Bins roll out in Birmingham

This week sees the start of the first ward trial of wheelie bins in Birmingham, with Brandwood ward receiving theirs, ready for use. They were on display at the Lord Mayor's Show on Monday and here's a glimpse inside the new recyclate bin. You can see the insert for paper and card in this picture, on the left side of the bin.  This stays in the bin and is separated by the collection crew into the truck. Other dry recyclate - plastic and cans - can be dropped down into the gap to the right and fills the bottom of the bin.

Obviously there were mixed views from members of the public, but the staff on the stand were very positive - there were more in favour than against and some people were really anxious to know when their ward was going to get the new bins. The decision hasn't been taken yet, but should be made over the next few months.

Work completed on Arden Road junction improvement

Using some money set aside by a developer and some of our annual ward roads budget, we've just completed improvement work on the junction of Rookwood/Arden Road and Sherbourne/Flint Green Road. This has given priority to traffic heading up into the cul-de-sac of Rookwood. The idea behind this is to force traffic on Arden Road to stick to lane discipline rather than cut the corner onto Flint Green Road. The junction of Sherbourne Road and Flint Green Road has also been changed to improve sight lines, slow down traffic making the turn into Sherbourne Road and make pedestrian crossing safer with new dropped kerbs, textured paving and a pedestrian refuge.

This has been welcomed by residents on Arden Road and we're delighted to be able to deliver another improvement for Acocks Green.

Shed some pounds on shed security

Solihull Police report that a number of sheds on the Gospel Lane allotments have been broken into. They offer advice on securing your garden and shed:

Here are some basic tips for you if you are looking to make sure your garden and shed are as secure as possible.

● Put gravel on paths and driveways to alert you to someone approaching
● Fix a wooden trellis to the top of fences as if climbed, it will break, creating noise and attracting attention.
● Ensure gates at the side or back of the house are kept locked with a good quality bolt and padlock.
● Do not leave ladders lying around.
● Install security lights to illuminate your garden.
● Keep shrubs, hedges and large plants cut back.
● The planting of a prickly hedge, such as firethorn, climbing rose or hawthorn, against existing fencing will act as a powerful deterrent.
● Speak to your local garden centre about plants which provide natural protection.
● Lock sheds with a padlock or mortice deadlock as they often contain tools suitable for breaking into your home.
● Check to see if your shed has sustained any damage after the Winter months which may make access easy for a burglar.
● If your shed has windows, consider putting net or curtains up
● Consider installing a battery operated shed alarm
● Chain cycles, mowers, ladders and stools together inside the shed
● Consider having lockable steel boxes fitted to the floor of your shed to store tools in

Planning Applications to the 25 May 2013

Another quiet week:

2013/03471/PA - 62 Yardley Road, B27 6LG
Erection of rear detached storage building

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.

CANCELLED - Acocks Green Ward Committee May 29

As the start of the Council year has been delayed by the unavoidable postponement of the Council AGM and we had a single item agenda for Ward Committee on Wednesday 29 May, it has been cancelled. This should have been updated on the council website, but this hasn't been done. My apologies for that.

Access to Fox Hollies Leisure Centre - new access

The new gate allowing access from Fox Hollies Road and the No 11 bus route is now open and will be available as follows:

06:45-22:15 Monday-Friday

06:45-15:45 Saturday

07:45-20:45 Sunday

This has been funded by the Acocks Green Ward Community Chest and is a result of the work done by Cllr Stacey and myself since last year to get this access reopened and make it easier for people to use the leisure centre. 

Planning Applications to the 18 May 2013

Another quiet week:

2013/03195/PA - 73 Kilmorie Road, B27 6AY
Erection of two storey side and rear and single storey forward 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.

Council - 1943

How things used to be - back in 1943.Lots of things have changed - particularly the range of services that the council used to operate. The counting process is reassuringly unchanged - although I can't recall ever having a public audience at a count. A wonderful historical document.

Objects in the rear view mirror ...

There has been a spate of thefts of BMW Mini wing mirrors across the West Midlands force area. Some neighbourhoods have been hit harder than others, but each of those still counts as a crime and our local coppers are being proactive. The mirrors are attractive to thieves as they are quite easy to remove very rapidly. A little while back, officers raided a house elsewhere in the force area and found a whole load of these mirrors, but as there is no way to tie the mirrors to a particular vehicle and thereby prove that they are stolen goods, no action can be taken.

To help tackle this, local officers have identified owners living in the ward - about 100 - and will be contacting them to offer some advice and a free visit to allow the officers to covertly mark the mirrors to ensure that if they do turn up in a haul of stolen goods, they can be tracked back to a theft.

If you own one of these cars, spending a few quid on some security screws may help (example here, but others are available) and an investment of £7 could save you more in lost excess.

Half term looms ahead and if you want to give your kids something to do, the House of Play and Education, a great little local charity that is going from strength to strength, is running some sessions at St Edmund's Church on Reddings Lane (just outside the border of the ward by about 100ft).

