameras on the top of these buildings and monitor the whole of St Anns and Sneinton and save the cost of 10 Police officers as they will now not be needed.
Sound implausable? its already being tried in other areas of the country with supposed troublesome areas overlooked by such tall buildings.”
by marian, Notts
Friday, January 23 2009, 5:15PM
“I wish I hadn' t said anything about the course wordy, i was being too open.....I have found that any small bit of 'sharing' you do on here is twisted and 'used in evidence against you'
I'm not going to explain as my words will be twisted further”
by Phil, Meadows
Friday, January 23 2009, 3:17PM
“Mr Mojo,
An area can not be cut off either physically or socially only mentally!! This is because many people who live in other areas of the City wish to forget about areas such as Sneinton, St Anns and the Meadows due to as you did rightly state the behaviour of some of its residents. As I said earlier, these communities are of some of the strongest in the whole Country, and they respect and feel committed to where they live and their quality of life.
There is much work to be done in Nottingham and such people like John Collins and Vernon Coaker to name but two are working towards this and trying to get others on board to take the City forward.
We should be proud of where we live, Nottingham, and I say that as someone born and bread in Derbyshire, but someone who has been in this City for 10 years now, and committed to its future and making a positive difference in any way that I can, and I know with the work I have done in what is known as City South, other people are too.”
by Mr Mojo, Mapperley
Friday, January 23 2009, 2:57PM
“St Ann's and Sneinton have been cut off physically and socially for some time, mostly because of the behaviour of some of the residents.”
by Wordy, ...
Friday, January 23 2009, 2:36PM
“Marian you say you went on a course once for women in St Anns is that not sexist and areaist? If there is such a word. That seems a waste of money to me, how often do jobs in the paper involve qualifactions in St Anns?”
by marian, Notts
Friday, January 23 2009, 1:16PM
“No, B.J.Mann's just a bit er ' different' Martin.....He LOVES a good argument and will try and create them wherever he goes.
It's best just to gently humour him and move on
We love ya B.J. someone has to”
by marian, Notts
Friday, January 23 2009, 1:12PM
“I mean 'their' of course...hate anyone to think that someone from St Anns mixed up their pronouns and their ( what's the other one called?)”
by Martin, Beeston
Friday, January 23 2009, 1:12PM
“***Actually, if you look at most cities, you will find the buildings are built BETWEEN the streets.
And where you get a building that is too big to fit between them they you have an air-rights development build OVER and NOT on the streets!***
Well that was precisely my point. Are you a bit slow or something? When I said you will be able to walk alongside the buildings I meant on existing streets, therefore this is no wall effect”
by marian, Notts
Friday, January 23 2009, 1:10PM
“Having not been to Berlin clearly I can't comment on the new buildings Vin, but do these new buidings divide differently percieved sections of the population up?
I think Alan Simpson probably had in mind the symbolic message of the Berlin Wall
I agree with you, I think New York is one of the mostbreathtaking places in the world and look at the height of the buildings there!
Also, of course, The E.P. has been naughtily provocative with the headline attracting all the 'Usual Suspects' to come and spit there venom.”
by Vin, Mapperley
Friday, January 23 2009, 1:01PM
“I wonder if Alan Simpson realised the irony in describing the addition of tall buildings as creating a 'Berlin Wall'. Since the majority of the wall has been removed, Berlin's experienced a building boom with the addition of some fantastic tall buildings such as the Potsdamer Platz development including work, leisure and living in one location (A trip to Berlin would be one I'd be happy to see our councillors go on). If the 'design' of a building is right then surely the buildings can even become 'the view'. Having visited many cities with high rise centres I fail to see why the 'British' panic when it comes to 'building high rather than wide' especially near rail, tram and bus routes. The alternative? Out of town office parks and retail centres only accessible by car?”