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Longbridge Area
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Longbridge is an area in the Longbridge ward and the Northfield ward in south-west Birmingham, six miles from the city centre. It is named after a "long bridge" that was built to carry the Bristol Road across the River Rea in 1728. The surrounding areas are Rednal, Rubery, Allens Cross, New Frankley, Northfield Town, Turves Green, the Lickey Hills and the Bromsgrove District of Worcestershire. Longbridge became industrialised in the early twentieth century when Herbert Austin built a vehicle assembly plant there. This developed into a vast enterprise, at one point the largest factory in the world, consisting of the north, south and east works on the east side of the Bristol Road South and the west works on the west side. After the factory closed in 2005, the west works were regenerated as a technology park and part of the south works were taken over by Nanjing who make MG sports cars there. The north and east works will be redeveloped as a new town centre for the Longbridge ward. Demographics, Politics and Housing in the Longbridge Area The part of Longbridge to the east of the cross-city railway line is in the Northfield council ward and the area to the west is in the Longbridge council ward. This website contains information about demographics, politics and housing in the Northfield council ward and demographics, politics and housing in the Longbridge council ward.
Vandals Target Bournville
College They may be targeting the college because of a false rumour that its gold-clad wing will be a mosque instead of a conference centre (News Headlines 18/09/11).
British Transport Police Investigate Vandalised Signal Cables on Cross
City Line Counterfeit Viagra Seized on Rednal Mill Lane Police seized thousands of counterfeit Viagra tablets during a raid at an address on Rednal Mill Lane in the early hours of Monday 28/02/11 (News Archive 01/03/11) St Columba's RC School St Columba's RC School on Lickey Road is a Roman Catholic voluntary-aided co-educational primary school attended by roughly 180 children aged between five and eleven. Lickey Road B45 8TD 0121 453 4841 Map Faith Primary Schools in Brum St Columba's School Website Further & Higher Education in Longbridge Bournville College In September 2011, the main campus of Bournville College will relocate from Northfield to a new state-of-the-art building currently being constructed as part of the new Longbridge town centre on the site of the old car factory. Bournville is a combined sixth form centre and further education college providing vocational and academic courses to adults and school leavers aged 16-19. The college already operates two satellite campuses in the Longbridge area: the Construction Centre and Hollymoor Centre. Construction Centre The Construction Centre on Bristol Road South provides practical training in plumbing, painting, decorating, brickwork, electrics and interior design. The centre is a satellite campus of Bournville College. Bristol Road South B45 9TX Map Hollymoor Centre The Hollymoor Centre on Manor Park Grove is a satellite campus of Bournville College that mainly provides music courses. 8 Manor Park Grove B31 5ER Map
Hollymoor Medical Centre Manor Park Grove B31 5ER - 0121 476 9191 - Map Health Centres & GP Surgeries in Brum Main House Personality Disorder Unit Main House on Hollymoor Way is a residential personality disorder unit managed by the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust. Many patients are treated there for 12 months or longer. The unit was earmarked for closure in September 2010 because increasing numbers of patients are now being treated in the community (News Archive 24/01/10). 201 Hollymoor Way B31 5HE 0121 678 3635 Map Drive House Drive House on Sheldon Drive is an NHS psychiatric unit. Sheldon Drive B31 5EX - -0121 678 3720 - Map Psychiatric Healthcare in Brum Ross House Ross House on Sheldon Drive is an NHS psychiatric support unit. Sheldon Drive B31 5EJ - 0121 678 4033 - Map Psychiatric Healthcare in Brum
The closure of the vast former Austin Works has released industrial estate for redevelopment. New projects include the Longbridge Technology Park (map), the Cofton Centre (map) and the MG Design Studio and car assembly plant (map). MG Motor UK The headquarters of MG Motor UK, now owned by Shanghai Automotive, is located on the former site of the old Austin South Works. After the Chinese took over MG, the company assembled TF sports cars in small numbers for a niche market, employing a workforce of around 200. Production was suspended for 6 months in October 2009 but resumed in April 2010 at a rate of roughly 25 vehicles per week (News Archive 21/04/10). The Chinese opened an MG design studio at Longbridge in June 2010, employing around 300 highly-skilled engineers. In December 2010, MG announced that it will launch a new MG6 hatchback in 2011 (probably in March) and a new MG6 saloon (possibly in September) (News Archive 30/12/10). If these models are successful, mass vehicle production could return to Longbridge. The MG6 hatchback was in pre-production in February 2011 and the MG6 saloon was unveiled in February 2011 (News Archive 18/02/11). The first 5-door MG6 rolled off the production line in April 2011; it has an engine capacity of 1.8 litres and will retail at £15,000-£19,000 in direct competition with the Volkswagen Golf and Ford Focus (News Headlines 14/04/11). The MG6C Magnette, a saloon version of the MG6 hatchback, was