Rubbish cleared

This little lot was reported by a local resident to Stewart and me this week after they had been asking for months for it to be cleared. We had it gone within a few days.

Planning Applications to the 11 May 2013

Another quiet week:

2013/02836/PA - 18 Ryde Grove, B27 7SW
Erection of single storey rear extension to replace conservatory..

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.

Unemployment Update

Month on month, the number of unemployment benefit claimants in Acocks Green fell by 45 between February and March 2013. That leaves us with a claimant rate of 10.4%, compared to a Birmingham rate of 11.9%. That remains up 25 on the same month last year, however.

Overall, the number of people unemployed in the city fell by 143.

There is positive news in these numbers, but it is still tough out there. I'm aware of one part-time post advertised in Acocks Green that attracted over 300 applications.

Library Update

Just a quick paragraph about Acocks Green Library. Stewart and I attended a site meeting this morning with representatives of the contractors and the City Council. We've confirmed that the asbestos testing is to be carried out around the roof lights on Friday, with scaffolders on site to provide temporary towers around each of the areas so that the testing can be completed as quickly as possible. It is expected to be done within the day, but there is a possibility that it might run over into Saturday.

The testing is only usually done close to the start of work because it is destructive - physical samples have to be removed from the fabric of the building.

We'll have the results of that testing early next week and that should allow us to move forward reasonably rapidly to get the works properly underway.

Library Update - 9 May - Closure postponed

The closure planned for this Saturday has been postponed.

Last week's meeting identified some asbestos testing that needs to be carried out prior to the work starting and the advice then was that it needed to be done with the building closed and just in advance of work. Following a more detailed risk assessment, it has been clarified that we can carry this work out on a Friday when the library is closed as normal. Once we know the results, then we'll have a clearer idea of how to progress.

As our aim is to keep the library open as much as possible, it would be wrong to close the library and have it standing unused for any longer than we actually need to. Stewart and I are both anxious to avoid the mess that saw South Yardley out of action for a year and a half while problems were put right.

This is a reversal of an announcement earlier in the week, but as we are now able to keep the library open, this is the right decision to take. Sorry for any inconvenience caused and I will try to keep people up to date on progress.

Planning Applications to 4 May 2013

And back to a single application this week:

2013/02968/PA - 9 Woodford Green Road, B28 8PH
Erection of single storey extension and conservatory to rear.

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.

Library Update

After a site meeting on Friday, we now have a confirmed date for the start of the temporary closure. Acocks Green library will close this Saturday, the 11 May, to allow for preparations to hand over to the contractors on the 24 May, with work planned to start on the 28 May. Reopening is planned for early September. 

South Yardley library will pick up the strain and will open all day on Wednesdays to provide extra access:

Monday 9am-7pm

Tuesday 9am - 5pm

Wednesday 9am - 5pm

Thursday 9am - 7pm

Friday 9am - 5pm

Saturday 9am - 5pm

(Note that it will be closed on Monday 27 May for the Bank Holiday)

I will keep you updated on progress. 

Police update

This is the latest update from our local neighbourhood team.

April saw ten burglaries, two up on the previous month. Unusually, four have been forced entry through front doors and on two occasions, vehicles were also taken. Two were from empty properties where boilers and copper pipe were taken and there have been three burglaries on commercial properties. Two robberies and five thefts of motor vehicles have also been reported. Fifteen thefts from motor vehicles, five of which related to the theft of front and rear number plates. Four sets of Astra wing mirrors have been stolen - the successor to the theft of Mini Cooper wing mirrors. There have been two cases of theft of satnavs from vehicles and one incident of a theft of a bag from a car, which resulted in the arrest of the thieves. There has also been the theft of a catalytic converter from a van.

There have been a few incidents of anti-social behaviour on the Gospel Estate and two youngsters have been placed on anti-social behaviour contracts.

Just a reminder - no elections in Acocks Green this year!

I've had a couple of people ask me why they haven't received voting cards this year. There's no need to worry - in Birmingham, we elect our councillors 'by thirds' so in three out of four years, one council seat in each electoral ward is up for election for a four year term. The fourth year is 'fallow' and we don't have elections. 2013 is our fallow year.

The next election planned in Birmingham will be in late May 2014, when the local elections will be shifted back a few weeks to bring them into line with elections to the European parliament.

Planning Applications to the 27 April 2013

Another flurry of applications as spring arrives.

2013/02796/PA - 12 Grayland Close, B27 7NE
Erection of two storey side, first floor rear, single storey side/rear extension and rear conservatory

2013/02579/PA - 254 The Avenue, B27 6NU
Erection of single storey rear extension

2013/02836/PA - 15 Ryde Grove, B27 7SW
Erection of single storey rear extension

2013/02811/PA - Archbishop Ilsley Catholic School, Victoria Road, B27 7XY
Installation of synthetic turf sports facility creating two multi use tennis and netball courts

2013/02275/PA - 79 Woodford Green Road, B28 8PH
Erection of two storey side and single storey 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.