BIRMINGHAM CITY COUNCIL LADYWOOD WARD COMMITTEE 26 JUNE 2014 MINUTES OF A MEETING OF LADYWOOD WARD COMMITTEE HELD ON THURSDAY 26 JUNE 2014 AT 1900 HOURS IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER, COUNCIL HOUSE, VICTORIA SQUARE PRESENT: -
Councillors Sir Albert Bore, Kath Hartley and Carl Rice
ALSO PRESENT Clive Skidmore, Ward Champion Pat Whyte, Ward Support Officer Ian Lane, Canals & Rivers Trust Chris Hill & Guy Dunstan, NIA Paul Griffiths, CENTRO Richard Leonard, Transport Policy Manager Lara Thorns & Jeff Webb, Amey Kay Thomas, Area Democratic Services Officer ELECTION OF A CHAIRMAN RESOLVED:1159
That Councillor Kath Hartley be elected as Chair for the Ward Committee for the 2014/2015 Municipal Year ending with the first meeting in the 2015/16 municipal year.
MINUTES 1160
The Minutes of the meeting held on 10 March 2014, copies having been circulated were confirmed and signed by the Chairman.
NOTICE OF RECORDINGS 1161
The Chair advised the meeting to note that members of the press/public may record and take photographs except where there are confidential or exempt items.
Ladywood Ward Committee – 26 June 2014
DECLARATION OF INTERESTS BY MEMBERS 1162
Members were reminded that they must declare all relevant pecuniary and non-pecuniary interests relating to any items of business to be discussed at this meeting. If a pecuniary interest was declared Members must not speak or take part in the agenda item. Any declarations would be recorded in the minutes. Councillor Hartley declared a non-pecuniary interest as a member of Centro. ___________________________________________________________________________ WARD COMMITTEE TERMS OF REFERENCE & GUIDELINES
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The following Ward Committee Terms of Reference were submitted and noted; (See document No 1) ____________________________________________________________________________ CODE OF CONDUCT
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The following code of conduct for the Ward Committee was submitted and noted; (See Document No 2) _____________________________________________________________ PETITIONS NIA – Nuisance Issues
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St Marks Estate Residents Association referred to a petition seeking action by the NIA and City Council to work with the community to address complaints regarding noise nuisance, traffic and access issues. The Member of Parliament had signed the petition along with 600 residents and it was hoped that a dialogue could be entered into with the NIA to improve the situation. The Chair agreed to submit the petition to the next City Council meeting. ________________ ____________________________________________________________ CANALS AND RIVERS TRUST
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Councillor Rice referred to the City’s industrial heritage which included the canal network but referenced issues associated with the canals – anti social behaviour, litter and graffiti – that detracted from this attraction. Residents and the City Council needed to know how they could work with the Canals and Rivers Trust to enhance the resource. Ian Lane explained that the Canals and Rivers Trust was responsible for 2000 miles of canals including locks and bridges and had recently become a charity having secured government funding and was working to become more customer focused through work with volunteer groups and residents. Community clean ups were being organised but there were limited resources to deal with graffiti removal and the Trust was reliant on the police to deal with anti social behaviour. Resources were spent on hot spot areas that attracted litter. Working in partnership to deal with problems would be welcomed.
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In response to concerns raised regarding the Edgbaston Reservoir the Committee was advised that the Canals and Rivers Trust focused on protecting heritage, the canal system and its environs. Councillor Bore referred to a number of meetings he had with users and friends of the Reservoir with a view to upgrading facilities, including buildings at the Reservoir to bring the facilities into better use and looking at the longer term future. Some national sporting bodies were prepared to fund improvements. Clive Skidmore said that he had been working with the friends of group and planning officers to try to take forward the under- utilised resources in the Reservoir and had always had support from British Waterways in the past. In view of the changes he extended an invitation to Ian Lane to meet with him. A local resident referred to the railway line which ran along- side the canal which was in a poor condition with litter and graffiti. Litter was dumped onto the canal banks and as this was a gateway to Birmingham it did not create a good impression. Each building that was covered in graffiti was separately owned but removal with chemicals had been discouraged as the chemicals could seep into the water. The Committee was advised that there were already voluntary groups involved in cleaning up litter and graffiti and Ian Lane said he would welcome involvement by local residents. Councillor Rice undertook to do a walkabout with any interested residents and said he would liaise with Ian Lane and publicise details through the Ward Committee. ___________________________________________________________________________ NIA UPDATE ON THE PROGRESS OF THE EXTENSION 1167
