Convention Quarter Residents Alliance
Convention Quarter Residents Alliance (CQRA) is a forum for residents and other stakeholders in the Convention Quarter to discuss and take appropriate action with respect to local issues, while encouraging social cohesion through activities and communication.
Established in response to the new residential developments around the Convention Quarter (ICC, Birmingham Arena and the entertainment and business establishments around Brindley Place and Broad Street), CQRA’s area of interest covers the apartment complexes on the canals and lower rise housing towards the ring road. This area was once characterised by small commercial premises and derelict industrial land but now boasts some of the most sought-after inner-city residential developments in Birmingham.
Residents formed the CQRA to share concerns and influence new development and improvement of open spaces. CQRA is especially relevant now given Birmingham City Councils’s ambitious plans to change the nature of central Birmingham towards a greener and more pedestrian friendly city, recently including a new plan to demolish and redevelop much of the older housing area of Ladywood situated within the inner ring road (Ladywood Regeneration Plan).
CQRA’s meetings take place bi-monthly at the Round House, off Sheepcote Street, starting at 6.00pm and closing by 7.30. We also do a regular litter pick on Sunday mornings.
Any resident, representative of a business, or interested party within the area bounded by the Western inner ring road and the city centre are welcome to attend and get involved with one of CQRA’s projects, which currently include; consulting on planning applications affecting the area, involvement with Birmingham City Council (BCC) on specific areas to improve their amenity e.g. Canal Square, tree planting scheme for local streets, events such as our recent successful program of local street markets.
Meetings and other activities are published on their web site at https://cqra.org.uk/, which also has regular reports and digests of significant planning applications and BCC initiatives, and where registered members can post and comment on these and other issues.