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Villagers banned from removing graffiti 450 council
CLEAN-UP IS A BRIDGE TOO FAR By Alex Campbell
VILLAGE volunteers have been banned from cleaning graffiti from vandalised canal bridges in South Staffordshire because of health and safety red tape.
Star swaps Brits for the Civic
Members of Wombourne’s Best Kept Village committee have been ordered to take specialist training before they are allowed to scrub off spray paint. The bridges, near Ounsdale Road and Giggetty Lane, have been targeted by vandals.
Graffiti on a bridge in Ounsdale Road, Wombourne
City tips to open seven days a week
Two tips in Wolverhampton that were closed twice a week to save money will be reopened seven days a week with extended hours, it was revealed today. Meals on wheels charges will also be slashed.
Camilla’s date with Archers The Duchess of Cornwall was in Birmingham today meeting the cast of radio soap The Archers. Camilla, a fan of the programme which is made at The Mailbox in Birmingham, plays herself in a special episode on BBC Radio 4, helping celebrate the show’s 60th year. The 63-year-old is president of the National Osteoporosis Society and is using the appearance, for which she has not been paid, to promote its work.
The city council’s former Tory-Lib Dem coalition controversially shut the two tips for two days a week to save £50,000 a year. But the council, which is now controlled by Labour, today announced the tips in Shaw Road, Bushbury, and Anchor Lane, Coseley, would once again open seven days a week for six months. The move will see full opening times restored from April to September and will cost £60,000. Opening hours during that time will also be extended to 8am to 4.30pm on weekends. They are currently open from 10am to 4.30pm at weekends. The council also today announced the price of hot meals on wheels would be reduced from £4.40 to £3.40, costing £270,000 over 18 months.
Volunteers hope to better last year’s second place finish in Staffordshire’s annual village contest. And parish councillor Jackie Granger today said committee members were frustrated after a year of trying to clean the bridges and help their chances. British Waterways, which owns the structures, has not agreed to fund its own cleanup and fear chemicals will leak into the water if volunteers handle the operation. Councillor Granger said: “At the moment we’ve come to a grinding halt.
Interest “We’d like to have it done by the time judges visit in May. The spray paint has been there for some time. “British Waterways can’t do it because of the cost, so we’re now discussing the possibility of them training us to do it. It is frustrating but it isn’t our property.” Stephen Hardy, of British Waterways, said: “We welcome the interest that Wombourne residents have shown. “However, removing graffiti from canal bridges is a task that requires specialist attention as it carries a risk of damaging the historic brickwork or causing pollution and harm to wildlife for which British Waterways would face prosecution. “Our volunteering team are making efforts to meet the group at Wombourne to discuss the activities that they can get involved with and we very much look forward to working with them. “As management of the waterways is due to move to the charitable sector we’re keen for communities to take an active role in the upkeep of their canal or river.”
jobs axed as budget cuts announced
A total of 450 jobs will go at Wolverhampton City Council over the next financial year because of cuts to the budget, it was confirmed today. Cuts of £53 million between 2011 and 2015 will result in a reduction of the 13,737 people working for the authority. It comes on top of £15m of cuts in 2010/11. But council tax is on course to be frozen at this year’s rate. The council will have to take £4.9 million out of its £41m reserves to help fund services. So far 230 voluntary redundancies have been sought and 246 people on fixed-term contracts face losing their jobs after government funding runs out. Notices of potential redundancy have been issued to 524 staff, but council bosses today saidz they expect 450 to go. Bosses have already identified 311 posts that will definitely be lost. The biggest cuts will be in the adults and community department where 99 jobs will go, mainly in social services. The children and young people’s department will lose 26 people, and regeneration and environment will shed 25 posts. Customer and shared services will lose 21 jobs and the office of the chief executive will lose seven. Council leader Councillor Roger Lawrence said: “Services will have to be reshaped and several hundred jobs will be lost.”
Jobless jump is nation’s biggest
Unemployment increased by 44,000 in the three months to December to 2.49 million – with the biggest rise in the West Midlands. The region saw 28,000 join the jobless queues, the largest jump of any area of the UK, with a total of 261,000 people out of work. At 9.8 per cent, the West Midlands is second only to the North East as the highest local unemployment rates in the UK. The national average is now 7.9 per cent. The number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance increased by 2,400 last month to 1.46 million, said the Office for National Statistics. The figures vary because not everyone classed as unemployed can claim the allowance. Wolverhampton saw an increase in the claimant count of 472, to 11,292 or 7.4 per cent of the working population, while it rose in South Staffordshire by 105 to 1,815 or 2.7 per cent. There was also a jump in Walsall of 376 to 10,148 or 6.4 per cent. Sandwell saw an increase of 459 to 12,876, or seven per cent, while in The mother of a Wolver- Dudley the figure lifted 588 hampton police worker who to 9,767 or 5.1 per cent. was struck by a tram told an inquest today that she blamed her daughter’s ex-fiance for the death. Val Flanagan was quesMonths of misery for motioned about events leading up to the moment her torists on the M6 ended as daughter Cheryl was hit by 50mph speed limits were a Midland Metro tram. lifted. Stretches between Coroner Mr Geraint junctions 8 at Great Barr Williams told Mrs Flanagan: and 10 for Walsall have re“You think he did something turned to normal after work that night that cost Cheryl to open up the hard shoulder her life”. She replied: “Yes I and impose variable limits. do”. Work has been going on ● Hearing – Page 15 since last February.
Mother at tram case
Speed limit lift ends M6 misery
X Factor winner Alexandra Burke at Wolverhampton Civic Hall last night Pop princess Alexandra Burke snubbed ● Brit Awards special – Page 16 the glitzy Brit Awards for Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall last night – despite being nomi- and the 22-year-old quickly changed into a white, feathered dress for Leonard Cohen’s nated for a top gong. The former X Factor winner was in the classic Hallelujah, her number one hit. Brits success has given an instant boost to running for Best British Single at last night’s awards ceremony. But she snubbed winners as fans rush to buy their albums. Mumford And Sons are among the artists the London bash and instead thrilled Black seeing the biggest effect as sales of copies of Country fans with a spectacular show. She opened the concert with the catchy Sigh No More rocket. And Adele, who gave Broken Heels, dressed in a gold, skimpy a spine-tingling performance of Someone dress, accompanied by four backing dancers. Like You, has seen a huge surge for both her The hit was followed by Start Without You albums, according to online retailer Amazon.
Swann is cleared
England cricketer Graeme Swann was today found not guilty of drink-driving. The off-spinner was a key member of the side that won an Ashes series in Australia for the first time in 24 years. He was accused of drink-driving on April 2. His trial came to an end at Nottingham Magistrates’ Court today as District Judge Julia Newton said it had not been proved that a blood sample taken from Swann could be used as evidence.
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