Six new Perry Barr street names to reflect community and Commonwealth Sport values
Birmingham: Six new roads forming part of the Perry Barr Residential Scheme have been officially named.
They were selected through a contest in which members of the public were invited to submit their suggestions and ideas.
Louise Kilbride of Handsworth Wood impressed a panel of judges drawn from members of the local community, councillors and project officials with her submission – based on the theme of cohesion and shared values for Perry Barr and surrounding areas.
The names suggested for the six streets that will serve 1,400 much-needed homes are:
- Diversity Grove
- Equality Road
- Destiny Road
- Inspire Avenue
- Respect Way
- Humanity Close
Louise, who lives approximately one mile away from the new streets, said: “ I came across the street naming competition in the council’s e-newsletter.
“It got me thinking about street names that could in some way reflect the diversity of the Perry Barr area – names that would have a positive meaning for local people and echo my belief that everyone deserves decent housing.
“That’s when I thought of these names and I feel honoured that these have been picked.”
Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Birmingham City Council, chaired the naming selection panel which unanimously agreed the winning entry.
He said: “We were delighted with the standard of the entries that people put forward to name these streets in the largest regeneration scheme we have seen in the north west of Birmingham for many decades. I want to thank everyone who took some time to get involved with this contest.
“But it was clear one entry stood out in a very strong field. The names put forward by Louise struck a chord with everyone on the panel and the chosen values captured the essence of Perry Barr and indeed the city of Birmingham as a whole.”
Given the eyes of the sporting world will be on this part of Birmingham in less than two years when the Alexander Stadium hosts athletics and the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the fact the winning entry utilised the Commonwealth Sport movement’s values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny was felt by the judging panel to give these names a reinforced local relevance.
The use of the values of was also applauded by Dame Louise Martin DBE, President of the Commonwealth Games Federation.
She added: “On behalf of the entire Commonwealth Sport Movement and our 72 nations and territories, I am delighted to see that these new Perry Barr streets incorporate our values of Humanity, Equality and Destiny.
“This is important as the Perry Barr Regeneration Scheme will be one of the great legacies of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
“Due to Birmingham hosting the Games, this much-needed residential scheme has been significantly accelerated. The additional investment from central government, which has come as part of the Bid commitment, has made this possible.
“It is a clear example of partners working together across Birmingham and the West Midlands to deliver the best possible legacy from the Games. Congratulations to Louise for her successful entry to name six new roads and she is a worthy winner.”
Work is well underway on homes that will use the street names, situated on the site of the former Birmingham City University Campus. Topping out (completion of the highest point of a structure) was recently achieved on one of the site plots with others following soon.
Lendlease is the principal contractor for the 1,400 homes, part of the wider Perry Barr regeneration programme – which includes improved leisure and community facilities, upgraded transport infrastructure and 5,000 new homes.
And it was Lendlease that devised the concept of the street naming contest as part of its effort to engage with the local community whilst it delivers the project.
Anna Evans, Lendlease’s Project Director at Perry Barr, said: “These are wonderful street names for the vibrant new neighbourhood we are creating. Congratulations to Louise, who has helped play an important role in the future history of Perry Barr.”
All members of the judging panel said they were impressed with the creativity and thinking that went into all the entries.
Panellist and local resident Aisha Masood, who is also the Young [WM] Combined Authority Co-chair, said: “It was an absolute honour to be part of the selection panel. There was an impressive submission of entries that epitomised not just the core values and culture of Perry Barr but encompassed what the area is all about.”
It is expected the homes using the new street names will be ready for occupation in 2023. For more information on the wider plans for the regeneration of Perry Barr, please visit the council’s Perry Barr Regeneration webpages.
