Comments on: The Big Wheel’s back for Christmas, will the Big Screen return in 2010? http://aboutbrum.co.uk/2009/12/06/the-big-wheels-back-for-christmas-will-the-big-screen-return-in-2010/ Words, Pictures And Sounds From The UK's Second City Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:42:04 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Christopher http://aboutbrum.co.uk/2009/12/06/the-big-wheels-back-for-christmas-will-the-big-screen-return-in-2010/comment-page-1/#comment-20766 Christopher Mon, 07 Dec 2009 01:42:04 +0000 http://aboutbrum.co.uk/?p=150#comment-20766 Hi pedestrian, thanks for your comment. That's a fair amount of vitriol! There's no denying the whole topic is verging on the ridiculous given how the council attempted to self-approve and <a href="http://www.birminghampost.net/news/west-midlands-news/2009/01/13/mike-whitby-admits-council-mistakes-in-big-screen-debacle-65233-22677287/" rel="nofollow">then spent an inordinate amount of money on the project</a> whilst still at pre-approval stages. Let's not forget it was the Labour-controlled Council who first approved and oversaw the installation of the Big Screen the best part of six years ago, so we can't apportion all blame to Whitby if you're against the Big Screen project as a whole... Many other major cities in the UK have Big Screens; why shouldn't Birmingham? I do believe the function of having a Big Screen is to provide maximum benefit to the largest amount of people. Pedestrian traffic past the Bullring will be high during weekends and evenings, but it's nowhere like the focal point for footfall as Victoria Square and is. Thousands of people must commute through that space every day; when I was doing my degree, I made the journey through Paradise Forum, down the steps and past the Town Hall through Victoria Square on an almost daily basis. All other circumstances and aspects to the story aside - taking a purely logical look at the current scenario, basing the analysis on how many people get to see it on a regular basis - the screen's currently location is probably the most relevant and appropriate one for it (short of being moved back to up against the Town Hall's back wall). It's backed by trees and offset at an angle so it's not facing straight on to the Council houses. It would be less relevant to the general public if it was sited by the Bullring or elsewhere, so it makes sense to leave it in roughly the same central area. Or am I misguided in my outlook on the whole thing? Hi pedestrian, thanks for your comment. That’s a fair amount of vitriol! There’s no denying the whole topic is verging on the ridiculous given how the council attempted to self-approve and then spent an inordinate amount of money on the project whilst still at pre-approval stages. Let’s not forget it was the Labour-controlled Council who first approved and oversaw the installation of the Big Screen the best part of six years ago, so we can’t apportion all blame to Whitby if you’re against the Big Screen project as a whole…

Many other major cities in the UK have Big Screens; why shouldn’t Birmingham? I do believe the function of having a Big Screen is to provide maximum benefit to the largest amount of people. Pedestrian traffic past the Bullring will be high during weekends and evenings, but it’s nowhere like the focal point for footfall as Victoria Square and is. Thousands of people must commute through that space every day; when I was doing my degree, I made the journey through Paradise Forum, down the steps and past the Town Hall through Victoria Square on an almost daily basis.

All other circumstances and aspects to the story aside – taking a purely logical look at the current scenario, basing the analysis on how many people get to see it on a regular basis – the screen’s currently location is probably the most relevant and appropriate one for it (short of being moved back to up against the Town Hall’s back wall). It’s backed by trees and offset at an angle so it’s not facing straight on to the Council houses. It would be less relevant to the general public if it was sited by the Bullring or elsewhere, so it makes sense to leave it in roughly the same central area.

Or am I misguided in my outlook on the whole thing?

]]> By: pedestrian http://aboutbrum.co.uk/2009/12/06/the-big-wheels-back-for-christmas-will-the-big-screen-return-in-2010/comment-page-1/#comment-20765 pedestrian Mon, 07 Dec 2009 00:33:02 +0000 http://aboutbrum.co.uk/?p=150#comment-20765 That screen's an obscenity, a noxious weed, a barnacle on the grand scheme of Victoria and Chamberlain Squares. The arbitrary decision to put it there is also an insult to both planning and civic sensibilities. Perhaps they should have hung it alongside the war memorial. That would have shown equal sensitivity. However, so long as it stands there in silence it does serve one purpose: as a very visible reminder of Whitby's hubris in vandalising the civic centre. That screen’s an obscenity, a noxious weed, a barnacle on the grand scheme of Victoria and Chamberlain Squares. The arbitrary decision to put it there is also an insult to both planning and civic sensibilities. Perhaps they should have hung it alongside the war memorial. That would have shown equal sensitivity.

However, so long as it stands there in silence it does serve one purpose: as a very visible reminder of Whitby’s hubris in vandalising the civic centre.

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