Dear Editor, I am writing as Chair of The Jewellery Quarter Association in response to the article in Property regarding the Jewellery Quarter (16th July 2009) and in particular comments denigrating our Association’s role and membership.

Ironically, 20 years ago, in the very week when your property forum met, the JQA were formed to protect the Quarter from property speculation that wanted to destroy the area. The fact that the Quarter gets column inches in your paper and survives today as the envy of so many cities in the Europe is a testament to our efforts which are on-going.

The JQA would love to see the diversity and profile you described in your article; cafes, visitor facilities, modern designs, squares, housing, boulevards, national advertising etc.

It is naïve and deluding to say that we are blocking progress when, in fact, these good ideas are simply not coming forward. 

You need to look to chronic under-investment, the dormant large land owners, the Council being distracted and in thrall to Eastside as well as some recent really ugly developments here. In this context are we not right to insist on appropriate uses and design standards befitting potential World Heritage Status?

Most people who live and work here support our vision. Our membership is far larger than you report, vibrant and growing quickly and ranges from a single operative to huge enterprises.

We are not a self interest group but have members in all sectors of the community from the School of Jewellery, The Assay Office, trade groups, shop keepers, jobbing jewellers and increasingly professionals and residents coming into the Quarter. 

The fact that we focus so much on traditional jewellery businesses is that they are poorly represented and under pressure but, fundamentally, they make the place ‘remarkable’ rather than an historic ghetto.

I do not share the view that these skills are bound to fail, they may change but in changing could spawn unique entrepreneurial design or craft led businesses that will be the future of this special, quirky place we all enthuse about. They need help, funding and support and we will strenuously do our bit to protect them because the rewards are worthwhile.

After 20 years the JQA is seen across Europe as an exemplar community group and only last year the Quarter won the prestigious Academy of Urbanism’s neighbourhood award. For the next 20 years we see ourselves as campaigning for the potential to be finally realised and the Association to grow into the umbrella group for the Quarter.

David Mahony, PCPT Architects