Leader of the City Council, Cllr Ian Ward, has written this week to Gary Sambrook MP backing Gary’s campaign to transform Northfield High Street.
In the letter, Cllr Ian Ward said to Gary Sambrook MP “I share your view that Northfield is an ideal candidate for the objectives of the Fund and that such a bid would help to address the needs of the local community”.
Gary Sambrook MP stated “It is very welcome news that the Council leadership have now agreed to back our bid for Northfield High Street. Northfield is a wonderful area and the High Street has huge potential, but it has lacked investment from the Council. Hopefully a levelling up fund application will help deliver this much-needed investment”.
A bid board has also been established this week to bring together the MP with officers from the regeneration department, local councillors, the Northfield Business Improvement District (BID), Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBBSLEP), the West Midlands Combined Authority and local businesses, to help shape the work that is needed for the BID.
Over the last few months, Gary Sambrook MP has been running a survey about Northfield High Street to help shape the direction of the bid.
Gary commented “The Council has produced plan after plan for Northfield, yet they never do anything with them. Instead, they sit on a shelf gathering dust. That’s why I’ve joined with local residents and businesses to lead this campaign and develop our funding bid for Northfield”.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said, “it is a brilliant proposal that Gary and his colleagues are putting together for you, once again Gary and his colleagues are fighting for this community”. Andy added, “I of course will be really keen to support this bid”.
Preliminary results for the survey have shown that while less than 7% of people feel not safe at all on the High Street in the daytime, that number rises to 39% at night time and an overwhelming 97% of residents agree Northfield High Street needs transformation.
You can still take part in the survey by going to www.garysambrook.co.uk/northfield-high-street-survey .
The bid will be worked up by the board this year and then submitted to the 2022 tranche of levelling up funding applications.
