Category: Opinion

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OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

Words by Erdington Ward Cllr Robert Alden – Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

(l-r) Cllr Gareth Moore and Cllr Robert Alden campaiging against library closures / Pic supplied by Birmingham Conservatives

Thank you to everyone who signed our petition opposing the proposed new HMO on Mason Road, we’re delighted to confirm, following our campaign, the application has been refused by the Council.

I’ve also been pushing for the Council to take enforcement action against the new chicken shop that has opened without planning permission on Mason Road.

Cllr Gareth Moore and I have been continuing our push for the Council to clean up our streets. This month we took our Conservative plan for a cleaner city, and wider amendment, to the budget meeting.

The amendment, signed off as deliverable by Council Finance officers and Commissioners, would’ve kept refuse collections weekly, scrapped Labours ‘Rat Tax’, and increased the number of street cleaners – as well as separately keeping every library including Erdington open full time. Sadly, this was rejected by the Labour Councillors.

This month the Labour Council have announced that due to their bin strike, which is now five days a week, they are not starting garden waste collections and continue to not collect recycling. Their current advice on refuse bins is to leave it out if it is not collected on your normal collection day.

We have been calling for the Council to refund residents who have paid for garden waste collections. The Council has now agreed, and a refund can be requested on their website.

We’re posting all the latest updates we have on the strike on our Facebook page, so follow us there to stay up to date.

For more from Erdington’s Councillor Robert Alden and Councillor Gareth Jones visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews

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DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors – as identified against each article – and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent, or the view or positions of Erdington Local.

If you wish to contact Erdington Local about any comments or contributions made, please email: [email protected]

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OPINION: Jack Brookes – representative for Reform UK in Birmingham, Erdington

Jack Brooks on the campaign trail for Reform UK inthe 2022 Erdington, Birmingham by-election / Pic supplied by Reform UK

Conscripted to die for a lie; arrested for telling the truth.

The establishment wants to conscript your children to die in the pointless war in Ukraine. Will the politicians send their children? Either all of us go, or none of us go. If we die, then the establishment will die with us.

The leadership (I include Farage and Tice) of all parties should send their kids to the front lines (both genders – inclusivity is a must).

Starmer called us “far right”, now he wants us to fight? If the best of us go over to Ukraine, what will happen in the UK during our absence?

Given the political parallels in Europe, I have come to the conclusion that a war would be perfect for the liberal world order because those of us that would rise up against the boots of communism and anarcho-tyranny will end up dead on some foreign field.

In February 2023 a colleague in the Reform Party (a veteran) revealed the truth – to me and others – about the Ukraine war in his co-authored document.

The leadership of Reform have ignored this document.

Billions in money laundering and corruption, and weapons sold to our enemies; yet the Labour Government has found another £2 billion for this war whilst our pensioners freeze to death.

The Conservatives and Labour have lied us into war before: remember Blair, Campbell, Cameron and co with the Iraq war.

To all UK party leaders: “We will not die for a lie!”

For more on Jack Brookes from Reform UK visit www.reformparty.uk/birmingham-erdington-constituency

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DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the contributors  and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent, or the view or positions of Erdington Local.

If you wish to contact Erdington Local about any comments or contributions made, please email: [email protected]

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Covid pandemic five year anniversary

Words by Simon Wilson, Chief Executive Officer – The Pioneer Group & Compass Support

The Pioneer Group CEO Simon Wilson / Pic supplied by The Pioneer Group

It’s hard to believe that it has been five years since the Covid pandemic started and cast a dark shadow over so many lives.

As a housing association our world stopped and changed forever as the pandemic struck. As a business we had to adapt to working and providing services remotely for the first time and of course as events unfolded stepped up alongside the whole community on Castle Vale to help those in need.

We helped coordinate a Covid Taskforce alongside the likes of Spitfire Services, church groups, the schools and local organisations all of which coordinated a huge range of provision from medication and food deliveries to welfare calls.

Much of the effort relied on volunteers and goodwill. Many colleagues couldn’t work from home and carried on with vital services in the community.


In many ways it showed something about Castle Vale I have always known. When times are tough and the community faces a challenge it will respond, it will come together and it won’t be done to, it will stand up for itself.

It’s easy to forget with the passage of time just how scary those days where and sadly too many families they would lose loved ones – they will never forget and nor should we.

If you follow the news this can also be seen as quite a scary time with global political and economic uncertainty and closer to home we remain conscious of the real world impact of cost of living crisis and fragile state of many public services.

It feels timely and important to reflect on what we can achieve as a community alongside remembering those we lost.

For more on The Pioneer Group visit www.pioneergroup.org.uk and for more on Compass Support visit www.compass-support.org.uk

The Pioneer Group and Compass Support are key partners in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme – supporting independent local and community journalism.

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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Words by Paulette Hamilton MP

(l-r) Paulette Hamilton MP with Andrew Goodacre of the British Independent Retailers Association on Erdington High Street / Pic supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

It’s always a pleasure to update you on the work I’m doing to make Erdington, Kingstanding, Castle Vale, and South Oscott even better places to live, work, and raise a family.

