Locals were asked which areas of Birmingham are the grottiest, which buildings they think are the ugliest, and where the city most urgently needs a revamp. The responses pulled no punches.
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00:00Birmingham's packed with proud communities, but there are some places where the pride's harder to spot.
00:09Some streets look worn down, not just by time, but by years of being left behind.
00:14Graffiti covered walls, broken paving, bins left overflowing, it paints a picture, and it's not one you'd hang in a gallery.
00:22Some areas haven't had proper investment in years. Meanwhile, new developments rise elsewhere with speed and shine.
00:29So I wanted to hear from the people who actually live it, not from reports or plans on a desk, but from the Brummies who see it every day.
00:40I'd say at the moment, because although there's a lot of studentlets there, but now we've got the bin strike, it's absolutely horrific.
00:52The rats, the piling up are rubbish. That is why I'd say that Selly Oak is the grottiest part of Birmingham at the moment, you agree?
00:59Yeah, yeah.
01:01Birmingham City Centre. Don't like it at all anymore. I don't find it really nice.
01:07It's so many places have closed down and so much litter and just sometimes the people in general. It's sorry to say, but that's how it is.
01:18Handsworth. Why do you think that is?
01:22It's run down because of crime and drugs and guns.
01:27Yeah, handsworth and still whole, yeah, area, still whole road area.
01:34Now let's talk architecture. There's plenty of good design in Birmingham, but dotted between the heritage and the modern, there's a few buildings that just feel out of place or like they gave a pathway through.
01:48They might have looked alright in a brochure once, but now they stick out for all the wrong reasons.
01:53From oversized tower blocks to tired shopping centres, people often have strong views on what works and what definitely doesn't.
02:01It's not just about what's ugly, it's about what represents the city and what doesn't feel like it belongs anymore.
02:07So I asked what's the ugliest building or area in the city?
02:12At the moment that I've noticed they've closed down over by Oasis. And I mean, that wasn't looking great anyway.
02:20So whether they're going to improve it or close it permanently, I don't know. It's just sad to see all the shops closing.
02:27The Britannia Hotel right there. Why? I don't know. I just think it looks really good.
02:33It's a bit grubby, doesn't it? It's a bit like, yeah. Very 1970s.
02:37I don't even think people stay in there. No.
02:43No, but there are many beautiful ones.
02:46I don't really pay much attention because the buildings don't, they're not pretty enough to like draw my attention to say,
02:53oh, that looks nice or that building's unique. So yeah, I couldn't even say.
02:58So with that, we can wait to see them outside.
03:00Sure, let's see.
03:04So what else do we need to plan?
03:12Right.
03:13Oh, exactly.
03:14What else do we need to do?
03:16I don't think of know.
03:19So what do we need to do here is a Century Series has that we can't do something else.