One of the promises I made at the last election, was to campaign for hundreds of new family homes in the constituency.
Here’s a quick update on where we’ve got to.
New homes are proposed along key corridors and at Sustainable Urban Neighbourhoods including Bordesley Park, Stechford, Meadway and Shard End.
An outline planning application for residential development has been submitted for the B&Q site at Stechford, and other residential development opportunities are now being explored (there is the potential for Supplementary Planning Document to bring further sites forward, if we fall short).
The planning application approved for redevelopment of Shard End Crescent and adjoining maisonettes is of course already in hand. This development is going to provide a new local centre, a library and 191 new houses and flats. Barrratts are the developers, and they are being supported by funds we won from the Homes & Community Agency (HCA).
On the Meadway, there are still on-going discussions with HCA about a new residential/ district centre, and this has been identified as a ‘New Town Centre’ within the city’s Core Strategy.
Second, the Bordesley Park Area Action Plan is developing ideas for an Area Action Plan with options identified that will go to a public consultation in Autumn.
Finally, potential housing sites across City are being identified through a review of Strategic Housing land Availablity Assessment (as part of the Evidence Base for Core Strategy) This includes the former Yardley Sewage Works site.
I was out in the rain for my weekly street surgery on Swanage Road, Muntz Rd, and Grange Road today. Parking, street cleaning and rat runs were the issues. Oh and one chap who said we need to change the voting system. Let me know if there’s anything else we need to follow up on.
One of the projects we have been campaigning against is the proposed Medium Secure Unit in Bordesley Green.
I wrote to Ian Cumming, the Chief Executive of the West Midlands Strategic Health Authority. He told me that:
The full business case is being developed by the Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Foundation Trust (BSMHFT) and will be considered by the Foundation Trust Board in March 2010. The Trust have made an application to Monitor by Birmingham and Solihill Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust to extend its Tier 2 borrowing limit by £33 million for the purposes of building the Yardley Green unit and this has received the necessary approval. Monitor is the financial regulator of Foundation Trusts and forms its own assessment on the financial viability and risk profile of major investments – this is not the responsibilty of the Strategic Health Authority. The decision as to whether to finance, build and run such a unit rests with the Foundation Trust Board.
I’m now pursuing the local trust for answers. Watch this space for more…
I had the privilege of opening the community day at the Ideal Park in Bordesely Green this afternoon. Lots of stalls, games for kids and even a bit of Bollywood dancing.
Liam and Mrs Kattack open the community day
A huge well done to Mrs Khattak, Sarah Cooper, and the team from St Paul’s Crossover, the neighbourhood management and the Ideal Park group.
July 7, 2010
in Bordesley Green, Bromford & Firs, Buckland End, HH2020, Hodge Hill, Kitts Green, Lea Village, Local campaigns, Shard End, Small Heath, Tile Cross, Ward End, Washwood Heath, glebe farm
With fears about jobs in the news I thought I would set out where things are with the fight to get more people back in work in Hodge Hill.
The principal programme set up by the Labour government was the Working Neighbourhood Fund, a multi-million fund for Hodge Hill – as well as other parts of the country – to get people back to work.
Last week, I met with Stephen Hughes, the Council’s chief executive to review the plans in place to get people back to work across the £7.4 million of funding in place for the Hodge Hill constituency.
After lots of pressure, there are now five contracts in place to develop help for a range of people, including lone parents, and young people, and those with disabilities (amongst others).
Initially, the city was targeting a 3% fall in worklessness in priority wards – that should be our target in Hodge Hill. The target is to get over 1,000 people into work, and to connect nearly 4,000 people (3,870 to be exact) with services they need to help them get towards work. This is across the programme’s life which runs for another year or two.
To date, I am told, 1,477 residents have now been engaged – but only 60 have actually been helped into work.
This tells me that the agencies running the services need to radically step up the pace. I’ll be keeping the pressure on – and publishing regular updates.
July 6, 2010
in Bordesley Green, Bromford & Firs, Buckland End, Hodge Hill, Kitts Green, Lea Village, Local campaigns, Shard End, Small Heath, Sports Village, Ward End, Washwood Heath, Young people, glebe farm, schools
I’ve had confirmation today of huge cuts in funding for our young peoples’ future today as in a chaotic announcement, the Tory-Lib Dem council announced the cancellation of plans to rebuild Hodge Hill Mixed and Washwood Heath Technology College.
Over £30 million of funding has been slashed – while the Tory-Lib Dem Council in Birmingham did not raise of finger of protest.