Guy Dunstan reported on the NIA redevelopment which was currently on time and due for completion in December. The building had remained open during the majority of the work but was currently closed. Chris Hill reported on the details of the refurbishment project which commenced in January 2013 and said that 17 of the 25 phases had been completed on or ahead of time and by end of August the building would be fully enclosed and the exterior completed by end of September. The seating was also being replaced in all areas. Four retail units were being incorporated including 2 on the canal side which would be ready for tenancy in September. There had been 2 firm offers for 2 units and strong interest shown in the others. The NIA was number 6 in the world for venue attendance for a venue of its size and further international events including the indoor athletics, badminton championships and vets convention had been secured for future years as had Barclaycard sponsorship. Residents meetings had been organised and the issues in relation to coach parking acknowledged. In view of this the NIA had paid for spaces at the Brewery Street Coach Park and coaches were directed there to wait. Noise monitoring was undertaken therefore there needed to be a meeting with residents to discuss their concerns and it was further suggested that a walkabout with the St Marks residents be arranged in the autumn to coincide with an event so that their concerns could be addressed. It was hoped to continue the residents meetings that had been held during the refurbishment when the work was complete and to continue working in the community, such as with the Ladywood Project, via BAM at Nelson 307
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School and apprenticeships. Any residents who were interested in attending meetings were invited to leave their details. A local resident welcomed the comments made but said that residents had been in a dialogue with the NIA for some years but no real action had been taken to address the problems caused to residents in relation to parking and noise. It was suggested that lower parking prices might encourage use of the dedicated car parks and an active traffic management system on event nights might also assist. The Committee was advised that it was intended to advertise other car parks to visitors to spread the traffic flow and egress but the NIA was not able to manage the traffic flow on the highway. Residents stated that when an event was taking place at the NIA the traffic was grid locked as far as the Hagley Road and Broad Street and a park and ride system was suggested to ease the problem. It was acknowledged that the City Centre location did create problems. Residents said that the main issues were associated with the coaches that parked on residential roads and therefore more enforcement was required to encourage use of the coach park. Councillor Rice said that the area around the NIA although residential was already highly congested and despite meetings with residents and promises made there was a lack of follow up action. Residents were therefore becoming less enthusiastic about attending meetings, walkabouts etc. Councillor Rice highlighted the relationship with residents fostered by football clubs to minimise disruption and therefore suggested a more robust and regular dialogue with residents to relieve conflict. A local resident commented on the noise nuisance issues and referred to the new house building programme proposed for the area and hoped that new homes would be built with adequate insulation. Councillor Rice said he would address that issue with officers. It was also noted that delivery lorries and school coaches that parked up in residential streets during the day added to the congestion. The Chair of the St Marks Residents Association welcomed a dialogue with the NIA. Councillor Bore in response to questions and comments made regarding the involvement of the City Council with the NIA stated that the Council had borrowed ÂŁ20m to invest as the NIA had been built and opened in 1991and since that time a number of other arenas had been opened across the Country that were superior to the NIA with a subsequent loss of customers to those venues. The extension put the NIA on a par with the other arenas. The investment had been necessary to increase the customer experience rather than capacity, which had remained the same and encourage customer spend in bars and restaurants in Birmingham. Had the investment not been made the NIA would have been unable to compete and acts, events and customers would have gone elsewhere. The money borrowed was to protect the NIA and would be paid off over a period of time. The NEC Group would be sold off to a private investor in the future and the NIA on a 25 year lease so that it would return to Birmingham City Council after 25 years and a clause would be included that activity would remain for the 25 year period. The City Council would receive a return from the leases. It was suggested that when completed the NIA be used as a venue for a future Ward Committee meeting.
