Save money on energy spend - Birmingham and Solihull Together

This new scheme - backed by Birmingham City Council and Solihull Council - will allow residents to share in a bulk buy scheme for domestic energy. Householders have a four week switching window starting last Monday and running through to Sunday 17 March to register. You can find out whether you can save money on their energy bills before deciding to sign up quickly and easily on line or on the phone.

The campaign has negotiated three tariffs – for pre-payment, direct debit and green energy options. As an added bonus the more people who sign up, the greater the cashback style discounts they will receive on their first bill. The national pilot "Together" campaign saw 1,000 people in Cornwall save an average of £133 on their annual bills.

The switching window opens on Monday February 18 and closes on Sunday March 17.

Sign up here.

Unemployed? Need help to get to work or an interview? Help is at hand.

If you live in Acocks Green, South Yardley or Stechford & Yardley North, you may be eligible for help with the costs of public transport to get to interviews or even for up to eight weeks after you've got that job through the WorkWise scheme. This could be a free, unlimited day pass for bus, train and tram across the Midlands to get you to an interview or a pass to help you through the first two months of a new job. 

To be eligible, you must:

• Live within an eligible ward in the West Midlands (all three listed above are part of the scheme and the rest can be found here). You can check your ward here. 
• Be a JobCentrePlus client and not receiving travel assistance from another provider
• Be unemployed before signing up for WorkWise
• Be attending an interview for or starting a new job that takes up at least 16 hours a week
• Provide proof of ID, address and employment or interview
• Have an existing travel card or provide a passport-sized photograph
• Make a complete application within five days of starting work through your JobCentrePlus advisor

To apply, ask your advisor in the JobCentre or call direct on 0121 214 7436.

(A hat tip to fellow Labour Cllr Ian Cruise for bringing this to my attention).

Which report on ticket machines

Not great reading for those of us near stations where the Liberal Democrat transport minister agreed to let London Midland - named as one of the worst operators in the country - cut back on ticket office opening hours.

Buying a ticket for tomorrow was restricted to after 4pm at one station and unavailable at others. Information buttons often failed to provide anything about ticket validity - get this wrong, and you could get a fine or miss your train altogether.... Which? executive director Richard Lloyd told us: 'Ticket office hours are being cut, often leaving people with little choice but to use a machine. It is only fair that machines sell exactly the same tickets as websites or ticket offices. We are calling on the train companies to update their machines and also make it crystal clear how, when and where tickets can be used.'

Remember that ticket office cut - it was a decision taken by a Liberal Democrat minister where he could genuinely have chosen to help the people in Acocks Green. He chose not to. At least he had the good grace not to turn up for a photo opportunity.

Diary Date - Acocks Green Ward Committee

Acocks Green Ward Committee
Wednesday 20 February 2013 - 7pm
Severne Road J&I, Severne Road

Items on the agenda will be

• BSEEN - Promoting and supporting Birmingham Energy Savers
• Planning update - planning officer attending to discuss commercial planning considerations and other issues. 
• Planning matters
• Community Chest
• Local Housing
• Wheeled bins consultation update
• Other issues of local concern

Look forward to seeing you there!

Next meetings: 

17 April 2013 - The Oaklands Primary School

29 May 2013 - Scout Hut, behind Scanlons on Spring Road

Planning Applications to the 16th February 2013

Another single application for this week's crop

2013/00789/PA - 42 Victoria Road
Erection of detached structure to side

You can find the details by inputting the reference number into the Council online database here

If you have any comments, you can submit them online - feel free to pass your comments on to me.

Acocks Green Library Update (Again)

We now have a revised closure date for the repair works required to the library. It was planned for Saturday 23 Feb, but it now looks as though the library will close on the 28 March.

Works are planned to start on the 2 April and complete on the 21 June.

In the meantime, South Yardley Library will be opening extended hours to support residents of Acocks Green:

• Mon 9am to 7pm
• Tue 9am to 5pm
• Wed 9am to 5pm
• Thu 9am to 7pm
• Fri 9am to 5pm
• Sat 9am to 5pm

Webcasting the change

We've got an excellent new site to stream meetings. It aligns video with the agenda and you can jump from point to point and even from speaker to speaker.

