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.
Some residents will have heard that we won some money from the last (Labour) government to pull together a plan designed to step up the way local residents influence the way services are delivered locally. For those interested in tracking progress, I’ve posted the action plan below
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.
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.
Earlier this year, I ran my monthly residents’ meeting in Shard End – and one of the worries that we talked about was that police needed to be still more visible in the area.
As promised, I’ve discussed this with the police. One of the ideas the police used to address the problem was a Streetpirde initiative across the ward. In addition the police will be distributing a newsletter across the ward to make sure local residents have the local police team’s contact details. Let me know if you don’t get it.
Staff members from the Kitts Green Community Day Nursery contacted me because they were concerned that the Tory-Lib Dem controlled Birmingham City Council was planning to close all Council run Community Day Nurseries in Birmingham. Having visited the nursery in Kitts Green myself I know what a fantastic service they provide. Before the election we leafletted local residents and collected lots of names protesting against the plans to close Kitts Green Nursery. I’ve now written to Hodge Hill District Director, Rob James, demanding an update on what’s happening. Local parents, nursery workers – and our youngsters – must not be kept in the dark.
Residents will be seeing a lot of the first phase demolition work around Shard End Crescent now finished by the Homes and Communities Agency, demolishing housing to clear the way for new family homes. I will be hosting a a residents’ meeting soon to talk about whether the demolition and construction work is causing any problems, and to update residents on the plans in place.
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.
Amidst the rain in Birmingham today we managed a good street surgery in Denville Crescent, some action planning with the police about drug-dealing on the Norton estate – and a fantastic chat with year 6 at Hillstone School in Shard End, before my weekly school-gate surgery.
Last year the class came to visit the Commons and had a great time. So when I asked today who wanted to be a MP, a quarter put their hands up. It shows taking youngster to the Commons young is a good idea. The best question was from one young man (aged 9) who asked; ’so what is the different between a green paper and a white paper?’ Fantastic. The more the Commons does to get youngster through the door the better for the future health of our democracy. Well done all at Hillstone who made the trip possible. You made my day today. Look forward to seeing you again in December.
Liam Byrne today convened West Midlands regeneration chiefs to step up the pace on redeveloping Shard End.
The MP’s Hodge Hill 2020 plan, drawn up with the local community, sets out ambitious goals for new homes for local families.
The Member of Parliament for Hodge Hill bought together Advantage West Midlands and Regeneration Zone heads, the Headteacher of International School Colin Bateman, Charlotte Linforth, Pump programme manager and representatives from City College, Learning and Skills Council, Homes and Communities Agency and Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust to draw up a blueprint for the future.
Discussions centred around the future of the International School as a community hub with a multi million pound healthcare facility and the building of hundreds of new homes for local families.
Liam said:
‘I want Shard End to get the investment it deserves and local families demand. We need a new health centre in Kitts Green, and the International school has a huge site. Let’s think about how they can share a site for the benefit of the whole community.’
He added:
‘I’m working with the Homes and Communities agency to make sure hundreds of new and affordable homes are built right here for local families, and that young people have activities they want to do when they want to do them at The Pump.
‘If we want a strong community we need world-class schools with world-class facilities for young people, at its heart’.
Liam is the MP for Birmingham Hodge Hill, and Labour's Shadow Chief Secretary. 
