Roger Harmer

There was a small, but nonetheless very welcome, fall in Birmingham’s level of claimant unemployment in April. Seasonally adjusted claimant unemployment fell by 143 to 43,359 a rate of 10.6%. The national rate is 4.8%.

Unadjusted claimant unemployment in Birmingham fell by 844 in April (unemployment tends to fall in April, hence the lower seasonally adjusted fall) to 48,110 or 11.9%. This is 2,129 down on a year ago. Long term (12 months or more) unemployment in the City is now 16,590, down 15 on a year ago while youth (16-24) unemployment is 12,255, 460 down on a year ago.

In Acocks Green unadjusted claimant unemployment fell by 45 in the month to 1,177, or 10.4%. This is up 25 on a year ago. Acocks Green has 364 long term unemployed and 309 youth claimants.

Total UK unemployment (rather than the claimant figures described above) is released for three month periods a month in arrears. In the three months to March it rose by 15,000 to 2.52m. The total number of people in employment fell by 43,000 to 29.7 million, although the number of vacancies was at its highest level since 2008.

As I highlighted back on 10th January, the Lib Dems in Birmingham have been campaigning against Labour’s decision to impose a 20% Council Tax charge on those in receipt of working age means tested benefits.

Finally the Council has seen sense and is going to accept the £2.1m on offer from the Government to reduce the amount of Council Tax paid by the poorest in our City. This isn’t a total victory; we argued that there should be no charge at all for the poorest working age claimants in our alternative budget, however it is a very welcome change, which will reduce their liability from 20% to 8.5%.

The Council’s delay in accepting the money is a major cause of shame for the Labour Party in Birmingham. It means thousands of those dependent on benefits will have paid too much tax from the start of the current financial year. This no doubt caused hardship for many and will now involve the Council in costly extra administration to put things right.

John Hemming worked hard to keep the offer of the £2.1m from the Government on the table. Today many of the poorest across Yardley and the rest of Birmingham will benefit from his hard work. Meanwhile the campaign goes on and John is now calling on the Government to continue the funding into further years.

One of our excellent local voluntary sector organisations is House of Play and Education (HOPE) which runs a series of play schemes. Acocks Green Ward Committee has supported them with funding several times in recent years and they have gone from strength to strength. I am very happy to post a message from them about a party they are organising next Saturday at St. Edmunds Church, Reddings Lane, Tyseley:

“Saturday June 1st is International Children’s Day and House of Play and Education (HOPE) will be celebrating this day with a big party at St. Edmunds Church, Reddings Lane, Tyseley (the Home of their Playschemes).

International Children’s Day is a very special celebration for two reasons:

At a time of funding cuts and pressure to solve unemployment, children are being over looked despite clear evidence to prove that investing in play has long term benefits for adults social, physical and intellectual skills and International Children’s Day gives us a chance to put the spot light back on to play.
International children’s Day is a big celebration in Poland and our very strong and successful Polish group have asked for us to support them to celebrate this event with them.”

The poster for the event can be seen via this link:

international_children’s_day copy

In what is almost becoming a daily update, here is the latest:

1) The Library will NOT close for repairs this Saturday after all.
2) It will be surveyed for asbestos next Friday (17th May). The survey may take a day, but it could also take two in which case it will be closed on Saturday 18th May too.
3) Planning after then depends on what the survey says.

But there is another meeting next Monday (13th May) so it may well all change in a few days time…

Someone badly needs to go on a project management course.

After many false dawns, it looks as though the repairs to Acocks Green Library’s roof are about to get under way. The plan is for the Library to shut this Saturday, 11th May. The Library will then be made ready for the repair work and handed over to the contractor on 24th May. It won’t be clear, until the work is well underway, when the Library will be able to re-open, but the current aim is to have it back in business in early September.

While Acocks Green Library is closed, South Yardley Library will open longer hours, repaying the favour from the time that South Yardley Library was closed for repairs and Acocks Green opened longer hours. During Acocks Green Library’s closure, South Yardley will be open:

Monday 9am – 7pm
Tuesday 9am – 5pm
Wednesday 9am – 5pm
Thursday 9am – 7pm
Friday 9am – 5pm
Saturday 9am – 5pm

The latest Acocks Green Ward Committee took place this week. Attendance by the public was low, though those who were there had much to contribute!

The key issues discussed were:

1) Access to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre from Fox Hollies Road. This has finally been resolved and the new pathway is scheduled to open on 1st May. Very welcome news for those residents who will soon have a much shorter walk to the Leisure Centre. This work was funded by the Ward’s Community Chest allocation and shows the value in a local pot of money, that can be directed to where it is needed to sort out local problems, without extensive negotiations with the centre.

