Bore makes pledge for the city’s fair share (Birmingham Post) Council Leader Sir Albert Bore aims to battle the ‘injustice’ of the city’s funding.

Teachers’ strike off as they seek council support (Birmingham Post, Birmingham Mail) Teaching unions have called off proposed strike action amid claims Birmingham primary schools are being ‘forced’ to become academies.

Tunnel could go in plan to break concrete collar (Birmingham Post, Birmingham Mail) Birmingham’s St Chad’s Tunnel could be filled in and the neighbouring Queensawy overhauled in an ambitious £85 million scheme being considered by the council’s transport department.

Confusion reigns as Labour’s new Cabinet compared with Spaghetti Junction (Birmingham Post) The Conservative and Liberal Democrat groups in opposition in Birmingham for the first time in eight years, have branded a new Cabinet introduced by Sir Albert Bore this week as ‘unclear’ and ‘lacking accountability’.

You’re only supposed to grow the doors off… (Birmingham Post) Actor Michael Caine gave his official movie star seal of approval to Birmingham’s own Italian Job as the city’s display won gold at the world famous Chelsea Flower Show.

Minimum unit price ‘would help 39,000 problem drinkers’ (Birmingham Post) A national minimum price for alcohol could help some of the 39,000 Birmingham residents risking their health by drinking too much, senior city officials have told MPs.

Museum or hotel could replace ‘Tombstone’ plan (Birmingham Post) Birmingham’s disused Central Fire Station could be brought back to life as a transport museum or a luxury hotel after controversial plans for a 23-storey skyscraper were rejected.

Cut-price MGs offer for all council staff (Birmingham Mail, What Car) Birmingham City Council is urging workers to ‘buy Brum’ – with its 46,000 staff offered discounts of up to £2,500 on new MGs.

Housing loses cabinet role at Birmingham City Council as ‘radical devolution’ promised (24dash) The new leadership at Birmingham City Council – the UK’s largest stock-holding local authority – is set to drop housing as a dedicated cabinet portfolio role but is planning to devolve day-to-day management to local communities.

Regional Headlines

Labour peer set to be remembered
An event is organised in Birmingham in memory of Labour peer Lord Corbett of Castle Vale.

Council leader survives vote
The Conservative leader of Walsall Council wins a ballot to remain in charge by a single vote.

National Headlines

Free banking ‘a dangerous myth’
Free banking is a “dangerous myth”, according to Andrew Bailey, who is due to become the chief regulator of the financial services industry.

Greek euro exit too risky – Clegg
Nick Clegg is to warn of the dangers of a Greek exit from the euro and describe the response to the crisis as “woefully fragmented”.

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New city boss Bore puts job creation first (Birmingham Mail) New council leader Sir Albert Bore pledged to make job creation the focal point of his administration on his first day in charge.

Council leader makes diversity pledge (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham’s Labour leadership has promised to encourage more African-Caribbean community candidates to come forward in future following a protest over its lack of diversity.

Lord Mayor takes office (Birmingham Mail) One of Birmingham’s longest serving councillors (Cllr John Lines) has been sworn in as the city’s 103rd Lord Mayor.

Michael Caine loves city’s golden flower power (Birmingham Mail, BBC WM) This Mini’s motoring on flower power – with the backing of movie legend Sir Michael Caine.

Foster Care fortnight feature (Birmingham Mail) Double-page spread looking at Birmingham City Council’s appeal for an extra 300 foster carers across the city.

Schools saw 87,000 racism cases (BBC) Schools in Birmingham recorded the highest number of racist incidents between 2007 and 2011.

Regional Headlines

More attacks on ambulance staff
The number of West Midlands Ambulance staff being attacked has risen in the past year, the service says.

Firefighters tackle Sparkbrook furniture factory fire
About 100 firefighters have been tackling a fire at a Birmingham furniture factory.

National Headlines

Adviser attacks ‘socialist’ Cable
Business Secretary Vince Cable is a socialist who “appears to do very little to support business”, No 10 adviser Adrian Beecroft says.

Chronic pain under-treated – NICE
Many patients with advanced cancer and other debilitating conditions are being “under-treated” for their pain, according to new guidance.

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Birmingham wins Chelsea Gold (BBC Midlands Today, BBC WM, Birmingham Mail) The spectacular ‘Best of Birmingham’ display featuring a floral Mini car scooped a Gold Award at the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society event.

Foster Care Fortnight (BBC WM) Vivien Meadows interviewed about Birmingham City Council’s push for more foster carers.

Labour’s choice for jobs sparks protest (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham City Council’s new Labour administration will today face a demo over the lack of African Caribbean councillors in top jobs.