Cabinet on Monday agreed that South Yardley ward committee - comprising three locally elected councillors (two Labour and one LibDem) review the Oaklands Recreation Ground steering group to ensure that it is still fit for purpose to develop the ground for the future. Seems reasonable that we maintain democratic control over a £3 million spend. (This isn't within Acocks Green, but may become an issue within Yardley)

Cabinet has also agreed to preserve the Housing Liaison Board structure to engage with tenants and leaseholders - although they do need to be genuinely representative of the tenants and leaseholders within their area. Acocks Green has a strong HLB and I'm pleased that we'll be continuing it.

Also great to see Cabinet supporting a Birmingham Jobs Fund to support Birmingham's young people into work, following policies suggested by a policy commission comprising the council, local employers, voluntary groups and government. This fund will take money from the ward-committee community chest budget, but this contribution has the potential to make a real difference to the economic clout of Birmingham - with funding starting as soon as April this year. In some wards across Birmingham, a quarter of young people are out of work - totalling 15,000, with 3000 of them out of work for more than a year. Birmingham is lucky to have a young population and we need to ensure that they are placed to drive the city forward economically. What we can't tolerate is a future where we have some wards that are the worst affected in the country and we have to prioritise our spending.

Diary Date - Fox HolliesGreen Neighbourhood Forum - 13 February 2013

Fox Hollies Green Neighbourhood Forum Open Public Meeting
Wednesday 13 February 2013 - 7pm
The Oaklands Primary School, Dolphin Lane

Items on the agenda will be

• Community First Fund
• Police Report
• Issues of local concern

Yes, I know this clashes with the Yarnfield meeting, but Cllr Stacey will attend this one and I'll be along about 8pm! We have yet to master omnipresence, but being in two places at once is manageable.

Diary Date - Yarnfield Police Meeting - Wed 13 Feb

Yarnfield Police Meeting
Wednesday 13 February 2013 - 7pm

Scout Hut, behind Scanlon's on Spring Road
Meet with the local policing team for the Yarnfield and discuss issues of importance for the neighbourhood.

Planning Applications to the 9th February 2013

Only a single application this week.

2013/00643/PA - 61 Kilmorie Road
Erection of two storey side extension and single storey front and rear extensions

You can find the details by inputting the reference number into the Council online database here

If you have any comments, you can submit them online - feel free to pass your comments on to me.

Footway repairs in Avery Drive

The whole length of Avery Drive is due to be resurfaced over the three weeks starting on the 8 March 2013.

Residents should have received a letter by now informing them of the planned work

The work should not stop access to your home at any point, but please be aware that you don't park vehicles on the road outside your home while the contractors are working on that stretch of pavement.

I don't think it applies to any properties in Avery Drive, but if a dropped kerb is required to allow access to parking on the front garden of your home, then this can be installed for just £150. Existing dropped kerbs will be reinstated. Please bear in mind that you will have to have planning permission to install hard standing on your garden.

Post office news updated

The BBC have a rather more balanced piece here, which is clearer.

The Post Office are seeking to relocate Acocks Green post office into another local retailer as a franchised office. This would, it can be assumed, then result in the closure of the existing site.

However, they are clear that if a partner cannot be found, then the current post office will be maintained.

There will be a 6 week consultation prior to any move and while people will not be able to object to the principle of the closure/relocation, you will have an opportunity to object to the new location on the grounds of practical issues like parking, etc.

This is slightly more reassuring than the original spin, but will still require close monitoring and might mean another unoccupied store front in Acocks Green, which is never a good thing.

Acocks Green Post Office at risk?

A rather worrying article here which mentions the future of Acocks Green Post Office.

The headline suggests closure may be a risk if the Post Office cannot find a commercial partner, but further down the article, it says that if no partner can be found, the office will remain.

I'll try to find out more information on this, but it is a worrying development.

Temporary Library Closure

Despite government pressure on Birmingham City Council's capital spending, Cllr Stacey and I can confirm that we have protected the money put aside to repair the roof of Acocks Green Library.

The closure date has been confirmed as Saturday 23 February to allow for preparatory work to allow the contractors to start on the 4th March. The work to the roof and skylights should take about 12 weeks in all.

