Building on our existing partnerships with the development community we will put in place a plan to work with planners and developers to achieve an increase in the provision of cultural infrastructure, creating more places for culture to be either made, or experienced. We will start by looking afresh at our cultural assets to understand where there are gaps that need to be addressed, where existing institutions have the capacity to grow, and where particular local neighbourhood contexts would suit a certain type of cultural development. 

With this mapping at hand we would work through the Compact seeking to ensure that Cultural Needs Assessments and site-specific cultural plans prepared by developers are of a sufficient level of ambition, but also fit with the needs identified in the review outlined above.

Using the support and evidence generated for this framework we will advocate for an increase in the amount of cultural expenditure and cultural influence within the Local Plan and Supplementary Planning Documents. This will in turn increase the level of Section 106 and Community Infrastructure levy (CIL) funds spent on culture activities and infrastructure. We will also take into account  recommendations from Birmingham City Council’s emerging Public Art Strategy and Heritage Strategy in the way funding can be redirected and increased to culture.

Also to be explored is the potential for other publicly  funded developments, e.g. housing funds or public transport licenses, to have a guaranteed minimum level of cultural provision ‘hardwired’ into their rollout plans. 

And finally we will work with commercial developers in partnership to look at how culture, creative workspaces and public art can enhance the viability, delivery and eventual value of new urban developments across Birmingham.