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METRO EXENSION 1168 Paul Griffiths reported on the changes currently taking place in respect of the Metro and said that the current key change was the new tram fleet which offered more spacious carriages with low floors and additional and more efficient doors. Driver training was underway with a view to the new trams going into service over the next few months. The depot facilities were being improved to encompass a more efficient service. Work in the City Centre on the tram lines would continue into next year and funding had been made available to continue from New Street up to Centenary Square as part of the Paradise Forum redevelopment but this would take until 2018 to complete. Other extensions included to Wolverhampton and an Eastside route was currently out to consultation as part of the HS2 development and part of the Curzon Street redevelopment. The Chair advised that the Digbeth Residents Association had requested a change in the route to Fazely Street and she welcomed residents involvement in the consultation. The Committee was advised that both routes were being considered together with a ring and ride to ease congestion. A local resident said that initially the scheme had been opposed in view of the impact on the Chamberlain Garden Estate however as a residents parking scheme had now been introduced the impact was less of a concern. It was noted that it had been almost undetectable that the lines were being laid and Centro were congratulated on the work. Concern was expressed regarding any possible effect on the Waterstones building. Paul Griffiths advised that permission had been granted for alterations to the Waterstones building and that during work to the shop front the original cast iron pillars had been uncovered. An assurance was given that work had only been undertaken on parts of the building that were not original. In response to a question the Committee was advised that funding had yet to be agreed for the tram route from Broad Street to Five Ways. The Chair said that she would welcome Rapid Bus Transport and a sprint route along Hagley Road. ______________________________________________________________ HIGH SPEED 2 1169
Richard Leonard gave a brief update on the current progress of the HS2 project advising that there was broad support for the network in 2 phases – London to Birmingham and then onto Manchester which would provide much needed passengers routes. The concept had been fully endorsed by Parliament and was now progressing through the legal process to put in place the legislation required to proceed with the build. Birmingham City Council was seeking an agreement to minimise any adverse impact and maximise the benefits to ensure that issues of concern were addressed. In Ladywood Ward there was a proposal to build an iconic station and have a system that linked to HS2. A package of measures was being developed to ensure that local growth was maximised and it was encouraging to learn that Birmingham had been shortlisted for the HS2 college that would bring the necessary skills to the City. There were also proposals for a national rolling stock depot at Washwood Heath which would bring local jobs into the area and a package of local employment, training and skills maximisation for the City was part of the assurance being sought. 309
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In response to questions regarding the new college Councillor Bore advised this would be a stand-alone facility based at Aston Science Park but it was intended to develop a hub college with spokes to others to develop links across the country. The presentations commenced the following day and had involved Birmingham University. Richard Leonard undertook to attend future meetings to provide regular updates. ____________________________________________________________________________ A38 TUNNEL CLOSURES 1170
The Chair advised that similar to last years closures the A38 tunnels would be closed from 18 July and hoped that there would be as little disruption as during the previous closures. Lara Thorns and Jeff Webb reported that phase 2 of the upgrading works to the A38 tunnels would commence on 18 July until 1 September proceeded by 2 weeks of overnight closures. The works included the mechanical and electrical work that had not been completed last year. Amey was working with Centro and discounts would be available on public transport but commuters were asked to plan their journeys ahead. Last year 200,000 additional journeys had been made on public transport during the tunnel closures and 1% of those people had continued with those journeys. There had been an extensive publicity campaign about the road closures and there would be events with public transport providers offering discounts on 3 July in Centenary Square and 14 July in Victoria Square. A local resident expressed concern about the potential for additional traffic being created around Sandpits/ Dudley Road and suggested that publicity be placed around City Hospital. The Committee was advised that Amey had been working with the Hospital and a digital sign could be used on that route and as suggested leaflets could be distributed in that and any other area recommended. ____________________________________________________________________________ COMMUNITY CHEST 2014/ 2015
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Pat Whyte advised that so far there had been 10 applications for funding from the 2014/15 Ward Community Chest to a total of £24k, including from residents groups, summer activities, In Bloom, Sea Cadets, memorial restoration and the School of Music. A full written report would be submitted to the next meeting. ____________________________________________________________________________ MATTERS OF URGENT LOCAL CONCERN
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The Ladywood Housing Liaison Board raised the following matters of concern; a)
Trees – St Marks and Chamberlain Gardens Estate
Concern was expressed that the tree officers were not maintaining the trees on St Marks and Chamberlain Gardens Estates and it was agreed that the tree officer be invited to a future meeting. 310
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b)
Pest Control Services
There had been an issue with squirrels and the pest control officers had laid poison but had not returned to clear the dead animals which were now causing a health problem as they were plagued with flies. It was agreed that this be referred to the Local Housing Manager. c)
Concierge Service Sadlers Walk
The service at Sadlers Walk Sheltered Housing Scheme had reduced to half a day per week which it was felt was putting tenants at risk. The service had initially been introduced in response to arson attacks. d)
Environmental Improvement Budget
There was concern regarding the delays being experienced in processing the projects put forward for environmental projects funded from the Environmental Improvement Budget. ____________________________________________________________________________ 1173
ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDAS 1.
Tree Officer to be invited to a future meeting in respect of concerns regarding St Marks and Chamberlain Garden Estates. 2. Chamberlain Garden Park – presentation on the Active Parks scheme 3. Police Issues – Sergeant Samuels to be invited to attend the next meeting. 4. Wheelie Bin Roll Out – officers to be invited to attend to provide an update. ____________________________________________________________________________ AUTHORITY TO CHAIRMAN AND OFFICERS RESOLVED:1174
That the Chairman is hereby authorised to act until the next meeting of the Committee except that, in respect of the exercise of the Council’s non-Executive functions, the appropriate Chief Officers are hereby authorised to act in consultation with the Chairman and that the Director of Legal and Democratic Services is authorised to affix the Corporate Seal to any document necessary to give effect to a decision of the said officers acting in pursuance of the power hereby delegated to them; further that a report of all action taken under this authority be submitted to the next meeting and that such report shall explain why this authority was used.
The meeting ended at 2110 hours.
------------------------------------CHAIRMAN
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