launched in Longbridge in June 2011; the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao attended the launch party (News Headlines 27/06/11). Lowhill Lane B31 2BQ 0845 303 6464 Map Cofton Park Cofton Park is a 75-acre green space that contains meadows, heaths, woodland and grass pitches. Pope Benedict XVI held an open-air mass there on Sunday 19/09/10. Cofton Common Cofton Common is a 4 acre remnant of ancient common off Grovelly Lane. "Longbridge Village Green" There was a campaign to officially designate 0.75 acres of scrub and woodland off Austin Rise as a village green in July 2010. This area, which has traditionally been used for community events, has been earmarked as an access road to a new housing estate (News Archive 21/07/10). The following bus routes run through Longbridge: 39, 42CEB, 49, 63, 143, 144, 145, 146, X62 Longbridge Junction The Cross City Railway is joined by a service line from the old Rover factory at Longbridge Junction. This service line formed part of the Halesowen Branch which closed in the sixties. Longbridge Railway Station Longbridge Railway Station on the cross-city railway is located on Longbridge Lane, roughly 400 metres from Longbridge Island on Bristol Road South. The station opened in 1978; it has 2 platforms, CCTV, a seated area and a payphone; there is, however, no taxi rank or car park; the annual passenger footfall is roughly 350,000. Trains for New Street generally stop every 10 minutes on weekday daytimes, every 20 minutes on weekday & Saturday evenings, and every 30 minutes on Sundays. Main Destinations: Stations to New Street, Sutton Coldfield, Four Oaks, Lichfield Trent Valley, Lichfield City and Redditch. Tel: 08457484950 Address: Longbridge Lane B31 2TU Links: Cross City Railway National Rail Enquiries Longbridge was dominated by a vast car factory that straddled the A38 Bristol Road South. The old factory consisted of five parts: South Works The South Works on the east side of Bristol Road South was the site of the original car factory opened by Herbert Austin in 1905. Part has been demolished but part has been taken over by MG, now owned by Shanghai Automotive, which currently employs a staff of around 200 to manufacture sports cars for niche markets. MG is expected to base a new design studio at Longbridge and to scale-up production at the old South Works following the launch of its new MG6 model. The North Works on the east side of Bristol Road South was originally built in 1916 as Austin expanded in order to manufacture armaments for the First World War. The site of the now-disused North Works will be redeveloped as a suburban centre with 24 retail and restaurant units, leisure & hotel space, a new campus for Bournville College, a youth centre, a community building called the Austin Centre, and 460 residential units. The River Rea, which has been culverted for over 100 years, will be returned to an open watercourse and become a key feature of the new town centre. The lead developers, St Modwen, approved proposals for a Sainsbury superstore on Longbridge Lane in May 2011 (News Headlines 20/05/11). West Works The West Works on the west side of Bristol Road South opened in 1917 as Austin expanded to meet the demand for more armaments, particularly shells, during the First World War. The site is being redeveloped as a technology park, industrial units and housing. The East Works are on the east side of Bristol Road South; they opened in 1936 when Austin expanded in order to manufacture aircraft. The developers St Modwen have lodged a planning application for 725 new homes and a community centre on the former site of the East Works (News Headlines 05/09/11). Conveyor Bridge The Conveyor Bridge was built above Bristol Road South in 1971 so that vehicle bodies could be carried for 366 metres from the West Works to the South Works for painting, trimming and assembly. The bridge was demolished in 2006. Housing Subsidy Deferred The Department for Communities and Local Government announced in May 2010 that it was deferring a subsidy of £3.6 million for the construction of 115 residential units on a planned estate of 1450 new homes off Lickey Road on the former site of the Longbridge car factory (News Archive 30/05/10). However, it was confirmed in July 2010 that the subsidy will be paid (News Archive 08/07/10). Regional Growth Fund Subsidy An application for a £22 million subsidy for the regeneration of the former site of the Longbridge car plant was made to the Regional Growth Fund in January 2011. The developers St Modwen, who have acquired the site, argue that public subsidy will encourage private investment, particularly the expansion of the Chinese-owned MG car plant which occupies part of the South Works (News Archive 26/01/11)
Development
Agreement Signed for New Youth Centre Lai Ling The Lai Ling Restaurant on the Lickey Road serves Chinese cuisine. 429 Lickey Road B45 8UU 0121 453 8UU Map Restaurants Outside Inner Circle McDonalds McDonalds (drive thru) is at 1661 Bristol Road South B45 9UA, T 0121 457 7997Subway Subway is at 1431-1433 Bristol Road South B31 2SU, T 0121 476 3772Cafes & Fast Food Subway Website Cardinal Newman Sculpture There is a life-sized bronze-plated steel statue of Cardinal Newman in Cofton Park. The statue, which was created by Tim Tolkien, was blessed by the Pope during the beatification of Cardinal Newman at Cofton Park on 19th September 2010. Contact Sitemap User Conditions © 2008-2011 LACT Limited. All rights reserved
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