Extra £250k to halt lure of extremism (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham has secured an extra £250,000 Government funding to help prevent city youngsters being tempted by extremist ideology and terrorism.

New shadow line-up named by Lib Dems (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham’s Liberal Democrat group, facing opposition for the first time in eight years, have named their new shadow cabinet team.

Regional Headlines

Gang shooting mum sets up charity
The mother of Birmingham gang shooting victim Letisha Shakespeare is setting up her own charity to help combat gang culture.

Car gets wedged under lorry on M6
The driver of a car escapes with “minor injuries” after it became wedged under a lorry and dragged along the M6.

National Headlines

Measures to replace Asbos set out
Ministers will reveal plans for new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour in England and Wales later, including new orders to replace Asbos.

Energy bill to boost clean power
The government will publish its long-awaited draft energy bill later, designed to encourage major investment in nuclear and renewable energy.

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Diamond Jubilee celebrations – Joan Durose, head of events at BCC, on WM talking about street party road closure applications and events around the city. Also article in Mail on number of street parties in the region – 60 road closure applications so far in Birmingham

Shutting homes ‘improved’ lives (Birmingham Mail) A study by the University of Birmingham has found that BCC’s closure programme for all its elderly people’s homes, announced in 2004 as part of wider changes to adult care, has improved lives

Goodbye Mike…your time is up (Birmingham Mail) Neil Elkes looks at Mike Whitby’s legacy, the day before he officially bows out as council leader

Chelsea Flower Show (BBC national television) Birmingham City Council’s garden featured on the BBC’s preview show

Help bring evil pub bombers to justice (Sunday Mercury) BCC’s chief executive has emailed all staff to tell them about a petition to re-open the investigation

Second city head goes in 24 hours (Birmingham Mail) Head teacher at Montgomery primary school has ‘taken leave from his role’. This follows the resignation of Castle Vale performing arts college head teacher

Regional Headlines:

Air ambulance fuel cost challenge – the cost of fuel means the Midlands air ambulance is facing a challenging time as it marks its 21st anniversary

10,000 turn out to toast city’s Tolkein – thousands of fans were on the Tolkein trail as they enjoyed Birmingham’s Middle Earth weekend

National Headlines:

Tributes paid to Robin Gibb who died yesterday
UK child care ‘needs an overhaul’
Greek election ‘is vote on euro’

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New Labour group orders Service review (Municipal Journal) The incoming Labour administration at Birmingham City Council has called for an independent health check on its Service Birmingham joint venture with Capita.

Fostering from within (Municipal Journal) Recruiting from within generates many benefits for local authorities and is something that the award winning In-Source team at Birmingham City Council has excelled at.

Trouble-hit city school head quits (Birmingham Mail) A Birmingham headteacher has announced his resignation from a crisis-hit city school (Castle Vale Performing Arts College)

Fields saved as estate bid fails (Birmingham Mail) City Council plans to concrete over playing fields to build a new housing estate have been thrown out by planners.

Green light for hotel (Birmingham Mail) A new 18-storey city centre hotel has been given unanimous support by city councillors.

Stay of execution for wholesale markets (BBC WM) Cllr Ian Ward interviewed about the decision to carry out £1 million in repairs to keep the current wholesale market site open for a minimum of three years.

Tombstone bid bites the dust (Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post) The latest plans for a 23-storey skyscraper rising above the city’s historic Central Fire Station have been rejected.

Delay in schools funding hits kids (Birmingham Mail) Delays in fixing the city’s ‘crumbling school’ are undermining our children’s education, council chiefs warn.

Academies ‘forced on 30 schools’ (Birmingham Mail) More than 30 city primary schools are being ‘forced’ to turn into academies, unions have claimed.

Mayor backs Jubilee bashes to unite Brum (Birmingham Mail) Throwing street parties to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee will galvanise communities and residents, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham has claimed.

Clowning around for library fun (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham’s newest library and community centre  (The Shard) opens its doors for the first time with a half-term spectacular on Friday June 8.

Construction starts on next phase at Park Central (West Midlands Housing News) Construction has now started on the central phase of the Park Central residential development in Birmingham City Centre.

Regional Headlines

Two bailed after pensioner attack
Two people are released on police bail after being questioned in connection with an attack on a 93-year-old woman.

GP denies spiritual healer claim
A doctor denies recommending a spiritual healer to a Birmingham teenager in the weeks before she died from tuberculosis.

National Headlines

Taxpayer ‘lost £2bn on Rock rescue’
The taxpayer could lose about £2bn once the assets of collapsed bank Northern Rock are wound down, the National Audit Office estimates.

Plaque to dead children stolen
Thieves steal a metal plaque erected in memory of two young boys killed by IRA bombs in the Cheshire town of Warrington.

