Temporary Library Closure from 31 December

Acocks Green Library will close for essential roof repairs on the 31 December 2012. There will be a short hand over period to the builders and work is due to start on the 7th January, with a planned reopening date in early April 2013. Stewart and I will both be keeping a close eye on the works, as when South Yardley library closed for repairs, it took eighteen months to reopen.

Sadly, we've been unable to secure an alternative local site in the meantime, despite some very hard work by the officers and local groups, but we will be able to offer additional opening hours at South Yardley library, just a short hop away on the 11 bus towards the Swan Island.

PLANNED SOUTH YARDLEY LIBRARY OPENING HOURS 
Mon - 9am - 7pm (extended)
Tue - 9am - 5pm
Wed - 9am - 5pm (new)
Thu - 9am - 7pm
Fri - 9am - 5pm
Sat - 9am - 5pm

These should apply from when the library reopens after the New Year holidays until services transfer back to Acocks Green, when normal hours will resume.

If there are any further updates, I'll let everyone know.

EDIT: The closure and repairs have been delayed as the contractors won't be ready in time. More when I get it.

Upcycle your unwanted bike with Gear Up

I ran across Gear Up at the Sheldon Country Park festival this summer. They are one of several around the city and a small team of unemployed young people have got together to form a social enterprise to repair 'pre-loved' bikes for resale. Along the way, one of them has acquired the skills to be a Cytech Level 2 mechanic.

They are running low on stock, so would welcome any donations. You can either drop them off at the Hub on Bromford Drive or contact them on 0121 448 3739 or Melanie Glass by email on gearup (at) worthunlimited.co.uk to arrange collection.

Well worth supporting them.

Budget Consultation

If you remember, Albert Bore stunned the media a few weeks back stating that this government was engineering the end of local government as we have come to know it.

We're currently consulting on next year's budget and we need your views.

The Tory and Liberal Democrat government are forcing us to make £110 million of cuts to our services this year. Unlike previous years, it won't be officers pushed out to justify political decisions - the Labour Cabinet will be at these meetings to hear your views and explain the choices ahead.

The next few years will be difficult, to put it mildly. The cuts that we can see coming down the line from the government will slice almost half of the money that we can actually choose how it is spent. That has to impact our services and all we can do is try to minimise the impact on those most in need.

Travel details:

Erdington Baptist Church - Wood End Road, Erdington, B24 8AD

Rail: Erdington Station                                  Bus: 11, 25, 88, 167, 168, 638, 966, 966a

http://www.erd6waysbc.org/where.php

South Yardley Library - Yardley Rd, B25 8LT

Rail: Acocks Green Station                           Bus: 11, 58, 59, 59A, 60, 900, 957

www.birmingham.gov.uk/southyardleylibrary

Friends Meeting House, Cotteridge - 23a Watford Rd, B30

Rail: Kings Norton Station                            Bus: 11, 18, 45, 47, 48, 49, 84, 145, 146http://www.centralenglandquakers.org.uk/web/local-meetings/cotteridge

Committee Rooms 3 and 4 - The Council House, Victoria Square, B1 1BB

All rail and bus routes into the city centrewww.birmingham.gov.uk/council-house 

Snaglist

A little bit of good news for the poor residents on Tyseley Lane who complained about the awful noise caused by an ill-fitting drain cover on the Warwick Road. Amey were out today reconstructing it and have now resolved the problem - so that means that the residents should get a good night's sleep tonight. I was lucky enough to run into them at the Yarnfield police meeting, so was able to share the good news with them. It has taken some nagging at Amey to get this sorted.

Lighting Columns to be Fixed
Three along Warwick Road, one on Dolphin Lane, one on Flint Green Road

Gulleys to be cleared
Spring Road, Onslow Road by the junction with Tyseley Lane

Diary Date - Full Council

Full Council
Tuesday 4 December 2012 - 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
• Review of City Council's Constitution
• Gambling Act 2005 - Statement of Licensing Principles
• Reports of Overview & Scrutiny Committees
• Closing the skills gap
• Adults with autism and the criminal justice system
• Motions for debate

Planning Applications to 1 Dec 2012

And a bit more calm this week with just two. 

2012/07652/PA - 71 Arden Road
Erection of single storey rear extension

2012/07868/PA - 19 Fox Green Crescent
Erection of two storey side and rear extension and single storey rear and forward 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.