Liam Byrne MP today thanked the Big Lottery Team for awarding the Bromford & Firs over £1 million in long term funding for good causes on the estates.
The MP met Lottery chief executive Peter Wanless at the Commons last month and was briefed on the final details at his Hodge Hill office last Friday.
The money is part of a new scheme called ‘Big Local’ and is the only award in Birmingham. The money is available for investment in ideas nominated by local residents over 5-10 years.
Liam said;
‘This is a fantastic lottery win for the Bromford & Firs. We’ve been building up the strength of residents’ groups with our meetings and surveys for 5 years and today we got our reward. This is one more victory for people power. The Big Lottery Fund could see the Bromford and Firs needed investment and recognised we have the strength to use the money wisely.
“We’ve been fighting hard for the investment the Bromford needs. We’ve won £10 million for a new health centre, over £1 million to blow up the old tower blocks, and today we’ve £1 million for transforming the quality of life on the estate. It is nothing less than the local residents deserve.”
Byrne has been building up a network of social entrepreneurs in Hodge Hill dedicated to transforming the community through his Hodge Hill 2020 plan. Today’s news follows an award of £85,000 last month from the Heritage Lottery Fund to begin work transforming Ward End.
Liam Byrne also announced today the date for his next ‘Community Funders Conference’ bringing together charitable funders like UnLtd and Big Lottery Fund with local groups.
The conference will be held on 8th October at the Beaufort Sports & Social Club, Coleshill Road.
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.
One of the campaigns I’ve been pursuing is the need for a much better bus service on the Bromford. The Bromford Estate in Hodge Hill has a very poor bus service – and lots of residents have raised it with me, during the campaign, and in my regular Resident Meetings. In July 2009 I wrote to Centro and was told that a bid for Kickstart Funding had been submitted. Then they went a bit quiet. We’re on their case now demanding a few answers to what’s going on. Watch this space for an update.
February 19, 2010
in Blog, Bromford & Firs, Buckland End, Hodge Hill, Kitts Green, Lea Village, Shard End, Small Heath, Tile Cross, Ward End, Washwood Heath, glebe farm, public services, social action
Scores of people from across the constituency joined me tonight at the Blue Cross Church in Hodge Hill, for the first of my three community summits on the big issues for the election campaign.
Tonight’s debate was on public services – and some very, very clear themes emerged. First, contrary to the Tory plan to cut police officers, our residents wanted police protected with equipped with more powers, especially to tackle anti-social behaviour and drugs. We talked a lot about alcohol pricing too. The majority clearly want minimum pricing of alcohol in super-markets. But a substantial minority just backed tougher action against supermarkets selling drink to minors.
Second, people liked the idea of investment in schools, but wanted to see more discipline in the class room and backed the idea of getting more youngsters involved in community service. One excellent question was how people – especially retired folk – could volunteer to share their skills and mentor young people. A lot of residents backed my campaign for more school places. And some wanted to know how parents who had lived in an area for a long time could get preferential access for their kids at local schools (this from both Asian and white residents).
Third, we had a lot of issues about protection of services for the elderly (shades of today’s social care debate) and the need for more action on litter, illegal parking and the like.
Finally, we talked a lot about immigration and human rights – as we always do. They’ll be more on this from me in the weeks to come. And indeed my third community summit will take the issue on, head on. Last night, I was in Oldham with Phil Woolas, the Immigration Minister, to speak at his fundraiser. I’ll be hoping to persuade him to come down and join me.
Look out for the invite to my next summit – on jobs – landing on door-mats over the next 2-3 weeks. And if you can’t make it, keep the surveys coming. Literally hundreds are pouring back into my Hodge Hill HQ.
November 10, 2008
in Bromford & Firs, Buckland End, Hodge Hill, Kitts Green, Lea Village, News, Shard End, Small Heath, Tile Cross, Ward End, glebe farm
Liam Byrne MP today questioned council plans for local clear-ups after learning that FIVE different parts of the city authority could be responsible for keeping constituencies clean
The revelation comes as shocking new figures obtained by the Hodge Hill MP, show just THREE littering penalties a week were handed out in a recent 6 month city ‘blitz’ in Hodge Hill at an incredible cost of nearly £300 per ticket issued. Only 54% of fines handed out were subsequently paid.
