Runners and Riders

So we now know who will be the candidates on May 3....

Eight to watch:

Amanda Baker - Green
Joe Edginton - Conservative
Roger Harmer - Liberal Democrat
John O'Shea - Labour
Ben Rubery - Trade Unionists and Socialists Against Cuts
Stella Taylor - British Nationalist Party
Alan Ware - Social Democratic Party
Chris Whitehouse - UKIP

I think that makes us the ward with the widest choice - although this really is down to a two horse race. If you want to see who else is nominated, there's the full 40 ward listing here.

Cameron's NHS Betrayal

An excellent party election broadcast from Robert Winston. Quietly devastating.

Planning Applications to 24 March 2012

2012/01418/PA - 28 Augusta Road
Change of use from a single dwelling to 2 no. self contained flats

2012/01950/PA - 13 Westfield Road
Retention of boundary wall and 2 no. pillars to front

2012/01942/PA - 8 Netley Grove
Erection of two storey side and rear and single storey rear extension

You can find out more details of each application on the council website here.

On the campaign trail

Last week, we took advantage of the good weather to get out and about and knock on some doors on the Stockfield estate. It was particularly good to have the excellent Steve Bassam (@stevethequip on Twitter), leader of the Labour Lords, along to lend a hand and he was certainly quick to dash up and down the paths, shaking hands and digging out the potential voters.

As is common, we found voters furious at the Lib Dems for their post-election behaviour - 'Never again' is a very common refrain.

We'll be out and about across the ward in the run up to election day, so do stop and say hello, even if we aren't knocking on your door.

Acocks Green Library

Let's be clear about the situation with Acocks Green Library. It is a key community facility and all those of us who live here are lucky to have such a well-used building - my family have always used it.

The Liberal Democrat/Conservative council in Birmingham have developed a 'revised operating model' for libraries in Birmingham that would see key sites like Acocks Green and South Yardley allocated enough money to open for 40 hours a week (usually 4 weekdays and a Saturday, with one late night). That would be reduction from the current 5 weekdays and Saturday model in Acocks Green, which requires 50 hours to service.

At last week's Constituency Committee, the Liberal Democrats forced through a decision to use Community Chest funding to pay for the additional ten hours required to make up the difference - but only for six months. Labour wanted this decision taken locally at the next ward committee meeting in May - just as the Liberal Democrats did in Sheldon this month, with a chance to consult with you, the electorate.

FACT: As things stand at the moment, in autumn 2012, Acocks Green library will face a cut of ten hours. 

This coming year, Yardley constituency faces other cuts of roughly £1 million, plus £312,000 of cuts that the Liberal Democrats failed to make this year, plus repaying an end of year overspend - currently forecast to be £454,000 - and also overspend from 2010-11, also under Liberal Democrat control.

They failed to identify any areas of spending that will face the axe after the elections, despite repeated attempts by me to get them to tell the electorate in advance where the cuts would be made. They don't want us to know - they just want to kick the can down the road past the elections.

All this comes against the background of unfair cuts imposed upon Birmingham by the Tories and their Liberal Democrat cronies - each of us faces cuts of £164 per person. Wokingham faces cuts of just £20 per person. The West Midlands are cutting police officers - Surrey are hiring more. Is that fair?

Why won't the Liberal Democrats stand up for Birmingham?

Labour promise to do so. Within days of winning power in Birmingham, Labour will ask all the political parties to support a demand for Birmingham's fair share.

You decide - Mayoral Referendum Booklet

With a hat tip to Neil Elkes, here's a link to the booklet shortly to be landing on doorsteps across Birmingham.

