Financial Woes

A very interesting meeting. So interesting that Cllr Paul Tilsley spent most of his time working through the emails on his Blackberry, although I'm sure that he was keeping an ear on the discussions.

First up was the financial situation across the constituency. The councillors sat there, impassive and silent, while an officer ran through the report, which was a pile of bad news. This bad news actually dates from last September, as the data has - apparently - not been available until now. Quite how anyone is supposed to manage the constituency without current financial data is entirely beyond me and I simply don't believe that these figures weren't available earlier. The quarter 2 data apparently indicates a forecast overspend at year end (that's the end of March 2010) of £564,000, but this seriously understates the position, because the budget reconciliation is based upon 'efficiencies' of £364,000 being delivered by the end of the year. Given that at the end of September, a grand total of £0 had been delivered and that the councillors failed to deliver £118,000 in 2008/09, the signs aren't good. This means that the true end of year position is likely to be somewhere north of £920,000 - an overspend against locally managed services of some 20%.

I did ask - just as I did at the last financial reporting session - for some details about how these savings are to be achieved, but no answer was forthcoming, either from the officer or his elected masters, who left him to struggle bravely, supporting him by remaining silent. Some of this overspend has been gifted to Yardley from the centre, as no allowance was made for the costs of retrospective appeals against the outcome of the Pay and Grading exercise. Cllr Whorwood tried to shift the blame for these costs by saying that it would have been cheaper if done earlier, but this ignores the simple facts that the process was flawed and some additional costs should have been factored in from the start. Basic business practice would dictate that, but such was the confidence in the process from the very top that it was thought unnecessary. In any case, only a small part of the overspend relates to Pay and Grading.

The only information available is that £177,000 has apparently been earmarked for recovery against 'general efficiencies.' However, only £52,000 has actually been saved and that is 'not fully in place.' The remaining £125,000 is classified as 'one off savings in place for 2009/10', but it is actually coming from the 'Constituency Investment Fund.' That sounds like a good idea - we need some investment in our constituency, but I suspect that this grand name is actually a cover for the use of central council reserves to try to cover up the failures of the Regressive Partnership. A similar funding solution has been employed in Hall Green, where the Liberal Democrats in charge face swingeing cuts to try and cover a deficit of £1.8 million - comprised of a history of years of overspending and failure to meet savings targets. The short version is that this £125k isn't an efficiency saving, but an additional chunk of funding from the centre that has been dressed up to look like efficiency.

There are also problems incurred through the 'Customer First' scheme, which is running late and has therefore failed to deliver the forecast savings within this year, so these will have to be found from somewhere else. It isn't clear who is to blame for this delay or whether any of those costs can be contractually recovered, but Yardley will pay the price in the immediate term.

And there is more. The officer presenting the budget tonight let slip that the figures for the third quarter actually show a further deterioration in performance.

According to Paul Dale, underperforming council officers can expect to face meetings with Cllr Tilsley which will be as painful as having teeth pulled without anaesthetic. Perhaps he should start closer to home.

Labour government supports expansion of Yardley schools

Tonight's constituency committee meeting was more revealing than I expected.

As part of a briefing on school place appeals, it was revealed that the government has agreed to pump £24 million into Birmingham's schools to fund additional places, money which has to be matched by Birmingham.

What does this mean for Yardley?

Currently, it is planned to have 60 additional places available by September this year by deploying mobile classrooms, with 1365 additional places promised by 2012 in Yardley alone.

That has to be good news and I hope that the City Council delivers, given the support that they have had from the Labour government.

Community Unity

Another great community gathering this weekend - the major communities of Acocks Green were well-represented for a multi-cultural celebration under the banner of Community Unity. The mosque sent along a group to sing and the Poles had a choir and a talented young musician as well, there was face-painting, mendhi painting and acres of food to serve all tastes. This event has been organised for the past few years and is always well attended. A certain Father Christmas even put in an appearance as well.

Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum

Interesting meeting at the Acocks Green Neighbourhood Forum yesterday.

The key speaker was from Birmingham Friends of the Earth and he spoke about their campaign to have a blanket 20mph speed limit on all residential roads in the City. This would exclude any roads classified as A or B, but would impose new limits on all others and this could be done by the City Council making a traffic order, as a number of others already have - Portsmouth being a good example of current practice, with Bristol running a trial. Even the GLA have investigated the idea for London.

I don't think anyone expects that just because the limit is reduced, that drivers will change their habits overnight, but this is more about changing mindsets over a period of time, although a report by the Transport Research Laboratory indicates that just changing the limit by itself reduces the overall average speed by around 2mph and cutting accidents by 5-10%. Adding in traffic calming measures as well cuts accidents by around 60%, but this also comes at a significant cost in street work.