2) Community Chest. The main allocations for the year were made. Sadly the budget was cut in half by the Labour administration this year, so only £50k of revenue funding is available. The projects funded were:

* Easter Play Scheme: Fox Hollies Community Association – £1,500
* After School Activities: House of Play & Education – £3,000
* Blue Ink Saturday School: Blue Ink Trust – £1,040
* Acocks Green Carnival: Acocks Green Carnival Committee – £5,000
* Activity Equipment: 232nd Scouts Group – £1,851
* Window Alarms: West Midlands Police – £1,019
* Bus Plus: BCC Youth Service & West Midlands Police – £700
* Stockfield Estate Youth Programme: Sports4Life – £1,020
* Burglary Lock Fitting Project: West Midlands Police – £2,000
* Youth4Em: West Midlands Police – £1,000
* Gating Scheme: BCC Yardley District – £1,600
* Acocks Green Gardening Scheme: BCC Yardley District – £3,000
* Gospel Oak Project Worker & Youth Group: Gospel Oak Community Centre – £10,000

3) Consultation on the introduction of Wheelie Bins. A report was given on the current consultation exercise about the introduction of wheelie bins. The consultation exercise does not include whether wheelie bins should be introduced. This is because it is a fait accompli, wheelie bins are coming, despite strong opposition from many residents. As that debate has been had at length elsewhere, the meeting focussed on the details of how it should happen. Councillor Bowen sensibly suggested that a smaller (120 litre) residual waste bin should be available for those that want it (currently it is proposed that only 180 litre and 240 litre bins should be available). Smaller bins make sense for many residents, especially for those living on their own, they take up less space are less obtrusive and would be easier for the elderly to handle. Councillor Stacey seemed concerned that having a smaller bin might cost more (yes, this seemed odd to me too!) but hopefully it will happen.

4) The proposed plans for the Glynn Edwards Hall. The previous plans to demolish and rebuild the Glynn Edwards Hall have been withdrawn, following widespread local criticism. Two new plans, both of which also involve demolishing and rebuilding the Hall, have been developed and we are told (by the applicants) that both meet the informal approval of the Council’s planners. There was a strong feeling, from several residents at the Committee meeting, that the best option is renovation of the existing building. My view is that this should be the default option and the case why needs to be made very clearly, if it isn’t adopted. The applicants seem determined to rule renovation out, without a detailed explanation, which I find very disappointing. It was agreed that the applicants should be asked to attend the next meeting of the Committee to allow further discussion.

5) Future Meetings: All are at 7pm on Wednesday evenings.

29 May 2013 at the Scout Hut, 254 Spring Road (behind Scanlon’s)

Further meetings were proposed for:
19th June 2013 (this may be cancelled – to be confirmed)
4th September 2013
23rd October 2013
4th December 2013
26th February 2014
2nd April 2014

I gather that the project team who will be overseeing the work on Acocks Green Library’s roof repairs have now been appointed. There is a pre-contract meeting next week and a firm date for the start of the work should be agreed then. Fingers crossed this is really it!

Today I planted some hedge plants at the Community Orchard, which is being created near the top of Mallard Close, just off the Warwick Road.

Its quite remarkable what has already been achieved by the volunteers who have organised and delivered this project, turning was was an unloved area that accumulated litter to an attractive community asset.

The Community Orchard is part of this year’s Acocks Green’s entry to the urban category of Britain in Bloom (last year the Village won a bronze award), which is being co-ordinated by Fran Lee. If you would like to get involved, you can contact Fran on fran.lee@yahoo.co.uk.

This photo, which I took from the steps up to the flats above the shops on the Warwick Road shows some of the volunteers at work. Well done to everyone who helped. Even the weather chipped in with a pleasant morning followed by rain to water the newly planted seedlings!

Sadly, the latest news on the repairs to Acocks Green Library’s roof, is that there is, as I write, no confirmed date for the work to start. The work had been due to start on 7th April and before that on 4th March and before that on 7th January.

The latest excuse we are being given is that there are difficulties with arranging the final survey of the roof. Its odd that this didn’t come up as an issue previously, when the succession of different dates were given for the work to be done. Any competent project plan would surely have included a realistic time for the survey to be done within the overall timetable for the work.

This is a real concern. Is the missing survey a justifiable excuse for yet another in the seemingly endless series of delays to this vital work? Or is this just what we have to expect, now that Labour run the Council again? Your Lib Dem team will keep pushing for the work to be done; there is an article highlighting the issue in the current edition of Focus going out across the Ward.

Although crime is generally relatively low in Acocks Green ward, we do suffer from spates of distraction burglary from time to time. These involve con artists pretending to have a legitimate reason to come into your home and then while in, stealing from you. Examples of the distractions used in Acocks Green in recent years include pretending to be from the digital changeover team and pretending to be from the resident’s gas, electricity or water supplier.

Sadly distraction burglars tend to target the elderly and infirm. As Hayley Tierney, one of our excellent PCSOs reports, there has been a number of incidents in the sheltered housing scheme in Pemberley Road recently. This is her report from earlier today on the Acocks Green Ward Neighbourhood Police Facebook page:

“There were two reports of distraction burglaries in flats at Hollypiece House yesterday afternoon.

The offender posed as a water board official to gain entry and distracted his victims while he stole their money and property. If you saw or heard anything, contact 101.

Distraction/bogus burglars tend to target the elderly or vulnerable, so please make your friends and relatives aware.”

As she says, please keep an eye out for these crooks, warn relatives and neighbours and if you see anything suspicious contact the police.