This month, I’ve been focused on standing up for our neighbourhoods. I have written to local residents about the proposed five-bed HMO on Mason Road, which could bring significant challenges to our community.

I will be objecting to the application in the strongest terms and urging the council to reject it. If you haven’t already, please sign my petition to put a stop to this.

I also joined Simon Foster, our Police and Crime Commissioner, on Erdington High Street to hear about the impact of Operation Fearless. This initiative has already led to major arrests and the seizure of drugs and weapons, making our high street safer.

Our community deserves to feel secure, and I’ll continue pushing for the resources needed to tackle crime and antisocial behaviour.

Supporting local businesses is also a priority. That’s why I recently met with Andrew Goodacre of the British Independent Retailers Association and walked along the High Street to discuss efforts to revitalise our town centre.

Our independent businesses are the backbone of our community, and I’ll keep working to ensure they thrive.

On a brighter note, I was delighted to join Marsh Hill Primary School in Stockland Green for the opening of their new security gates. It’s fantastic to see investment in school safety, ensuring children can learn and grow in a secure environment.

For more on Paulette Hamilton MP for Erdington visit www.paulettehamilton.org

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OPINION: Jack Brookes, Erdington parliamentary candidate for Reform UK

Words by Jack Brookes

Reform UK Parliamentary candiate Jack Brookes on the campaign trail during the 2022 by-election for Birmingham Erdington / Pic supplied by Reform UK

Reform is pulling ahead, no deals with the traitor Tories! Never make a deal with a traitor.

Labour… giving illegals a pathway to citizenship, so they can vote for you? And the uniparty cancelling elections? Stop rigging the game; we have the ballot box for a reason. “No taxation without representation!” It’s time to tax strike!

The American Revolution was born out of this sentiment: a government for the people, by the people – origins… Magna Carta. We must follow suit!
“Foreign aid is taking money from poor people in rich countries and giving it to rich people in poor countries.” – Ron Paul

The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the USA has shown that taxpayer money funds the establishment and terrorism. It’s time to cut the government and the central bank out of our lives.

I have stated many times that the governments all over the world are deliberately trying to destroy us and now the proof is there with the USA with what DOGE has highlighted.

Lastly… knife crime. When the government replaces the family and you have Communists infiltrate institutions, the results will always be a deliberate increase in crime. All an angry kid needs is a bit of hope and be shown a better way. “Put down the knife and put on the gloves.”

Sport is the key – every great athlete knows this. Look at Tyson Fury and AJ, both credit boxing with saving their lives in one form or another.

For more on Jack Brookes from Reform UK visit www.reformparty.uk/birmingham-erdington-constituency

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OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

Words by Erdington Ward Cllr Robert Alden – Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

(l-r) Cllr Robert Alden and Cllr Gareth Moore on a community litter pick in Rookery Park (lr) / Pic supplied by Cllr Alden

This month Cllr Gareth Moore and I, amongst many issues, have been working with residents to tackle issues caused by two new exempt accommodation units.

In this month’s Council debate we also renewed our calls for a change in law to make exempt accommodation units require planning permission and so prevent the continued conversion of family houses, blighting our area and the city.

I have been opposing a planning application for a new HMO on Mason Road, both collecting a petition against the application and updating residents with details of how to object.

At the end of January, we joined the Friends of Rookery Park and Envisage for their community litter pick in Rookery Park. It was great to see so many volunteers out helping, having ‘Pride in Erdington’.

The Labour run Council have announced their plans to hit residents with another double whammy of higher taxes for fewer services in their new budget.

Council Tax is rising another 7.5%, another £134 a month on average, meaning its increased by 73% since Labour took control of the Council in 2012, an average increase of £814 for a band D property.

The City Council are also axing another £1.8m from street cleaning, likely meaning more rubbish on the streets. Matters have been made worse by the Labour Council’s plans to introduce fortnightly bin collections, a ‘rat tax’ for pest removal services and Labour’s ongoing bin strike.

Gareth and I continue to call on the Council to fix the service and keep our bin collections weekly.

For more from Erdington’s Councillor Robert Alden and Councillor Gareth Moore visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: 14 February was Valentines Day – a day to reflect on love

Words by Amy Heyes / Pic supplied by Urban Devotion Birmingham (UDB)

Urban Devotion Birmingham team shot, summer ’24 / Pic supplied Urban Devotion Birmingham

Languages, like Japanese, Sanskrit, and Arabic have multiple words for different kinds of ‘love’. In English we only have ‘love’. Has ‘love’ lost some of its meaning? I love both chocolate and my children—but not in the same way!

At Urban Devotion Birmingham, we believe that God loves every person in Erdington, and we seek to show that love to everyone we meet. Jesus said that loving your neighbour as yourself was one of the most important commands.

But here, it’s a care that doesn’t stop, a desire for the absolute best for that person, a willingness to have the difficult conversations for their better, a readiness to put others first.

