 The largest master-planning exercise of its kind, the Big City Plan is designed to shape and revitalise Birmingham's city centre over the next twenty years, putting the city's sustainability, culture, creativity, technology and enterprise at the heart of its future plans, activities and development.At times, Whitby has attracted headlines as a result of comments he has made in public.In 2006, he made a written apology to newly elected Respect Councillor Salma Yaqoob following remarks he made that she would be "better off in Oldham or Burnley".