Media Watch - July 24
Top Birmingham City Council Stories
Football facilities for Benson Community Project (BBC WM) Organisers from the project have called for support to help them find a suitable pitch for their team after they had to relocate outside of Birmingham. Reference made to the council being a possible source of assistance – if overgrown land in the Hockley area was restored to use.
Google Garage comes to Birmingham (BBC WM) More coverage of the announcement that a digital business advice service is to be located in the Library of Birmingham.
Perry Beeches VI on hold after sister school’s damning report (Birmingham Mail) The latest school in the chain operating across the city will now open 12 months later than originally expected in September 2017. The reason for the delay has been cited as a need for further time to complete the necessary building works.
Community flag is raised (Extensive local media coverage) The new Birmingham Community Flag has been officially brought into use. Cllr Mike Leddy interviewed and quoted.
‘Birmingham is not Beijing’ warns councillor as Kettleworks scheme approved (Birmingham Post Online) Planning officers in Birmingham have been accused of treating the city like Beijing after a factory conversion in the Jewellery Quarter was approved for 291 flats with 142 parking spaces for bicycles and a further 234 spaces for vehicles. Accusation made by Cllr Gareth Moore.
Residents vote for town council (MJ) Further coverage of the ballot result in Sutton Coldfield recently. Council Leader Sir Albert Bore quoted.
Bill of bad omens (MJ) Article written by council Chief Executive Mark Rogers, in which he argues councils should be given more flexibility to provide the new homes that are desperately needed across the country.
Birmingham leadership ‘failed to grasp scale of change’ needed (MJ) Coverage of the latest report from the Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel. Council Leader Sir Albert Bore and Chief Executive Mark Rogers quoted.
Regional Headlines
Airline operator Ryanair has banned passengers from taking pre-purchased alcohol onto its flights from Birmingham to Ibiza. Anything purchased at the airport will be placed in the hold, as part of what is being described as a crackdown on mid-air drunkenness.
The screening measures put into place to prevent Ebola arriving in the UK are being relaxed. Public Health England said there will no longer be specialist staff based at Birmingham and Manchester airports or at the Eurostar terminal at St Pancras. The measures at Heathrow and Gatwick, the two main routes of entry from the affected countries, remain in place.
National Headlines
A gunman has opened fire at a cinema in the US state of Louisiana, killing two people and injuring several others before shooting himself, officials say.
The number of single-use plastic bags handed out by UK supermarkets has increased for the fifth year, rising to 8.5 billion. DEFRA found the number was up by 200 million on 2013. A reduction in the number of plastic bags handed out by retailers was found in Scotland and Northern Ireland, where levies have been introduced. From October large shops in England will have to charge for plastic bags.