Every time we walk the streets in our UDB blue clothing, connect with children and young people in their schools or run activities, this love drives us. We do it not just because it’s good, but because we care about the children, young people and families here.

As I walk through Erdington, noticing the people and places around me, I often wonder—what if we all chose to show a little more love to one another? It doesn’t have to be big. Maybe it starts with a friendly ‘hello,’ thanking shop staff, or simply holding onto litter until we find a bin.

Small acts of kindness can make a big difference. Let’s show Erdington a little  more love and see what happens.

For more on Urban Devotion Birmingham visit www.urbandevotion.org

Urban Devotion Birmingham is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Words by Paulette Hamilton MP

Paulette Hamilton MP at the official launch of Operation Feareless at Villa Park / Pic supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

I’m thrilled to kick off the new year by sharing some exciting updates about our amazing communities across Erdington, Kingstanding, Castle Vale, and South Oscott.

After years of relentless campaigning, I’m proud to announce that we’ve secured £880,000 for Operation Fearless through the proceeds of crime funding, headed up by Simon Foster, Labour’s Police and Crime Commissioner.

This initiative is a game-changer for tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, breathing new life into Erdington High Street – the beating heart of our community. Leading this campaign has been an absolute honour, and working with local residents, traders, the police, and the council has truly shown what we can achieve when we work together.

While this funding is a major step forward, it’s just the start of our journey to transform the high street. I remain committed to making our high streets a safe, welcoming, and inspiring place for everyone.

Paulette Hamilton MP and young people with Labour’s Minister for the Department for Work and Pensions, Alison McGovern MP, at Witton Lodge Community Association / Pic supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

Another highlight was welcoming Alison McGovern MP, Labour’s Minister for the Department for Work and Pensions, to Erdington. During her visit, she engaged with young people at the Witton Lodge Community Association and joined discussions with the North Birmingham Economic Recovery Board, which I proudly chair.

We also visited the Erdington Jobcentre to hear from work coaches about their experiences in helping local residents into employment.

Erdington is truly making its mark, attracting vital funding and national attention. These achievements reflect the strength of our community and our shared determination to create a better and safer future for all.

For more on Paulette Hamilton MP for Erdington visit www.paulettehamilton.org

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OPINION: Jack Brookes, Erdington parliamentary candidate for Reform UK

Words by Jack Brookes

Reform UK Parliamentary candiate Jack Brookes on the campaign trail during the 2022 by-election for Birmingham Erdington / Pic supplied by Reform UK

First of all… I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas and New Year. I understand that times are hard, but things always get worse before they get better. I recently suffered a loss; life goes on though.

Reform is joint first in the polls and will overtake the tyrannical Labour Government! The economy is dead after deliberate destruction from the uniparty (Tory and Labour); Labour and Paullette have recently voted in Parliament against holding rapists to account, this is not the first time Paullette has advocated some form of support for rapists; the world watches on in disbelief.

However, we cannot ignore the truth and if we do not have liberation through politics then there will be no choice to seek liberation through other means – but this an absolute last resort! We must remember the origins of Magna Carta.

To the Erdington Police. “Stop being Politically Correct (Communist origins) and do not oppress people that tell the truth.”

To Jaguar. “Go woke, go broke. I fully encourage the JLR workers to go on strike until woke is removed from the company, you will lose your jobs anyways if you do not stand against this stupidity. Sales are dramatically down since that recent strange advert.”

To the people. “The truth always wins. Victory is at hand. Keep going.”

For more on Jack Brookes from Reform UK visit www.reformparty.uk/birmingham-erdington-constituency

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OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

Words by Erdington Ward Cllr Robert Alden – Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

(l-r) Cllr Gareth Moore and Cllr Robert Alden at community launch of Operation Fearless at St Barnabas Church / Pic supplied by Cllr Alden

Happy New Year.

Over the last few weeks Cllr Gareth Moore and I have been meeting with officers from the police and the Council in advance of the launch of Operation Fearless to try and ensure its impact is maximised locally, for the benefit of local residents and businesses.

We also recently spoke at the launch of Operation Fearless in the second week of January, where we talked about the need for an increased police presence and tough action to make our local streets safer, about the campaigns Gareth and I have been working on over the last few years for more Police on our streets, for the reopening of the front desk at Erdington Police Station, and more officers to be based there, and for the renewal, strengthening and increased enforcement of the Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) around Erdington High Street.

Over the coming months we’ll be continuing to push the police for results from Operation Fearless to ensure it’s making a difference.

The best chance we have locally of making a difference from these increased police resources is to ensure that everyone is reporting all possible crime and anti-social behaviour that they see locally.

Even if you only have partial descriptions, please do report that information to the police or Crimestoppers so that we can ensure that Erdington is a no-go area for criminals.

We’ve also met with the NHS about the future of the North Birmingham Urgent Treatment Centre.

For more from Erdington’s Councillor Robert Alden and Councillor Gareth Moore visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews