Tag: Erdington Baths

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OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

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

Over the last month Cllr Gareth Moore and I have been out supporting community events, continuing our work to save Erdington Library, pushing the Police and Council for action around crime on the High Street and getting our hands dirty to help clear graffiti from a couple of road signs.

We were delighted to support the recent 20th Birthday celebrations for local youth charity Urban Devotion and to attend the 100th anniversary dinner of Erdington Rugby Club to celebrate all their efforts over the years.

Following the very concerning resent incidents we have written to the Chief Constable of West Midlands Police to ask for the reinstatement of a dedicated Police team for the High Street that the previous Constable axed.

We also joined the launch meeting for a joint Erdington BID, Police and Council task force setup to try and resolve some of the crime and ASB issues on the High Street. Please make sure you report to the Police any incidents you witness as this will help secure additional funding and officers for the High Street. Sadly, currently incidents are rarely reported, therefore please don’t leave it to others.

Residents recently contacted Gareth and I about graffiti the Council failed to clear from road signs on the Chester Road and Sutton Road near to the Yenton junction. We therefore went out and got our hands dirty to get it cleared off (see picture).

We have ‘Pride in Erdington’ and won’t let the Council’s failings bring our area down.

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

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OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

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

It has been another busy month, here is some of what Cllr Gareth Moore and I have been up to:

Summer has arrived and so has the summer fete season, kicked off by a wonderful Arts and Crafts Fayre at St Barnabas Church, which Gareth and I attended. This included the launch of a historical exhibition of old photos of Erdington by the Erdington Historical Society.

It’s always great to see the wonderful range of community events that take place each year, put on and run by local volunteers.

Sadly, over the last month the High Street has had a series of serious criminal incidents. We’ve met with a number of local residents about these and are in contact with local Police.

These incidents are totally unacceptable, and it is vital that more is done by West Midlands Police to ensure residents in Erdington are kept safe and anyone causing ASB or crime on the High Street are not allowed to continue this behaviour.

We will of course do all we can to try and secure additional policing resources from West Midlands Police to support our excellent local policing team.

This month we’ve also been at the latest project meeting for the Erdington Baths Scheme. The £4m needed for converting the baths into an Enterprise Hub has now been secured.

Witton Lodge Community Association, who are running the delivery of the scheme, are hoping work will start later in the summer.

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

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: New life for Erdington Baths

Words by Afzal Hussain – Chief Officer of Witton Lodge Community Association

After almost six years of perseverance and the tireless support of our community and stakeholders, we were delighted to finally secure the £4million needed for the first phase of works that will breathe fresh life into the former Erdington Baths.

The Baths are almost a century old, and have stood empty since they were closed in 2014. Many residents have already shared their treasured memories of growing up and visiting the Baths with family and friends, and I’m certain we will hear many more as the project develops.

With work expected to start later in the year, the first phase will see funds invested into the overall fabric of the building to restore the roof, undertake essential repairs, create a main reception area, and convert the pool hall into a co-working space, studio pods, events and community space.

Situated between Erdington Library and the Erdington Skills Centre, it is a great opportunity to create a Learning, Skills and Enterprise Quarter in the heart of Erdington.

Complex projects such as these are only possible with the support of many stakeholders – our community, local businesses and partners. We want to thank Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Combined Authority for investing in the project.

We are particularly appreciative of the Council’s leadership for taking this brave decision, especially as it deals with its financial challenges. Mayor Andy Street continued to back the project even against the backdrop of three failed funding bids to government.

The late Jack Dromey and more recently Paulette Hamilton MP have been huge advocates, and Cllr Robert Alden has been on this journey with us right from the outset. Thank you!

For more on Witton Lodge Community Association, visit www.wittonlodge.org.uk

Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

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OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

Pic supplied by Cllr Robert Alden (Erdington Ward, Conservative)

I was honoured to join, along with local school children, the Erdington Rotary Club this month for the opening of their Peace Garden at Spring Lane Playing Fields.

Thank you to all the volunteers who helped build this lovely addition to our local area.

Much of Cllr Gareth Moore and my work this month has been connected to the damning section 114 notices about the Council effectively being declared bankrupt due to equal pay bills and the Leader of the Council refusing to act to prevent the Council collapsing despite warning from auditors, the opposition, and officers at Birmingham City Council.

Therefore, we have been meeting with officers to discuss protecting Erdington Library and to try and ensure plans to regenerate the former Erdington Baths site continue to go ahead.

We have also been meeting with officers to discuss what plans the Council have for other assets locally, such as office blocks, and to stress they must not sell any of them for exempt accommodation.

