Pic by Ed King – from Erdington Local archives
This month saw the Labour Council approve their new bankruptcy budget, leaving residents facing a double whammy of higher taxes and fewer services.
The Conservative opposition put forward a fully costed amendment, approved by officers, which would have saved all local libraries, increased street cleaning, scrapped Labour’s new ‘Rat Tax’ charge on pest controls and protected other services immediately and in the long term, showing how the Council can maintain weekly bin collections, funding in youth/adult services and keep Council Tax lower.
Sadly all 53 Labour Councillors voted against our alternative, instead voting for the Labour bankruptcy budget. Only Labour Councillors voted for Labour’s double whammy which puts up Council Tax by 21% over the next 2 years and closes most libraries.
Rest assured that Cllr Gareth Moore and I continue our campaign to try to save Erdington, Kingstanding and Perry Common libraries. You can sign our petition by visiting our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews
Gareth and I are also delighted to announce funding has been secured to refurbish the Tennis Courts in Rookery Park, Brookvale Park and Pype Hayes Park.
The Council are trying to introduce charges for using these tennis courts. Gareth and I have been clear this is totally unacceptable. Thankfully have listened to us and the charges proposed will not happen in Erdington Ward; Rookery Park Tennis Courts will remain free.
In Stockland Green Brookvale will also remain free; however we will continue to fight for proposed charges to also be scrapped in Pype Hayes Park.
For more from Cllr Robert Alden and Cllr Gareth Moore visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews
Do you have an estimate or total figure of how much has been cut in real terms from the Birmingham Council budget from central government since 2010?
I already know about the equal pay court case that has been mishandled and the IT disaster (If the system isn’t fit for purpose and has so many errors then surely there is a case for the company providing it having to reimburse the council).
However I’d like to see an accurate reflection of how much the council funding has either decreased or increased in real terms since 2010. If the funding has been decreased drastically, not only here but other councils across the board, with many reportedly also facing ”bankruptcy”, what is the plan to save them. Surely it cannot be savage cuts across the country as we are going to have no public services left.
I’m very much interested in hearing you opinions on this and would appreciate your thinking and time on it.
Thank you
Strange that comments are being deleted from this by admin/moderator? Is there any reason why a completely unabusive and inquisitorial comment asked for your thoughts/ideas and possible answers to Central funding problems for Councils has been removed?
Our apologies for the delay in publishing your (and other) comments, we have a system in place that requires manual ‘approval’ on all the comments posted on our website and we simply had not got around to it. But now we have.
And when it comes to us maintaining political autonomy with our questions and coverage, our content quite strongly reflects this – although you should certainly challenge us if you feel we’re losing our grip there.
You raise a very interesting point too – and we have been asking for clarity on a several facts and figures from Birmingham City Council (BCC) which we will continue to do so. You could also follow it up with a Freedom of Information Request direct to BCC.
Thanks for your comment and for reading, and please keep suggesting areas we should be looking at – it is very much welcomed.
Are any members of the Labour Council, responsible for the total fiscal mismanagement of our money, going to be sacked or face an enquiry?
A fortnightly bin collection WILL result in open refuse in the streets and increase in vermin, on what basis does the Council believe this not to be the case?