Tag: HMO

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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Paulette Hamilton MP at Pype Hayes Lighthouse Church Remembrance Sunday service / Photograph supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

Words by Paulette Hamilton MP

This month, we paused to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. It was an honour to join Pype Hayes Lighthouse Church for their Remembrance Sunday service and Abbey Catholic Primary School for Armistice Day. We will remember them.

One of the biggest concerns residents raise with me is the out-of-control spread of HMOs. Unlike the Conservatives, who have allowed this problem to worsen, I have been relentlessly campaigning to stop inappropriate HMO applications.

Recently, in Gravelly Hill, I have been campaigning against a proposal to convert a family home into a 9-bed HMO. This is part of my ongoing mission to oppose such plans, and I am proud that, by working together, we have successfully challenged every single HMO application I have campaigned against so far.

Paulette Hamilton MP at Black Histry Month event / Photograph supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

It was a pleasure to host our second annual Black History Month event in Erdington. We welcomed a wonderfully diverse audience from across our communities, coming together to celebrate our shared ambition for a more just and equal society.

Many of you have also been in touch, deeply concerned about family and relatives in the Caribbean affected by the devastation of Hurricane Melissa.

As someone with Jamaican roots, I share these concerns and understand the anxiety. In my role, I have been working closely with the Foreign Office and local community members to support British nationals and ensure vital aid reaches the region, and I will continue this work.

I remain committed to fighting for a better Erdington, Kingstanding, Castle Vale, and South Oscott.

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

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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Words by Paulette Hamilton MP

Paulette Hamilton MP by the Houses of Parliament / Pic supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

The first duty of any government is to keep its citizens safe. That’s why I’m proud this Labour Government is increasing defence investment 2.5% of GDP by 2027, the biggest sustained boost since the Cold War.

This commitment strengthens national security and ensures we have the capabilities to protect the UK and our allies.

But security isn’t just about national defence, it’s about keeping our communities safe too. After 14 years of Conservative neglect, our armed forces are stretched thin, and crime and anti-social behaviour are rising. Undoing the damage of the past will take time, but Labour is committed to rebuilding Britain and delivering for our communities.

Locally, I took a firm stand against an HMO application on Mason Road, leading a campaign backed by 386 residents. Birmingham City Council rejected the application, sending a clear message that enough is enough.

HMOs bring increased crime, put pressure on local services, and undermine initiatives like Operation Fearless, which aims to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour.

I joined West Midlands Police for an all-out day on Erdington High Street. With a new Public Spaces Protection Order in place and Operation Fearless making an impact, traders and shoppers are seeing a real difference.

I also held a coffee morning in Kingstanding, where residents raised crime and anti-social behaviour as top concerns. I’ll keep working with the police and local partners to tackle these issues.

From community campaigns to coffee mornings, I will keep fighting for a safer Erdington, Kingstanding, Castle Vale, and South Oscott.

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

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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: 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: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of 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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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: 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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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Pic supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

As your local MP representing Erdington, Kingstanding, and Castle Vale, I care about the issues that affect you and our community. Here are some of the things I have done in the past month:

I recently hosted a meeting with Simon Foster, the Police and Crime Commissioner, Chief Superintendent Richard North, local traders, and officials from Birmingham City Council. 

We discussed the ongoing issues of crime and antisocial behaviour on Erdington High Street.

Importantly, they heard concerns from our traders, recognising the need for more robust measures to enhance security and enforcement, and the need to work more closely to combat crime in the area.

I was also approached by traders on Slade Road who raised concerns about issues they were experiencing, including theft, antisocial behaviour, and the presence of sex workers. I empathised with the challenges facing local traders and will be following up on their concerns and working towards a constructive solution. 

I recently participated in a National Day of Action for Safer Streets to prevent road accidents, injuries, and deaths. As part of this effort, I’m backing the campaign to reduce speeds to 30mph on local roads. I would urge everyone to have their say by taking part in the consultation – please do get in touch if you want to know more. 