Liam’s Rubbish TV campaign, which sees the local MP film local grot spots and post them on the internet, received new backing from clear-up charity Encams.
Encams chief executive, Phil Barton expressed ’sincere thanks’ to Mr Byrne’s campaign for ‘highlighting the problem with litter in Birmingham.’
Liam Byrne said;
‘Local street cleaners are local heroes. But it looks like good people are being trapped in bad systems. How can FIVE different city departments be needed for one simple job – keeping our community clean?
‘What’s worse is that the city doesn’t seem interested in taking on the selfish minority who make a mess. City politicians can’t blame people dropping rubbish and then fail to use the law to fine them.
‘Handing out three penalties a week in one of the messiest parts of Birmingham tells me the council is just not taking this problem seriously. I want the council to get tougher with people breaking the law’.
November 7, 2008
in Blog, Bromford & Firs, Buckland End, Hodge Hill, Kitts Green, Lea Village, Shard End, Small Heath, Tile Cross, Ward End, Washwood Heath, glebe farm
Big day today. Today i meet the head of street cleaning for my district. Hodge Hill. I got so sick of the state of our streets that eventually I had to resort to posting videos of rubbish strewn streets on YouTube – my very own Rubbish TV. I felt sad that it had come to this – but my constituents love it. People are constantly emailing me to let me know where there’s a mess they need clearing up. I’ll have a simple message for city officials today. I think they are good people. But they seem trapped in some pretty bad systems. And we want faster progress. Watch the videos for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eaj1_MbMauE
Tagged as:
Hodge Hill,
Rubbish TV
Liam Byrne MP today labelled Birmingham City Council ‘unacceptable’ for refusing to answer his Freedom of Information request about the sale of Hodge Hill playing fields to supermarket giant Tesco.
The Member of Parliament for Birmingham, Hodge Hill demanded to be told how much money Tesco had paid to Birmingham City Council for Brockhurst Playing Fields, after he and local residents had fought for years to stop the development.
Freedom of Information Act requests are meant to be answered within 20 working days.
When, after 40 days Liam reminded the Council he needed an answer he was told the letter hadn’t been received. A new copy was sent. On the 1st August he was informed that the request had been passed to the Freedom of Information Team.
Nothing was then heard for a further 50 working days. A letter from the Council Property Services was received on the 10th October stating they needed another 14 working days to answer the MP’s questions.
Liam said:
‘This is simply not on. Our playing fields were for community use. Our community has a right to know how much they have been sold out for – and where all the cash is going.‘
In his request Liam Byrne also asked who was responsible for deciding where the money is spent.
Liam said:
‘It simply isn’t fair that city hall – who we pay for – is hiding the facts about the Tesco land deal. I want to know how much money has changed hands, and who is going to spend it. My demand is simple. I want to make sure that every penny goes to improving local facilities for local families.’
Liam Byrne MP today thanked residents of Hodge Hill for his new Government job at his monthly after work get together for local residents in Hodge Hill.
The MP for Hodge Hill was sworn in as a member of the Privy Council by the Queen at Buckingham Palace last night when Her Majesty presented Mr Byrne with his seals of office as Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, one of the oldest offices of state in England.
Mr Byrne was straight back to Birmingham last night and will today meet parents at Gossey Lane school at his weekly ’school gate surgery’ and local residents at the United Reform Church at his monthly after work get together.
Mr Byrne said;
“I wanted to say a big thank you to Hodge Hill residents because its their voice I shouted with in government.
“I’ve met thousands of local residents at my monthly coffee mornings, after work get togethers and my weekly school gate surgeries. Money can’t buy that kind of advice and determination.
“That’s why I’m straight back out on the road in Hodge Hill talking to local people about how we step up our fight for a fairer future”
Liam is the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill, and Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary. 
