Media Watch - Dec 13
Top Birmingham City Council Stories:
Birmingham council reels amid scathing management report (Financial Times) Birmingham’s Chamberlain Square may be dominated by the bustling Christmas market but for councillors inside their imposing offices there is a distinct lack of festive cheer as they digest damaging reports into their administration.
Massive market brings the festive fun to Brum (The Independent) Christopher Beanland checks out the Frankfurt Christmas Market in Birmingham, the world’s largest outside of Germany and Austria.
Student scheme gives rise to fears for Selly Oak area (Birmingham Mail) A Birmingham suburb (Selly Oak) faces an ‘horrific’ future if it becomes the location of choice for students from all five Birmingham universities, a councillor has claimed. Quotes Cllr Karen McCarthy.
Sir Albert backs Digbeth textiles launch (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham City Council leader Sir Albert Bore gave the civic seal of approval to the first shop in Digbeth’s social Enterprise Quarter – in the shape of Textiles by St Anne’s.
Improvement panel for Birmingham as Kerslake calls for ‘radical improvements’ (Local Government Chronicle) Communities secretary Eric Pickles has agreed to set up an independent improvement panel to oversee Birmingham City Council warning that the local authority has been ‘holding back a ‘great city’.
Back off, Brum’s chief tells Sir Bob (The Municipal Journal) Birmingham City Council has hit back at sir Bob Kerslake for being too detailed and dictatorial in his review of the city. Quotes Chief Executive Mark Rogers saying we are not going to be quiet about the inequity of our funding position.
Planning submitted for new Birmingham CONSERVATOIRE (Eco Building) Plans for the first newly-built Conservatoire in the UK for a generation have been submitted to Birmingham City planners – a building that will be BREEAM ‘Excellent’.
Regional Headlines:
A&E and ambulances ‘close to limit’ - Near-record emergency calls in the West Midlands stretch A&E units and the ambulance service “to the limit”.
Woman is killed in city house fire - A woman dies in a house fire in the Kings Heath area of Birmingham.
Senior officers to leave Sandwell Council in restructure – Two senior officers will leave Sandwell Council under a management restructure to save £130,000 a year.
National Headlines:
Hostages held in Sydney cafe siege - Hundreds of armed police seal off an area of central Sydney where a gunman is holding staff and customers hostage in a cafe.
Labour: ‘Keep quiet’ on immigration - A leaked document instructs Labour MPs not to campaign on immigration because it risks undermining support for the party.
Kerry Smith quits as UKP candidate - Kerry Smith resigns as a UKIP parliamentary candidate after apologising for offensive remarks he made in a phone call.
