SOUTHSIDE ACCESS STRATEGY
Background
The Southside Business Improvement District (BID) is at the heart of Birmingham’s transformation. Covering the area of south of the city core, Southside is directly affected by major development transformations such as Smithfield, as well as the growing housing market. In addition, the area is directly affected by the city’s own transport interventions such as the Clean Air Zone and the implementation of the Emergency Birmingham Transport Plan measures, which prioritise walking and cycling and limit permeability options for private cars. During the period 2021-2026, Southside will go through massive and multiple changes in how it can be accessed by different modes. It is important that a good and comprehensive level of accessibility is maintained throughout this period for all modes.
Description of work
Southside District Limited is commissioning a Multimodal Access Strategy that assesses how people access the district by car, public transport, cycling or walking foot during the period 2021-2026. The plan will take into consideration all the upcoming development in the area and propose measures to improve accessibility resilience. In addition, the strategy will address in detail three areas of focus: transformation of Hurst Street, access for people with disabilities, and security.
More specifically, the transformation of Hurst Street will involve the street becoming a shared public space that can be temporarily closed off to cars to allow al fresco dining and events. Hurst Street is a focal point of the district both in terms of activity and in terms of its location and so resilient access to and around it is key. The use of Hostile Vehicle Mitigation (HVM) measures should be investigated and proposed where appropriate.
The second area of focus is accessibility for disabled people. This concerns the entire district and the strategy should particularly focus on issues of connectivity and accessibility between key locations in the district and the city, such as New Street Station, Bristol Road, the Birmingham Markets and soon the Smithfield development.
The third area of focus is security in the area. This involves improving lighting and surveillance opportunities on key pedestrian routes and key locations in the district to ensure security for people who are walking at night. The measures proposed should include CCTV locations but also where appropriate innovative solutions that can be incorporated in new buildings and developments, as well as natural surveillance opportunities through active frontages, and shared spaces.
The BID maintains excellent relationships with the district’s businesses and will facilitate all engagement. In addition, the BID has a partnership with West Midlands Police including its Counter Terrorism Lead Officers, and Birmingham City Council. The team who will deliver this project are expected to work closely with the BID and its partners to identify the best solutions for the district.
Objectives of the study
To identify any potential access limitations for all modes of transport as a result of new development in the area, events, and temporary road closures.
To identify solutions that increase access resilience for all modes and address the needs of local businesses, especially servicing.
To consolidate and coordinate all mode access solutions in a strategy that covers the period 2021-2026.
Outputs and deliverables
The study will need to provide the following outputs and deliverables:
A baseline review of current proposals and plans for the area and associated timelines. The review should identify any access limitations that are associated with these proposals as well as opportunities, such as developer contributions or other options for collaboration to deliver local improvements. The review should also reflect any uncertainties in terms of future development that will need to be investigated further at a later stage. The review will take advantage of the BID’s partnerships with the West Midlands Police and Birmingham City Council to reflect the latest plans for the area and policies for the city.
A workshop with local businesses to understand their needs and concerns, as well as current access limitations they may face. As well as the workshop, further engagement with businesses needs to be considered (surveys, targeted interviews), especially if COVID-19 restrictions limit the potential of the workshop to provide meaningful insight.
A draft multimodal access strategy for the period 2021-2026 based on the findings on the baseline review and the business engagement. The strategy must propose measures to increase access resilience in the area and specifically investigate the transformation of Hurst Street, accessibility for people with disabilities, and security at street level. All proposals will need to be given a high-level cost estimate and be incorporated in an accompanying delivery plan.
A second workshop with businesses to discuss the strategy and delivery plan. Again, further engagement needs to be considered in case COVID-19 restrictions reduce the potential of the workshop to provide meaningful input.
A presentation of the finalised strategy based on the findings of the second workshop. At this stage, feedback will be also gathered from key stakeholders outside the BID, such as Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Police.
Indicative timetable
Advertise opportunity: 26th January 2021 – 11th February 2021
Deadline for submissions: 5pm 12th February 2021
Notification of Appointment: 5pm 19th February 2021
Project Completion: 30th April 2021
Submit a proposal to conduct this work
The proposals must include the following:
A description of how the baseline work is going to be carried out and how the results will be presented (max 300 words)
A description of how each area of focus will be approached (max 300 words for each area)
A description of the workshops’ format, including any considerations for running them online and further engagement (max 300 words)
A description of how the strategy is going to be developed and how you will incorporate the findings of the workshops and engagement (max 300 words)
A project plan that will include a timeline and key milestones (max 200 words)
CVs of team members who will work on the project detailing their relevant expertise (max 2 sides of A4)
Evaluation of proposals
Proposals will be evaluated to a maximum of 100 points with each of the above items accounting for the following scores:
20%
20%
20%
20%
10%
10%
More information
Submit your proposals to information@southsidedistrict.co.uk before deadline 5pm 12th February 2021. Please use PDF or MS Word format only.
The BID Team are available for any questions or more information on this opportunity, if you have any queries call Zab on 07702541400 or email information@southsidedistrict.co.uk.