There were a number of concerns raised by bus users and drivers whose business keeps them mainly on residential streets and these would need to be addressed. It was pointed out that smoother running often increases average travel speeds, even if the peak speed is reduced - the idea behind the traffic management system on the M42 is an example, where they intentionally reduce the speeds of all vehicles to stop bunching and stop/start travels. I suspect that a blanket 20mph might cause problems on bus routes, but I do think that this an idea worth considering for the vast majority of Birmingham's residential streets. We'd certainly be the biggest authority to implement this and I think that it is certainly worth further investigation.

The police were there and reported that action had been taken following a disturbance in Cypress Square back in September and that four people have been charged and bailed pending a court appearance. Sgt Mirams also explained that while they had been called to Pinfold House following reports of a break-in, as the witness couldn't confirm that the people found on the premises had actually forced entry, the incident had to be put down to trespass and the matter was closed. The police have visited the homes of the young people found on the premises as a follow-up measure. They also put out a plea for friends to join them on Facebook! A concern was raised by a member of the public about inconsiderate parking at the junction of Douglas Road and Dalston Road. They also confirmed that early next year, the police operational boundaries will be redrawn to coincide with the political ward boundaries, which will make joined-up working that much easier.

Back again for Christmas

It has been a little while since I've posted (real life has got in the way), so time to resurrect the blog.

Tuesday saw the switching on of the Christmas lights in Acocks Green (not Winterval) and the event was pretty well attended, with the local schools providing an ad hoc choir and the Inn on the Green providing the venue, with financial support from dozens of local traders, organisations and Council funding as well. There was a slight delay when the magic plunger was pressed by Ray Newton, one of those local residents who has served the community in various voluntary roles for years and deserves greater recognition for his fine service, but somebody found 50p for the meter and the lights flickered into life.

Still - could have been worse. At least Martin Mullaney didn't organise it.

"I warn you not to grow old"

To quote a fine leader of our party. He was speaking of a Conservative victory and not of the Regressive Partnership that is getting down to work dismantling the role of the City Council and reducing it to little more than a parish council talking shop, but his words ring true today.

The first piece of 'good news' comes as an advance leak from the Cabinet meeting planned for next Monday, which will see a recommendation backed by Cllr Sue Anderson - the Cabinet Member for Adults and Communities - that Birmingham City Council should cease to supply hot meals on wheels to the elderly and vulnerable by 2012 and must push all those who currently receive a delivery of pre-packed frozen meals off to private providers by 2010.

Naturally, this is being spun as anything but a cost-cutting measure. Heaven forbid that anyone would dare suggest it. This is about improving choice. Forget the data in the report submitted to Cabinet that the frozen and hot services both enjoy approval ratings of 94% and 88% amongst their customers and that the proposed option is the least popular amongst current users. Forget the focus group data quoted in the same report:

The focus groups held indicated that service users were generally content with the ‘Meals on Wheels’ Service currently being provided by ‘Meals Direct’. Some worrying factors arose from the groups in response to the question ‘what would the implications be for you if there were no ‘Meals on Wheels’ service?’. Service users made comments such as ‘My family would be very concerned’, ’I would worry’, ‘I would go hungry or try to cook for myself’.

This has nothing at all to do with improving choice. A problem was highlighted with supplying BME customers with appropriate food options, but that is hardly insurmountable. Of far greater importance was the increasingly urgent need to spend £140k on repairs and maintenance to the Cook Freeze Centre.

Should we be surprised by this? Not really, given that a leaflet distributed across 45,000 Yardley homes by the Liberal Democrats - complete with a picture of Cllr Anderson on the front - came with a recommendation from their MP and councillors to choose a specific private sector supplier and no mention of the City Council at all. That's how much faith Cllr Anderson has in her own department.

This private supplier apparently charges £20 for five frozen meals including dessert, compared to the £12 charged by the City Council for five meals - a whopping 66% increase in costs. For only £16, five hot meals are provided. To put that into perspective, that means an annual cost of £1460 for a daily frozen meal provided by this company, as opposed to £876 through the City Council - a thumping £584 annual extra bill for the elderly.

That doesn't take into account the vital daily contact offered by the Meals Direct service - often this can be the only contact an elderly person may have during the day. Incidentally, this supplier doesn't appear to offer much, in the way of ethnically-appropriate meals, unlike the range available from Meals Direct.

This is nothing to do with increasing choice. This is about cost-cutting - another of those inaptly named 'Business Transformation efficiencies' and it will end up costing these service users more.

Coincidence

Sometimes, it takes a while for mainstream media to pick up on local issues. Acocks Green Labour Party campaign leaflet, 2006

Birmingham Mail, 25 July 2008.

