Media Watch - March 13
Top Birmingham City Council Stories
Nine children take up smoking every day (Birmingham Mail) Cabinet member for Health and Wellbeing, welcomes standardised packaging for cigarettes as ‘a victory for children’s health in Birmingham’.
20 Is Plenty (BBC WM) explaining why Birmingham City Council backs 20mph speed limits.
School in row over lessons on sexuality (Birmingham Mail, BBC WM) Angry parents have signed a petition in a bid to stop pupils being taught about homosexuality at a Birmingham school (Clifton Primary, Balsall Heath)
Owners of sex club in historic Tudor house told to carry on swinging by planners - despite complaints (Birmingham Mail, Mirror) Owners of a sex club at an historic Tudor house have been told to carry on swinging by planners - despite complaints from angry residents. A city council spokesman said: “Officers visited the Tudor Lounge on 29 January 2015 to establish whether any licensable activities took place at this venue. However they found that its bar operates on a ‘bring your own drinks’ basis – the drinks featured in photos of the bar area were actually coloured water and cooking oil. Also the club appears to be set up for participation, rather than the presentation of any performance for an audience which might require an entertainment licence. At present there is no justification for revisiting the premises, but if officers receive new intelligence regarding activities at this venue this position may be reviewed.”
Protest by Sutton campaigners (Birmingham Mail) Campaigners for a Sutton Coldfield town council have dismissed the latest round of consultation ahead of a referendum as a ‘cynical document’ designed to secure a no vote.
Council faces school places conundrum (Birmingham Mail) Rising numbers of free schools and academies are leaving council bosses struggling to plan how many places they need to cope with Birmingham’s growing population.
Birmingham unveils its largest-ever housing plan (ITV.com) Birmingham has unveiled its largest-ever housing plan, with the city expected to grow by the equivalent population of Oxford over the next 16 years.
Birmingham to bring Grand Central to market (Property Week) Birmingham’s Grand Central shopping centre is to be put up for sale by the city council as the development nears completion.
Birmingham seeks developers for 80,000 home drive (Inside Housing, 24Dash) Birmingham Council has set out key sites in the city for its ‘biggest ever housing plan’ as it seeks housing associations and private builders to construct 80,000 new homes.
Birmingham struggles to recruit social workers (BBC, Municipal Journal) A children’s services department, consistently rated as inadequate by Ofsted, is paying increased rates to agency social workers because it is struggling to recruit staff. Birmingham City Council has strived to recruit social workers and needs agency staff to fill vacant positions.
Regional Headlines
Woman’s death ‘partly due to neglect’
The death of a 74-year-old woman, whose oxygen ran out while she was treated at a Wolverhampton hospital, resulted partly from neglect, a coroner has ruled.
Landslip-hit railway line reopens
A section of railway reopens between Oxfordshire and Warwickshire following a 350,000 tonne landslip in January.
National Headlines
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani pays tribute to UK war dead
The Afghan president has paid tribute to UK soldiers who died fighting in the country, ahead of services to mark the end of British involvement in the war.
Prisons in England and Wales ‘to get drugs scanners’
A new generation of drugs scanners is to be purchased for prisons in England and Wales, the BBC understands.
