Ward Committee Report

Last night's meeting saw us receive a briefing on Healthwatch Birmingham, a new voice for the patient in all forms of health and social care in the city.

We also agreed Community Chest funding for Fox Hollies Forum's summer programme and Millennium Green's public liability insurance premium. A £200 donation to the BID's defibrillator fund raising scheme is also likely to be approved, but in Cllr Stacey's absence and my declared interest as a director of the BID, Cllr Bowen wasn't able to approve it on the night. We were also told that Acocks Green School will be raising money towards the £1000 required to provide the public defibrillator.

We reviewed current planning applications, with objections to be submitted by the committee to proposals for a takeaway on Yardley Road - a proposal that has been previously rejected because of the lack of parking. We will also be objecting to proposals for a restaurant on the Warwick Road because of the impact on the building line and car parking. In both cases, local residents have made their concerns known to us. April's meeting saw us object to two schemes, one of which has been withdrawn by the applicant and one which has now been refused permission.

In administrative business, I was reappointed as ward committee chair and to the board of the BID and Cllr Stacey to Stockfield Community Association.  We also confirmed dates for meetings for the year ahead.

We should have the Baptist Church attending our next meeting to discuss their proposals for the Glynn Edwards Hall. Conveniently, we'll be meeting on the 4 September at the Baptist Church. Over the next month, we should also see consultation start on the Warwick Road Local Sustainable Transport Funding schemes - watch this space.

Our ward Environmental Health Officer also attended and promised increased focus on the Yardley Road and the Fox Hollies shopping centre, which have been the subject of concerns from residents over the volume of litter. She'll be focussing on making sure that all the businesses have commercial waste contracts and checking that people aren't using the litter bins to dump household waste that should be left for the bin men. She's also been making progress with Enterprise Inns, who have moved their wheeled bin from outside the empty Great Western pub. We've also asked them to remove the other litter bins at the front of the property and the concrete picnic tables. These, they are considering using to block parking on their forecourt, but the advice from the ward committee is that they find another way of doing it, as our view is that the tables will be moved. I've also asked our parking wardens to attend and deal with vehicles on the pavement, which are obstructing pedestrians.