Carnival Time Again

It didn't seem too good this morning, with darkened skies and the rain lashing the windows, but the gloom lifted enough to give us a few hours of sunshine and blue skies. As usual, the Labour Party in Acocks Green turned out to run a small stall and the visitors were quite positive about us and we did a good trade in our games, including a Guess the Weight of the Cake competition.

As today marks the 60th birthday of the National Health Service, my wife produced this doctor's bag laden with equipment and medicine for the stall.

We'd barely set up the stall in the shade of the trees when our first customer hove into view. You know, I'm sure I've met him somewhere else before. Ironic really, that John Hemming's shiny pound will go towards the costs of ejecting him at the next election. His guess, of 2lbs (everybody made their suggestions in imperial measurements) was way out, as the actual weight was just under 2 lb 13 oz and the winner now has her cake.

Appearing in Pravda

By some editing error, it appears that your Acocks Green correspondent has managed to get himself into the council newspaper as a result of the planting work a few weeks back. What was interesting was the number of people who made a point of commenting on the picture while I was at the carnival. It appears that it is also on display in the library. Still, it is good to see the hard work of a number of local residents recognised on a wider scale and I know that the Town Centre Manager, Melinda, has put a fair deal of work into getting this done.

No idea who the bloke standing at the back is. He's not from round these parts.

New Planning Applications - 9 May 2008

Back to business. The usual crop of applications - mostly private, but with a statutory notification on behalf of T-Mobile and a new pub for the Solihull border.

C/02177/08/FUL - 3 Keats Grove, Acocks Green
Conversion of an existing house into two flats and the addition of single storey side and rear extension. Consultation ends 22 May.

C/02260/08/FUL - 113 Circular Road, Acocks Green
Two storey rear and single storey front extension. Consultation ends 28 May.

C/02495/08/NOT - Stockfield Road, adj Denso Site, Tyseley
14.7m high telecoms mast for T-Mobile with 1 antenna and an equipment cabinet, all close to the road outside the Mecca bingo hall. Consultation ends 29 May. Cleverly, T-Mobile have ensured that this mast is just under the 15m limit for permitted development that doesn't require planning permission. The City Council has 56 days from when they are notified of the development to give their decision. If they don't, then approval is deemed to have been granted automatically.

C/02378/08/FUL - 66 Douglas Road, Acocks Green
A single storey rear extension. Consultation ends 30 May.

C/02256/08/FUL - 42 Dudley Park Road, Acocks Green
Extending existing footway crossing by 1.5m. Consultation ends 29 May.

C/02090/08/FUL - 1293-1295 Warwick Road, Acocks Green
Thisi s a change of use application for the old Majestic wine warehouse down on the Birmingham/Solihull border from retail to a pub with a flat and office space above. Curiously, a pub 200 yards further down the road was demolished and replaced with flats only a few years back. Consultation ends 28 May.

C/01897/08/FUL - 22 Lulworth Road, Hall Green
Single storey rear extension. Consultation ends 28 May.

On all of these, you can comment by emailing planning.enquiries@birmingham.gov.uk. Further details on how to comment can be found on this page. Remember that only planning matters can be taken into account when decisions are made. Feel free to copy me in on any comments that you make. Information on planning classes can be found here.

Practical community action

A stunningly hot May Sunday morning in Acocks Green and a few local volunteers - including your author and a recently-elected councillor - turn out to help the new Town Centre manager planting a few new flowers and generally tidying up the centre of the village, despite the heat. There's now a small new flowerbed at the end of the triangle of grass in the middle of the Warwick Road where it leads off from the Green towards Solihull. The photo shows the work in progress, with the backbreaking lifting of the turf complete. There's no point in just talking about work in the community if you aren't prepared to put some hours in on the practical side.

If anyone fancies lending their muscle to next week's outing, gather outside Acocks Green Library at 10am on Sunday 18 May.

We tried

Sorry to all those of you who worked alongside me on the campaign. We fought a good fight, but taking on the Liberals this deep into their turf remains a challenge. However, oppose we must.

So thanks to everyone - all of those who voted for me and those who worked with me.

Tomorrow is another day.

Roger Harmer LD 2743
John O'Shea Lab 1125

Majority 1618.

I wish Roger all the best, but Labour in Acocks Green and Yardley will continue to challenge and oppose the Liberal/Conservative alliance that is not working for our area.

Thanks again.

New Planning Applications - 25 April 2007

C/02196/08/FUL - 83 Pool Farm Road
Erection of single storey side/rear extension to private home. Consultation ends 14 May.

C/02086/08/FUL - 49-51 Shirley Road, Acocks Green
Change of use of office to day care centre for adults with learning disabilities, access ramps and new car parking. This is just beside the newish blocks of flats on Shirley Road. The company, Knightsbridge Care Services, already have offices on Warwick Road and provide care for adults with a range of medical and learning-related conditions. The maximum capacity will be 40 users - planned to be from the local area - and up to 7 staff during weekdays, with the potential to open on Saturdays if the need arises. Consultation ends 16 May.