Cllr Stacey and I will be keeping a close eye on the works.

In the meantime, South Yardley Library will be opening extended hours to support residents of Acocks Green:

• Mon 9am to 7pm
• Tue 9am to 5pm
• Wed 9am to 5pm
• Thu 9am to 7pm
• Fri 9am to 5pm
• Sat 9am to 5pm

Stewart and I put a lot of effort into trying to sort out an alternative service in Acocks Green, but were unsuccessful in securing a suitable location, despite some advanced negotiations.

NOW UPDATED!

Planning Applications to 2 February 2013

This week's small crop.

2013/00510/PA - 31 Edenbridge Road
Application for a Certificate of Lawful Development for a proposed dormer window to rear and roof
alterations to side to form gable end

2012/07891/PA - 3 & 12 The Willows
Erection of detached garage to front of No. 12 The Willows and creation of 2 no. off street parking
spaces for No. 3 The Willows

2013/00136/PA - 1296 Warwick Road 
Retention of two self contained flats

You can find the details by inputting the reference number into the Council online database here

If you have any comments, you can submit them online - feel free to pass your comments on to me.

Diary Date - City Council Meeting - 5 February 2013

Full Council
Tuesday 5 February 2013 - 2pm
Council Chamber - streamed live too.

Key agenda items:

• Question time
• Public questions to any cabinet member or district committee chair
• Questions from any councillor to a committee chair or lead member of a joint board
• Questions from councillors other than cabinet members to a cabinet member
• Questions from councillors other than cabinet members to the leader or deputy leader
• Overview and Scrutiny Reports
• Birmingham - Where the World Meets
• Birmingham's Local Centres
• Motions for debate
• LibDem motion on community chest funding
• Labour motion on youth unemployment

Acocks Green Bins Update

Our local depot reports this morning that all black sack collections outstanding from last week were completed by the end of Saturday.

We are still outstanding the recyclate collections for last Monday and Tuesday, plus some from Wednesday (including my own road). This will all be completed by close of play this Wednesday.

City wide, that means we've caught up on a quarter of a million black bag collections and the vast majority of the 350,000 paper and plastic/glass recycling collections.

Again, sorry for inconvenience, but we are getting there!

Acocks Green Bins Update

Apologies to those of you who have had delays to your bin collections over the past few days. Unfortunately, the bad weather meant a huge backlog of rubbish to be collected and it has taken until now to get back largely on track. Some areas that have been raised with me - Francis Road, Gospel Lane, the Stockfield Estate and the Warwick Road - have been cleared of black bag waste today. Crews will be working late tonight and across the weekend to clear remaining rubbish and it is hoped that black bags will be gone by close of play on Saturday, with outstanding recyclable collections cleared by the end of Sunday.

In this situation, collections are placed in priority order with black bag waste being the highest priority, given the likely contents.

There will be a few problems outstanding as we start next week, but we should have the collection back on track by about Wednesday. Additional street cleaning resources will be put in place over the next week or so to tidy the ward up.

Again, apologies, but we are getting back to normal now.

Diary Date - Transport, Connectivity and Sustainability O&S

Transport, Connectivity and Sustainability O&S Committee
Friday 1 February 2013
10am - Council House
Agenda Items

• Flood Risk Management Annual Report


• Biomass Emissions Policy - Draft Response to consultation


• From Waste to Resource - Sustainable Strategy for 2019

Planning Applications to the 26 January 2013

Nothing last week and then we get this little lot.

2012/08372/PA - 10 Botteville Road
Change of use from dwelling (C3) to residential institution (C2)

2012/07821/PA - 1091 Warwick Road
Erection of conservatory to front and single-storey rear extension (This is the former Pasta di Piazza restaurant on the same run of shops as Pizza Hut, beside Acocks Green Primary School)

2013/00071/PA - Aldi Foodstore Ltd, Warwick Road
Installation of full height new shopfront to front elevation and new rendered finish to existing brickwork panels

2013/00319/PA - 8 Olton Croft, Land adjacent
Erection of a 3 bedroom detached dwelling house

You can find the details by inputting the reference number into the Council online database here
If you have any comments, you can submit them online - feel free to pass your comments on to me.
Details of the planning classes can be found here.