We visited Birmingham's worst road for parking fines but left feeling better Sunday, March 29, 2026 alumrock birmingham parking congestion highstreet community independentbusinesses traffic retail urbanlife Alum Rock Road has become infamous in Birmingham for its notorious parking problems. Like many inner-city areas, it’s common to see cars squeezed onto pavements, parked along curbsides and yellow lines, double-parked—often … Read More
We Visited Midland High Street Where People ‘Just Disappeared’ Saturday, March 28, 2026 dudley highstreet regeneration retail westmidlands decline shopping revitalization crime infrastructure Traders on Dudley’s historic High Street are calling for urgent action to revive the area as footfall continues to decline and anti-social behaviour rises. In the first article of a series examining High Streets across the … Read More
'Dramatic' Change Confirmed for Gracechurch Centre Redevelopment in Sutton Coldfield Saturday, March 28, 2026 gracechurch suttoncoldfield redevelopment shoppingcentre harveynorman residential hotel leisure highstreet urbanplanning The future of the Gracechurch Centre in Sutton Coldfield has taken a dramatic turn as its owners unveil a scaled-back version of the redevelopment project initially announced almost two years ago. The original plans … Read More
High Street Faces Rising Crime and Fly-Tipping as HMO Controversy Looms Monday, March 23, 2026 smethwick crime flytipping hmo regeneration parking antisocial highstreet council townplanning Business owners in Smethwick are struggling with persistent break-ins, parking congestion, and rampant fly-tipping as the town awaits a critical ruling on a proposed house of multiple occupation (HMO) development. The town is … Read More
Ten-Year Plan to Demolish Birmingham High Street Site Threatens Hotel, Shops, and Major GP Surgery Monday, March 16, 2026 birmingham demolition development highstreet planning gpsurgery housing urbanrenewal construction retail A significant site in Birmingham city centre faces potential demolition over the next decade to make way for a large-scale redevelopment project. Henley Investment Management Limited and Sixth Street have submitted a planning … Read More
Iconic UK Department Store Lilliput's to Close After 40 Years – Everything Must Go Friday, March 13, 2026 lilliputs departmentstore bridport retailclosure businessrates highstreet independentretail insolvency charity ukretail Lilliput’s, a cherished independent department store in Bridport, is closing its doors after four decades of serving the community. The store, which first opened in 1984 in a Grade II listed building, will shut … Read More