Related

Schools to revolt over academies (Birmingham Post) Results are due from a recent ballot at some Birmingham primary schools over the issue of whether they should become academies or not.

Bore ‘risks’ a novice to lead children’s services (Birmingham Post) The council’s Conservative group have raised concerns over a decision by the incoming Labour administration to not have an executive member whose portfolio solely covers the issue of children’s social care. Deputy Leader-elect Cllr Ian Ward quoted as having “every confidence” in new children’s services Cabinet Member Cllr Brigid Jones.

Bore misses a trick by allowing Labour to scrutinise itself (Birmingham Post) Chris Game of the University of Birmingham offers his personal analysis of the Cabinet line-up announced by Council Leader-elect Cllr Sir Albert Bore.

‘Failure of leadership’ led to voters rejecting an elected mayor (Birmingham Post) Sion Simon claims that the Government’s failure to clearly explain the benefits of an elected mayor led to the recent ‘no’ result in Birmingham’s referendum.

Derelict pool revamp plan put on hold (Birmingham Post) Further coverage of a decision by the incoming council administration to review plans to revamp Stirchley Baths into a community centre.

What now for culture in our city? (Birmingham Post) Ammo Talwar, CEO at Punch Records, expresses his concern at the removal of a Cabinet post specifically covering the portfolio of Leisure, Sport and Culture.

Red Cabinet has green tint (Birmingham Post) Neil Elkes’ weekly column – in which he looks at the establishment of new Cabinet portfolios, those appointed to Cabinet and the Conservative group’s plan for being in opposition.

A retrograde step for arts (Birmingham Post) Former Cabinet Member Martin Mullaney criticises the new Cabinet structure, claiming there is no clear focus on leisure, sport or culture – the areas his portfolio covered.

Brit of boom for Brum economy (Birmingham Mail) Feature looking at how major events including the Olympics and jubilee could boost the Birmingham economy. Lord Mayor Cllr Anita Ward quoted.

Union backs council living wage scheme (Birmingham Mail) Unison regional secretary Ravi Subramanian has praised plans to introduce a minimum “living wage” of £7.20 per hour for city council employees.

Regional Headlines

West Midlands Police have announced plans to launch a specialist drugs unit to crackdown on cannabis farms across the force area.

More than half of the 280 jobs set to be axed by the BBC as part of its review of the regions now look set to be saved.

National Headlines

General Motors is to confirm this morning that Vauxhall’s Ellesmere Port plant has been saved, securing the jobs of 2,100 staff and creating hundreds more.

David Cameron is to insist it is his job to “keep Britain safe” whatever the fate of the eurozone, in a speech set to be delivered at a business conference in Manchester today.

Higher university tuition fees have not boosted teaching time at England’s universities, research suggests.

Related

New labour lacks diversity (Birmingham Mail, Radio WM)
Community leader, Dr Joe Aldred, has voiced his concern over the lack of an Afro-Caribbean presence on Birmingham City Council’s new Labour cabinet.  Mike Leddy and Ayoub Khan contributed to the radio show.

£3.5m centre plan for city baths on hold (Birmingham Mail)
The planned £3.5 million redevelopment of Stirchley swimming baths has been put on hold by Labour.  Conservative members claim a Labour council has cancelled the funding to bring the building back into use.

Leader pays tribute (Birmingham Mail) Council leader, Mike Whitby, paid tribute to colleagues and staff as he chaired his last cabinet meeting.  He said he had been privileged to lead a strong Conservative and Lib Dem administration over the last eight years.

Good thermal mass building (Local Authority Building and Maintenance) Birmingham City Council’s £38m office building in Woodcock Street, Aston, has achieved good thermal mass – the concept of using the mass of the building to provide inertia against temperature fluctuations.

Regional Headlines:
Olympic torch relay ticket mix-up over Birmingham concert
A concert in Birmingham to celebrate the arrival of the Olympic torch relay in the city has been overshadowed by a blunder over ticket distribution. There were 20,000 free tickets for the Cannon Hill Park event but Ticketmaster mistakenly emailed everyone who applied to say they had been successful.

Two arrested after woman with head injury dies
A man and a woman have been arrested on suspicion of murder following the death of a woman who suffered a serious head injury in West Bromwich.

National Headlines:
Theresa May ‘destroying police’, warns federation
The home secretary is “on the precipice of destroying” a police service admired throughout the world, she will be warned by rank-and-file officers.

Ceremony to mark handover of Olympic flame to London
The Olympic flame will be “laid to rest” in Greece later before it is officially handed over to London.

Related

Service Birmingham faces value for money probe (Guardian) New Labour council to investigate whether joint venture between Birmingham city council and Capita is delivering service improvements.