We are clear that our heritage/cultural assets and green spaces must be protected. They were left for the people of Erdington to enjoy in perpetuity, not to be flogged off to pay for the mistakes of the Labour administration. 

We have also been pressing the Council to ensure the improvements to Rookery Park we secured still happen. We are delighted to confirm they will still go ahead, following a short delay, and work begins in early October. 

For more from Cllr Robert Alden and Cllr Gareth Moore visit www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews

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COMMUNITY ANCHORS: Enterprising Erdington

Words by Afzal Hussain – Chief Officer of Witton Lodge Community Association


 
We are delighted that Birmingham City Council has taken the bold decision to invest £2m to help refurbish, and transform the former Erdington Baths into a state-of-the-art Enterprise facility. We’re already turning our attention to the other major funder, the West Midlands Combined Authority to match the Council’s investment, and the signs are encouraging.

So many residents have fond memories of the Baths and we have had huge support from the local community and local businesses to bring this much-loved facility back into use. We remain committed to doing all that we can to make it happen.

As many people know, it is not a straightforward project, given the size, age and state of the building. We have also had to overcome many setbacks, not least, with Erdington missing out on Government investment on three occasions.

Despite this, at Witton Lodge Community Association we remain resolute and optimistic. We have many of the foundations already in place including Planning Approval, expert technical teams, and political support especially from Paulette Hamilton MP and Councillor Robert Alden.

As more and more services move online, we know the physical hubs aren’t the complete answer, and of course we will continue to support our residents to develop their IT skills, none-the-less, we believe this is no substitute for high quality, locally accessible facilities where you can meet and speak to a person face-to-face.

We’re truly fortunate in Erdington, to have many such places including those listed on the Erdington Local ENNS page.

For more on Witton Lodge Community Association, visit www.wittonlodge.org.uk

Witton Lodge Community Association is a key partner in the Erdington Local COMMUNITY ANCHORS programme, supporting independent local and community journalism.

(Ed’s note: This column was first submitted to the Erdington Local newspaper on 4 September, before the announcement of a Section 114 notice issued by Birmingham City Council.)

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NEWS: WLCA Enterprise Hub development to get £795,000 from Birmingham City Council

Words by Ed King

Witton Lodge Community Association’s (WLCA) plans to redevelop the old Erdington Baths into a vibrant ‘Enterprise Hub’ are set to receive £795,000 from Birmingham City Council.

Announced today, the City will be allocating over three quarters of a million pounds from its Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) fund – to help repair the old public bath’s roof and allow WLCA to manage operations from the site.

The significant investment from Birmingham City Council follows a recent £2m commitment from the West Midlands Combined Authority, who pledged the money as part of its 2018 brownfield and housing delivery programme.

With further support from Birmingham City Council, the ambitious project – which would create jobs and opportunities for new business in the heart of Erdington – will be part a key of the revised Levelling Up Fund application which could bring millions to Erdington High Street.

As he approved today’s grant, Birmingham City Council Leader Cllr Ian Ward said: “For generations, the baths were a much-loved facility for the people of Erdington, and this is an important step in the efforts to give this historic building a new lease of life right at the heart of the community.

“I’m delighted we are working alongside Witton Lodge Community Association to transform the old baths building on Mason Road and this exciting project is a key part of the overall Levelling Up Fund bid for Erdington High Street, which will bring the community together, support local businesses and improve accessibility to wider employment opportunities for the residents of Erdington.”

Erdington MP Paulette Hamilton, who has worked with the City Council to develop the Erdington High Street Levelling Up Fund bid, added: “This funding is fantastic news. I hope it will kick start our plans for a brand new community and enterprise hub in Erdington run by Witton Lodge Community Association, who do amazing work locally.

“The new hub would bring enormous benefits for local people by providing employment opportunities, helping to develop skills and offering space for small businesses to develop and grow.

“The Council’s decision to help fund this project should send a message to Ministers about how committed we are to transforming Erdington High Street. We want to make the area a destination again, and now we need the Government to back our Levelling Up bid to make that a reality.”

Witton Lodge Community Association Chief Officer Afzal Hussain told Erdington Local: “We’re deeply grateful to the Council for its support and funding to kickstart Phase 1 works on the Erdington Enterprise Hub.

“The funding will enable us to refurbish the roof and entrance area and actively engage local residents, entrepreneurs and businesses to showcase and shape plans on the ambitious project.

“We have already secured funding from the West Midlands Combined Authority and with planning approval also in place, we’re now only waiting on the Government to approve Erdington’s Levelling Up bid. Fingers crossed!”

For more on the new Enterprise Hub visit www.erdingtonbaths.webflow.io