One of our greatest breakthroughs in the last Parliament was getting in place over £63 million pounds to rebuild our secondary schools. We want to see these are real hubs for the community, open not only to help our youngsters get a world-class education, but there to serve and enrich our quality of life all year round. One of the ideas I am working on is how a ‘Sports Village Trust’ run by the community could run some of these new buildings at weekends and in holidays.
The new Tory-Liberal government has now reviewed whether to actually write the cheques for the money agreed. We need these new schools – our kids deserve the best too. Just so you know what’s at stake, here is the list of how much many – and where – we got agreed.
| School |
Value |
Start dates |
| Saltley |
£11,743,409 |
November 2010 |
| Park View |
£8,960,867 |
November 2010 |
| International |
£11,552,051 |
November 2010 |
| Washwood Heath Technology College |
£16,852,066 |
August 2011 |
| Hodge Hill Mixed |
£13,837,014 |
September 2011 |
| Hodge Hill Girls |
Awaiting feasibility |
November 2012 |
| Grand Total |
£63,945,097 |
|
And here is the cold announcement I had from the Department for Education today;
Hodge Hill Stopped
Washwood Heath Stopped
International School Unaffected
Park View Unaffected
Saltley Unaffected
Waverley Unaffected PFI
The news comes five days after the Government sneaked out a report showing under Labour’s management last year, department’s came in £5 billion under budget.
We’ll be fighting this crass decision. Look out for our campaign in your area soon.
Liam Byrne MP and Steve McCabe MP today called on the Home Affairs Select Committee of the House of Commons to organise a enquiry into how cameras were put up in East Birmingham with no appropriate public consultation. Steve McCabe quizzed the Home Secretary in the Commons last week, and today Mr Byrne met with West Midlands Police ACC for Birmingham Sharon Rowe and City Council Chief Executive, Stephen Hughes.
They issued their call ahead of Sunday’s public rally.
Liam Byrne said;
‘At Sunday’s rally we need to action not words from the council and the police about what they’re going to do next. My constituents want a safe community and a tougher attack on drug-dealers. Cameras can help – but the public needs a say in how cameras are deployed. We were denied that voice so now we want a practical way forward. But that needs action, not just warm words.’
‘It’s obvious that the camera’s installation was botched, and potentially a lot of taxpayers money wasted. So, this is something the Home Affairs Select Committee should investigate. Cameras can make the world of difference. But they need to command public confidence. So the city, the police and the council need to learn some lessons from this.’
So, this morning found me out with local residents, the local police team and management from Heartlands Hospital to review the terrible state of the parking around Kenwood Road, where hospital staff have been parking and blocking drives and junctions.
Here’s what we agreed;
1. The police will continue to step up patrols and tickets cars that are either parked 10 metres from a junction which is illegal, or causing ‘unnecessary obstruction’; in other words, blocking some-one’s dropped kerb or worse the pavement. Police constables and PCSOs will be issuing £30 fines.
2. The hospital has just opened a new 290-place car-park for staff. It will cost £16.50 a month – not cheap I know, but as our local sergeant points out, its much cheaper than a daily £30 ticket. The hospital will also put in a planning permission for a bigger two-storey affair later in the year
3. I will make up some leaflets for local residents to put under the wipers of cars, pointing out the grief that bad parking is causing for people who live on Kenwood Road – and warning the police are in ticket-writing mood.
I’ll come back and do another inspection in a month or two. Thanks to all residents who came along this morning – we couldn’t do it without you!
Since Bordesley Green came into my constituency I’ve been keen to support projects we need – and fight projects we don’t want, one of these being the proposed Medium Secure Unit. In a letter from NHS West Midlands in February 2010 I was told that Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health Trust are developing a full business plan. The decision rests with the Foundation Trust Board. We are chasing them for their decision. I’m pointing out that now a Tory government supported by the Liberals has taken office, there’s even more pressure on budgets. Surely this Medium Secure Unit, that no-one locally wants, can’t be a priority.
Every so often, residents on a particular street ask for our help bringing neighbours together to sort out a problem. That’s the approach we’re taking down on Kenwood Road where we’re worried about drug-dealing. Together with the local police we agreed a plan of action – but we also said where you see a problem we really need you to contact the police by telephone on 0845 113 5000 ext 7847 6236 or by email on d3_nhp_heartlands@west-midlands.pnn.police.uk. You can copy me in to your email on byrnel@parliament.uk.
We followed up our initial meetings with another discussion on Friday 29th January 2010 where we noticed the problem was getting better but still needed close attention. Keep me in touch with any problems you see.
Liam is the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill, and Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary. 