Despite 13 years of Conservative cuts to policing, I will not give up on fighting crime and antisocial behaviour in our area. I will keep working to secure the resources we need to keep our community safe. 

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

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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Pic supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

I hope you enjoyed the summer break. As for me, August has been another busy month, tirelessly working to get the best for our community.

Recently, I proudly stood with residents to oppose the latest planning application for a 7-bed HMO on Gravelly Lane, which would have made it the 209th HMO in our area. It’s no secret that our communities in Erdington, Kingstanding and Castle Vale have been grappling with an influx of HMOs, and the associated problems that follow.

Thankfully, our campaign successfully persuaded Birmingham City Council to reject the application, making it clear that we don’t need any more HMOs in our neighbourhoods.

Another matter that was bought to my attention was the speculation of the future of Warren Farm Urgent Care Centre in Kingstanding. The Centre holds a special place in my heart as it’s where I first worked as a district nurse, so I know how important the Centre is for local people.

I wrote to the CEO of NHS Birmingham and Solihull seeking clarification. His swift reply provided assurances that the Centre will stay at its current location for the foreseeable future, however, concerns remain about the state of the building that are under careful observation.

Places like Warren Farm Urgent Care Centre provide vital services to local people. Sadly, after 13 years of Tory neglect, our local NHS centres are at risk. Only a Labour Government can fix this mess, save our NHS, and prioritise the health needs for communities like ours.

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

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

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OPINION: Erdington Cllr Robert Alden, Leader of Birmingham Conservatives

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

This month Cllr Gareth Moore and I have been finalising the design for the improvements to the play area in Rookery Park. The Council will be starting this work in September having decided they could not finish the work in time to have the play area reopen for the school holidays.

We have also been pushing the Council to act on the state the former gatehouse for the park has been allowed to get in to and we’ve been informed work should be happening over the summer to improve it.

This month, West Midlands Railway launched a consultation on the closure of ticket offices across the region including at Erdington and Chester Road Train Stations. Gareth and I have collected a petition opposing the closure and submitted it along with an objection to the consultation. An announcement on the consultation result is expected later this year.

Following the recent success of stopping the conversion of the Royal Oak into a HMO, I have launched a petition opposing a similar application to convert 120 Gravelly Lane.

You can see details of how to object to the application on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews

This month we welcomed the Birmingham Jazz & Blues Festival to Erdington. It was great to see so many residents enjoying the shows. This is a great new addition to Erdington and is hopefully something that can be grown in the coming years.

Thank you to the Town Centre Manager, Oikos Café and the Jazz festival or making this possible.

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

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OPINION: A message from Paulette Hamilton, MP for Erdington

Pic supplied by Paulette Hamilton MP

I hope everyone in Erdington, Kingstanding and Castle Vale is looking forward to the summer break and spending some valuable time with their family. Although Parliament is in summer recess, my work in our community will continue throughout.

Recently, I was made aware of a planning application that proposed to convert the Royal Oak Pub into a 10-bed HMO. The property is located in Stockland Green ward, in an area that already has a significant number of HMOs. I led a campaign calling on local people to object to the planning application, and our petition collected the support of 398 concerned residents.

I’m delighted that Birmingham City Council listened to residents’ concerns and refused the application. This shows what can be achieved when a determined community works together.

Also in July, our amazing NHS marked its 75th Anniversary. I’m proud to have worked in the NHS as a nurse, first training as a district nurse in Kingstanding and then dedicating 25 years to supporting people across Birmingham. Living in Erdington, I still rely on and cherish our local NHS services.

The NHS was Labour’s greatest achievement, founded in 1948 and continues to provide care to everyone free from the point of use. Sadly, after 13 years of Tory mismanagement, we have seen a huge decline in our health service, making it impossible to book GP appointments, creating long operation waiting times and worsening staff shortages. Our NHS is broken, and it will take a Labour government to save it.

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