Pics supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP
The chaos that has engulfed the Tories isn’t only causing havoc within their own ranks, it’s being felt in communities like ours.
Last year, Erdington applied for £11 million from the Government’s Levelling Up Fund that would have transformed Erdington High Street and made it a destination again. This was the second time an application for Erdington was submitted after Tory Ministers rejected our first in October 2021.
Our latest plan had secured financial backing from Birmingham City Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority, but when the Government announced the successful applications for the second round of the £2.1billion fund Erdington had sadly been rejected again.
Whilst our community is amongst the country’s top 10% of deprived areas and didn’t get a single penny, the Prime Minister’s own constituency – one of the most affluent – got £19million.
The Tory Government’s levelling up agenda has been exposed as nothing more than a slogan and a vote winning cash machine for panicking Tory MPs.
If that wasn’t reason enough to believe the Tories don’t care about Erdington, gambling bosses have now appealed to the Government in the hope that they stand a better chance of getting another betting shop on Erdington High Street.
The levelling up funding would have bought investment to our High Street and created jobs, skills, and improved infrastructure. Opening the eighth betting shop on our High Street is the last thing we need.
Erdington High Street is the heart and soul of our community and has been badly let down by the Government. It needs investment but granting permission for more betting shops would risk changing it from a shopping centre to a betting centre.
Alongside local campaigners, residents and businesses, I have formally objected to the appeal. I’ve also raised my concerns directly with Ministers in Parliament.
The fight continues to stop the eighth betting shop, but one thing is crystal clear, the Tory Government has demonstrated a clear track record of simply not caring about Erdington, Kingstanding and Castle Vale.
After being let down with our funding bid, I worry that Ministers will deliver a fresh kick in the teeth for our High Street and our community by approving the betting shop – but I challenge them to prove me wrong.
For more on Paulette Hamilton MP for Erdington visit www.paulettehamilton.org