Diary Date - Yardley Constituency Committee

Tonight, we've got the final Constituency Committee before the elections and money figures large on the agenda. The main items are:

• 2011-12 Q3 Budget monitoring report (Oct-Dec 2011)
• 2012-13 Revenue Budget
• Surplus properties in Yardley and how they are to be disposed of
• Community Chest Applications - S Yardley; Stechford & Yardley North; All ward applications

At the end of December, the constituency was expecting to overspend by a whopping £454,000 this year and the only steps suggested to minimise that are that the officers and chair will stringently control budget expenditure and carefully manage vacancies, temporary staff and redeployment. Which you would rather think would be standard practice, rather than a last minute panic measure. Added to that is the constituency's failure to achieve £312,000 in savings, with no measures in place to achieve those figures. Part of the £1 million savings has already been achieved through a series of one-off measures - using up unspent Working Neighbourhoods Fund and deferring payments of deficits built up in earlier years are one-off methods that were tried at city level as well.

Should be an interesting meeting.

Acocks Green Police Station Open Day

As always, good to see around our local police station. The Fire Service from Hay Mills were there, along with the traffic bikes, a van from the Operational Support Unit and a dog handler. You could even have a go on the laser speed gun, tracking the cars moving along Yardley Road - fortunately, all within the limit.

The cuts continue to bite, however, as the dog section will lose 14% of its manpower and the traffic department has already lost 35% of the assigned officers.

Planning Applications to 17 March 2012

2012/01811/PA - Land rear of Nos 419-423 Shirley Road
Erection of 3 no. dwellings

These would be three new houses forming a small terrace that would actually front onto Marie Drive, as they would be built on the end of the gardens of the above three properties. Each house is three bedroomed, with an en-suite bedroom and a study in the roofspace. Although these are being built on the gardens of the Shirley Road houses, they will have independent access to Marie Drive.

2012/01709/PA - 93 Hazelwood Road, Acocks Green
Erection of two storey front and single storey rear extension.

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.

Planning applications to 10 March 2012

2012/01611/PA - 247 Douglas Road
Erection of single storey rear extension. Erection of single storey rear extension

2012/01528/PA - 136 Yardley Road
Change of use of part of ground floor from retail (Use Class A1) to a 1 bedroom flat (Use Class C3)

2012/00843/PA - 30 Station Road
Change of use from retail shop (Class A1) to childrens day nursery (Class D1)

2012/01595/PA - 904-906 Warwick Road
Conversion of 1st and 2nd floors to 4 self-contained 1-bed flats, installation of dormer to rear of No. 904,
erection of single storey extension to rear of No. 906 and installation of new shop fronts and roller shutters.
This relates to a shop building on the slip road between Stockfield Road and Warwick Road.

You can find the details by inputting the reference number into the Council online database here and details on planning usage classes here.

For information:
A1 - Shops - Shops, retail warehouses, hairdressers, undertakers, travel and ticket agencies, post offices (but not sorting offices), pet shops, sandwich bars, showrooms, domestic hire shops, dry cleaners, funeral directors and internet cafes.

C3 - Dwellinghouses

D1 - Non-residential institutions - Clinics, health centres, crèches, day nurseries, day centres, schools, art galleries (other than for sale or hire), museums, libraries, halls, places of worship, church halls, law court. Non residential education and training centres.

Latest unemployment figures - hurting, but not working

270,000 public sector jobs were lost in 2011 - a huge number of people affected across the country. Independent observers of employment trends seem to think that unemployment will continue to rise this year, with no likelihood of it starting to fall back until the start of 2013. In Yardley, unemployment has risen slightly year on year, up 0.3% to 7.3% or 4820 people. That breaks down to 10.3% of men and 4.4% of women claiming JSA - not a full count of unemployment, but the most accurate figures available. These are the worst national figures in 17 years.

As Liam Byrne pointed out this week, we've also seen a return to the 1980s as one in ten young people in this city - over 16,000 of those aged 18-24 are currently claiming JSA. As a city blessed with a good supply of young people, not having work for them is a prime concern for Labour, which is why we've got a plan for jobs that would fund 100,000 jobs for young people across the country and provide 25,000 affordable homes.

Sadly, this government continues to fetishise austerity and cuts, risking a downward spiral. Even within the government, they admit that 'there is still something important missing; a compelling vision of where the country is heading' (Vince Cable, 8 Feb 2012).

Labour has been clear from the start - the deficit will be closed by a mixture of spending cuts and growth. That's why we planned slower reductions in public spending. That's why we created an agenda for growth.

The Liberal Democrat/Conservative government have got it horrendously wrong for the past two years and we're all paying the price.

Tory/Lib Dem government make it tougher for working families in Yardley

Thanks to the Tory/Liberal Democrat government, 850 low income families in this constituency would actually be better off if they left their jobs and went onto benefits.

Working Tax Credit is currently paid to those who work at least 16 hours a week, but from April that will be raised to 24 hours, with one member having to work at least 16 hours. This means that a two child family with one member working for 16 hours a week on the minimum wage - hardly a life of luxury - will face a whopping cut in income of £73 a week, £14 less than they would get on benefits.

The Liberal Democrats are feeling satisfied with themselves because they plan to raise the income tax threshold - but not yet - and put £60 a month back into your pocket. That's a drop in the ocean compared to the £292 a month some families will lose within a few days.

We should be encouraging people into work - even for a few hours a week - not punishing them.

At the other end of the scale, we have them restricting aspiration by taking away child benefit for those who have a single earner on 40% tax, so families with a single earner on £44,000 annual income lose out, but families with two earners on £41,000 each can bring in £82,000 and keep the child benefit. That is simply unfair.

Thanks

Despite the rain last week, we had a good turnout for the next big leaflet delivery - a thumping A3 size double issue. Thanks to all those who came over to this outpost of Labour in Birmingham. If anyone else fancies helping out with the remaining delivery rounds - you will typically need about an hour to an hour and a half to complete a round - please get in touch. We do have a handful left to distribute. Even if you can just do your road, that would be appreciated.

May 3 is now only a few weeks away and we're pushing hard to repeat last year's success. It won't be easy and it shouldn't be, but following on from Stewart's great win last year, we've got a chance of repeating it this year and sending a real message to the Liberal Democrats in local and national government.

Let's keep Sell Out Clegg looking sad.

Acocks Green Ward Committee - 7 March 2012

This week’s ward committee was a relatively quiet affair and also the last one before the elections in May.

On the agenda was a briefing from the Education team about plans to expand The Oaklands school to provide an additional primary class to cope with expected increase in demand from September 2013. They are working to a tight timetable, as construction work will be required to make the school fit for a modern, two form entry and this will need local consultation and planning permission. Cllr Stacey pointed out that the school governing body have yet to agree to this expansion and have only approved that the City Council study the feasibility at their own risk.

On planning, there was little of controversy. The original application to change the use of the former pub on the

Warwick Road

(just by the rail bridge) to a car dealership was turned down because the applicants failed to provide some additional technical details. These have now been provided in the form of another application. There was some discussion about the property to be constructed at the rear of 122 Westley Road and while there was some concern about this setting a precedent for other back gardens along the same strip, it was also pointed out that this might not be sufficient reason to block it in planning law terms.

The Community Chest spending was approved, as well as some continuation funds for the John Gayle football project, which has been a long term success in the ward and is currently looking for grant aid to provide ongoing support for a great scheme.

The only other thing was a note for future agenda to discuss access to the Leisure Centre from the public footpath between Fox Hollies Road and

Shirley Road

, which has been closed for some time now. This has been raised on Restirred and I will keep an eye on it. I can see no reason why access should not be restored – but this won’t come up until after the election in May.

As ever, watch this space.

Love maps? You want this link.

I love old maps and this site is a mine of information of maps of all kinds and ages. Even just looking at Birmingham, you can trace the expansion of the city and see as it draws in bits of the surrounding counties. A truly brilliant use of the web. (HT to @mrrobinmorley)

Library cuts bite

Changes are afoot in Birmingham's library system. The news for Acocks Green is that because our library is so popular in the community, it is secured as one of the primary libraries around the city and will be assured of funding for 40 hours opening time each week. The actual breakdown of those hours is a matter for the constituency to decide, but it is likely to be five days including Saturday and one late night, which is a disappointing reduction on the current six-day opening.

It is possible that further funding may be found from the Community Chest to restore the lost day, but that's still to be decided. Perhaps this is a question worth asking - should £10,000 of the ward's allocation be spent here on or on other projects? Which has the most value to you as a resident? Let me know.

Across the city, library hours have been cut by 13.7%, but worryingly, the library staff in the constituency libraries (excluding Central) have been cut back by 27% since 2010.

Planning Applications to 5 March 2012

2012/01135/PA - Ground Floor, 1119A Warwick Road
Change of use of ground floor from amusement centre to retail shop.

2012/00932/PA - 77 Oxford Road
Erection of two storey side extension and single storey rear extension

2012/01197/PA - 71 Woodford Green
Erection of single storey rear extension

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

Planning Applications to 18 February 2012

2012/00020/PA - 122 Westley Road
Erection of 1no. 3 bedroom detached dwelling house

2012/00979/PA - 96 Olton Boulevard East
Erection of single storey side and rear extensions

2012/01059/PA - 30 Summer Road

Erection of single storey rear extension and conservatory

Unemployment in Yardley & the economy

Despite a poor outlook across the rest of the city, Yardley constituency saw a welcome slight month on month drop in unemployment - 113 people have stopped claiming Job Seekers Allowance, a percentage drop of 0.6%. I wonder whether this has anything to do with the imminent opening of the Tesco store at the Swan (Monday 20th)? Year on year, the figures continue to rise - up 2.4% on January 2011.

Women are being particularly badly hit, as claimant numbers have climbed by 7.1% since January 2011, while men have remained broadly static with a 0.1% increase - although that means that 10% of the men in Yardley are claiming JSA.

Yesterday we saw the government's hike in VAT work itself out of the inflation figures, but that still remains high and is outstripping wage increases, meaning that your wages are worth less than they were. One of the credit agencies has put the UK government on notice that our treasured AAA rating is now at risk and George Osborne claims - with a straight face - that this is a vindication of his economic policies. Just as he claimed that when the agencies took the UK off-risk, it was a vindication of his policies. This is, of course, a political issue rather than a practical fiscal one - neither the US nor France have seen rises in the cost of borrowing as a result of losing their AAA ratings and there is no reason to think that the UK would be any different.

Even if we can't find the money for tax cuts from public spending savings, we could add it to the deficit and it is not going to send the markets into a tizzy, I don't think anyone really believes that. The markets will not go haywire if there was a modest loosening in borrowing in the short run if it was for the right reason.

It is becoming increasingly clear that we have been on the wrong track for two years with this government. Growth is the single most important element of reducing the deficit and closing the gap between government income and spending. Osborne's blind faith in austerity will lead us into the same spiral that has afflicted Ireland. It doesn't work and ordinary people end up as the collateral damage in a policy that has failed and was always likely to fail. That's a Tory MP, by the way, David Ruffley.

Planning Applications to 11 February 2012

2012/00822/PA - 909-911 Warwick Road, Acocks Green
Change of use from public house (Use Class A4) to car sales business (Use Class Sui Generis)
A4 is "drinking establishments". "Sui Generis" are uses that fall outside any other class of usage and stand on their own. This again relates to the old 'Britannia' pub opposite Stockfield Road.

2012/00667/PA - National Express West Midlands bus garage, Fox Hollies Road
Installation of solar panels to bus depot roof
Solar panel installations don't usually require planning permission for domestic properties, but they always do for commercial buildings. This is quite a hefty installation - 200 panels totalling 49 kW and taking full advantage of the Feed in tariff scheme.