Dear Editor, I refer to the article by Neil Elkes in Friday’s Birmingham Post.
How can Mr Elkes arrive at his conclusion that the city centre is not a residential area when there are upwards of 12,000 apartments?
Not only do we contribute significantly to city council tax revenues but, because we live here, there is significant contribution to the city centre economy on a daily basis, using shops, restaurants, bars, cinemas, theatres and concert halls.
He also asks the question: “What did they expect?”
Well, is it unreasonable to expect a civilised environment, not polluted by antisocial behaviour?
Would he like people vomiting outside his residence, or people playing “boom boom” sound systems outside his bedroom window at 3am?
We experience all of this every week and, as he has stated, this is due to Birmingham City Council, on the one hand granting planning applications for city centre apartments and on the other developing entertainment zones in exactly the same areas.
They have then ignored the problem. Ever since I came to live in the city centre in 1997 the problem has gradually worsened.
People who have invested in city centre living will not continually put up with this lack of action and recognition of everyone’s human rights to a peaceful existence will come. There will then be a question of compensation for the failures of Birmingham City Council.
Alan Woodfield
Birmingham city centre.