Newcomers take position in cabinet (Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post) Confirmation of the new Labour cabinet following the recent council elections.

Support over markets gives traders hope (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham wholesale market traders believe chances of staying at their current site have been boosted by a new Labour-run city council.

Recruitment drive for 300 extra foster carers in Birmingham (Birmingham Mail) Figures released by charity the Fostering Network reveal that a child is taken into care in the city every 12 hours.

Council seeks new depot site for HS2 (Local Transport Today) Birmingham City Council is to press the Government to find a new depot location for trains using the proposed London-West Midlands high-speed rail line.

Regional Headlines

TB victim ‘given bulimia warning’
A Birmingham teenager died of tuberculosis after being told she may have bulimia, an inquest hears.

McLeish sacked as Villa manager
Alex McLeish is fired as Aston Villa manager after 11 months in charge following the club’s 16th-place Premier League finish.

National Headlines

Special needs budgets for parents
Parents in England are to be given more financial control over support for their children with special educational needs.

Brooks charge decision expected
Former News International chief executive Rebekah Brooks and her husband are to find out if they are to be charged with perverting the course of justice.

Related

City secures Government money to tackle problem drinking (SKY News, BBC WM) Director of regulatory service Jacqui Kennedy interviewed as Birmingham City Council secures funding for a new alcohol reduction strategy in Moseley.

City to offer top honour to former councillors (Birmingham Mail) Nine former Birmingham City councillors, including three ex Lord Mayors, with almost 200 years service between them are being lined up for a top honour (being named Honorary Aldermen)

Be protected from scams (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham City Council’s director of regulatory service Jacqui Kennedy offers advice on how to avoid becoming the victim of a scam.

Wedding catering company fined after mouse droppings found on dinner plates (Birmingham Mail) A wedding and party catering company in Birmingham has been fined for putting consumers’ lives at risk after inspectors found mouse droppings on dinner plates and a fly flew out of a microwave.

Firms urged to back BID (Birmingham Mail) New City Council leader Sir Albert Bore has urged Jewellery Quarter businesses to back a vote for a new Business Improvement District.

Mayor joins clean-up (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham Lord Mayor Anita Ward got her hands dirty when she tackled graffiti in Birmingham.

Taxi licence change ‘will mean chaos’ (Birmingham Mail) Government plans to open up the taxi and minicab market could lead to chaos on the streets of Birmingham, according to the city council’s head of licensing.

Regional Headlines

Groups share £1.9m lottery grants
West Midlands projects share Big Lottery Fund grants worth almost £2m.

Man found stabbed in city street
A murder investigation is under way after a man was found stabbed in a street in Birmingham city centre.

National Headlines

Sixth child dies after house fire
A sixth child from the same family dies following a fire at their home in Derby.

Local care ‘close to break point’
Health services in the community are reaching breaking point in the UK, the Royal College of Nursing is claiming.

Related

Parents join academy fight (Birmingham Mail) Teaching unions have turned to parent power amid claims more than a dozen Birmingham primary schools are being ‘forced’ to become academies.

Extra classes to cope with admissions crisis (Birmingham Mail) Anxious parents have been told that Sutton Coldfield primary schools could open extra classrooms in September to tackle an admissions crisis.

City Tories had ‘Dunkirk moment’ claims deputy (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham’s Conservative deputy leader has blasted his party’s election strategy in a leaked email.

Apartments for homeless to welcome first tenants (Birmingham Mail) An apartment complex for homeless people, costing £10 million, is set to welcome its first tenants in Birmingham.

£50m old fire station plan set for approval (Birmingham Mail) Plans to build student accommodation on the site of Birmingham’s former Central Fire Station has been recommended for approval.

A star for Malkit (Birmingham Mail) Hundreds of fans gathered in Birmingham city centre last night as the King of Bhangra, Malkit Singh, became the first Asian celebrity to be honoured on Broad Street’s famous Walk of Stars.

Foster carers needed (Birmingham Mail) Vulnerable children in desperate need of a loving home could be missing out due to a shortage of foster carers in Birmingham.

Labour surpasses election ambitions (Local Government Chronicle) Last week’s Birmingham results featured in an overview of last week’s local elections.

Regional Headlines

Baby dies after falling from car
A 10-month-old baby boy believed to have fallen from a moving car in Birmingham dies in hospital.

Hospital admits negligence case
A Birmingham-based composer who was left needing a wheelchair wins his negligence case against a West Midlands hospital.

National Headlines

Brooks to give Leveson evidence
Rebekah Brooks, the former chief executive of News International, is to give evidence at the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics on Friday.

British Gas warns of rising bills
Centrica, the owner of British Gas, says that rising wholesale gas costs will make supplying energy more expensive this year.

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