On all of these, you can comment by emailing planning.enquiries@birmingham.gov.uk. Further details on how to comment can be found on this page. Remember that only planning matters can be taken into account when decisions are made. Feel free to copy me in on any comments that you make. Information on planning classes can be found here.

Woodcock Lane - Flogging the Green Space

Woodcock Lane used to have a little patch of grass and trees by Warwick Road – much loved by elderly residents. I wrote about it first back in November last year on the other place.

The patch isn't big, but it has a little historical significance, as part of the avenue of trees leading up to Acocks Green House. The first picture shows it as it was last year. For a number of years, it has been open land, used by local residents as a public space - right beside it are a couple of blocks of flats and some low-rise housing, full of elderly residents, who valued that little amenity. Given that, you would think that the City Council - keen to encourage use of open space and to secure the future of a tiny part of the green lungs of our city - would carry out a little light landscaping so that residents might enjoy it even more.You would, of course, be wrong to think that, as our masters have decreed that all surplus land should be sold and that this parcel is surplus to their, if not our, requirements. Accordingly, a neighbour has bought the land and, after an attempt to fell the trees (stopped by Preservation Orders being slapped on them), he has now fenced the area off.

Way back in 2004, the Liberal Democrats promised to preserve green space in their manifesto.

Yet another promise broken.

Oh, incidentally, a far-right party has been shouting about this little bit of space. They've even claimed that the owner wants to erect a radio mast on the site to operate a radio station, which is complete rubbish. Just for the record, the local councillors helped local residents to slap tree preservation orders on the newly enclosed trees and I lodged a complaint with planning regarding the oversized fence.

Overheard on the campaign trail

Somewhere in Birmingham....

Local resident points out some on-street drug dealing to a Liberal Democrat councillor.

The response?

"Well, that's just the way it is, isn't it?"

Not so much soft on crime as feckless.

All stop for pedestrian crossings?

Residents around Gospel Lane are furious that the pedestrian crossing promised for that busy road hasn’t appeared – even though it was due to be installed last year and agreement has apparently been obtained from Solihull Council.

The only good news is that further traffic calming has been agreed for Gospel Lane.

The Liberals claim that a new crossing will shortly be installed in another deserving location on Fox Hollies Road in May or June. Residents are worried that this is just another pre-election promise from the Liberals that will be forgotten after May 1st.

Swimming drying up

Last year, I warned that cuts were on the way to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre – the Liberal councillors cut back opening hours at weekends and closed the centre on Bank Holidays, just the time to take your kids swimming.

So much for the 2004 manifesto promise from the Liberals to expand swimming opportunities.

£200,000 of broken promises

Red-faced Liberal councillors have admitted that Acocks Green will not receive £200,000 funding that they promised.

As part of the ‘dash for cash’ sell-off of council property, the former Churchill Club on the Warwick Road was sold. A local community group wanted to buy it, but were outbid by developers. Under pressure from residents, councillors promised that a quarter of the money raised would be ploughed back into Acocks Green, a promise extracted while the late Ken Hardeman was in charge of regeneration.

Now they admit that they will not keep their promise - even though another Liberal councillor masterminds the massive sell-off of council property across the city.

That £200,000 could have paid for desperately needed street lighting, additional graffiti cleaning or better youth services. Instead, it has been used elsewhere in the City – even as the councillors agreed big cuts in opening hours at Fox Hollies. Yet again, we’ve lost out because of these useless councillors.

New Planning Applications - 19 April

C/01913/08/FUL - 190a School Road, Hall Green
Change of use from retail (class use A1 - shops) to restaurant (class use A3 - restaurants/cafes). This lies within the School Road Conservation Area. Consultation ends on the 14 May.

C/01860/08/FUL - 1193-1199 Warwick Road
This is for the demolition of the old C&D Autos building and replacement with two shop units and two flats above, with car parking on the forecourt beside the estate agents - which will not be affected. Consultation ends on the 14 May.

C/01768/08/FUL - 7 The Mews, St Marys Close
Erection of disabled vehicle store to side of property. Consultation ends 9 May.

On all of these, you can comment by emailing planning.enquiries@birmingham.gov.uk. Further details on how to comment can be found on this page. Remember that only planning matters can be taken into account when decisions are made. Feel free to copy me in on any comments that you make. Information on planning classes can be found here.

Priorities

Even though the Liberal Democrat/Conservative council has slashed spending on our crumbling roads - leaving just £17,500 for each ward to spend on repairs and maintenance this year, it is good to see that they have managed to decorate Acocks Green with fresh double-yellow lines.

For the past four years, they've failed to progress a multi-billion pound Labour government initiative that would update every road, pavement and street light in the City.