Black Country Urban Park
Encyclopedia
The Black Country Urban Park is an ambitious proposal to transform the environment of the Black Country
through positive action at an unprecedented scale.
The heart of the industrial revolution
, the Black Country
went into a serious economic decline in the 1980s, with the loss of almost all the heavy industry,especially metal founding
. Having had the longest history of heavy industry of any urban area in the world the area was left with a legacy of dereliction and contamination. Combined with considerable economic deprivation
- amongst the highest levels in the UK.
The aim of the Black Country Urban Park is to turn around the area's fortunes, making it a desirable place for businesses to relocate and reverse the current trend for outmigration
.
The lead partners in the development of the Urban Park are Black Country Consortium, the Metropolitan Borough
councils of Dudley
, Sandwell
and Walsall
, Wolverhampton City Council
, Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country and British Waterways
.
The Urban Park proposal was an unsuccessful contender for the Peoples £50 Million lottery competition organised by the BIG Lottery Fund
.
Black Country Urban Park Partners:
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
through positive action at an unprecedented scale.
The heart of the industrial revolution
Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times...
, the Black Country
Black Country
The Black Country is a loosely defined area of the English West Midlands conurbation, to the north and west of Birmingham, and to the south and east of Wolverhampton. During the industrial revolution in the 19th century this area had become one of the most intensely industrialised in the nation...
went into a serious economic decline in the 1980s, with the loss of almost all the heavy industry,especially metal founding
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
. Having had the longest history of heavy industry of any urban area in the world the area was left with a legacy of dereliction and contamination. Combined with considerable economic deprivation
Relative deprivation
Relative deprivation is the experience of being deprived of something to which one believes oneself to be entitled to have. It refers to the discontent people feel when they compare their positions to others and realize that they have less than them....
- amongst the highest levels in the UK.
The aim of the Black Country Urban Park is to turn around the area's fortunes, making it a desirable place for businesses to relocate and reverse the current trend for outmigration
Human migration
Human migration is physical movement by humans from one area to another, sometimes over long distances or in large groups. Historically this movement was nomadic, often causing significant conflict with the indigenous population and their displacement or cultural assimilation. Only a few nomadic...
.
The lead partners in the development of the Urban Park are Black Country Consortium, the Metropolitan Borough
Metropolitan borough
A metropolitan borough is a type of local government district in England, and is a subdivision of a metropolitan county. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972, metropolitan boroughs are defined in English law as metropolitan districts, however all of them have been granted or regranted...
councils of Dudley
Metropolitan Borough of Dudley
The Metropolitan Borough of Dudley is a metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It was created in 1974, and is made up of the towns of Dudley , Stourbridge , Halesowen, Brierley Hill, Amblecote, Sedgley and Coseley...
, Sandwell
Sandwell
Sandwell is a metropolitan borough of the West Midlands with a population of around 289,100, and an area of . The borough is named after Sandwell Priory, and spans a densely populated part of both the Black Country, and the West Midlands conurbation, encompassing the urban towns of Blackheath,...
and Walsall
Metropolitan Borough of Walsall
The Metropolitan Borough of Walsall is a local government district in the Black Country part of the West Midlands, England, with the status of a metropolitan borough. It is named after its largest settlement, Walsall, but covers a larger area which also includes the towns of Aldridge, Brownhills,...
, Wolverhampton City Council
Wolverhampton
Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. For Eurostat purposes Walsall and Wolverhampton is a NUTS 3 region and is one of five boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "West Midlands" NUTS 2 region...
, Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country and British Waterways
British Waterways
British Waterways is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the government of the United Kingdom, serving as the navigation authority in England, Scotland and Wales for the vast majority of the canals as well as a number of rivers and docks...
.
The Urban Park proposal was an unsuccessful contender for the Peoples £50 Million lottery competition organised by the BIG Lottery Fund
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...
.
External links
Black Country Urban Park Partners: