Media Watch - March 23
Top Birmingham City Council Stories:
Major upgrade to city junctions (Birmingham Mail, Saturday) Work to improve major commuter routes into Birmingham is set to start in May
Calls to block school move to academy (Birmingham Mail, Saturday) The NUT has called on Birmingham City Council to block any plans to turn Small Heath school into an academy. A city council spokesperson clarified that there are currently no plans to turn it into an academy
Child abusers tried to land jobs in school (Birmingham Mail, Monday) Paedophiles and child abusers were among hundreds of convicted criminals hoping to secure a job at Birmingham schools. The figures come from the Disclosure and Barring Service
Building work is making our life hell, say residents (Birmingham Mail, Monday) Residents living next to a building site for 25 new council homes say disruption is making their lives a misery. Contractor Galliford Try quoted saying they have engaged with the community
Ready to help Universal Credit claimants (BBC WM) Head of Benefits Martin O’Neill outlines the help available when Universal Credit is introduced in Birmingham next month.
Wards encouraged to keep their streets clean (Sutton Observer) Wards in Sutton and Erdington are being to clean up their act and come up with plans to tidy up streets. Cllr Lisa Trickett quoted
Plea after fly-tippers strike in Sutton Park (Sutton Observer) The council has issued a reminder to treat Sutton Park with respect after a number of recent fly tips at the beauty spot
Birmingham plans 80,000 new homes (Inside Housing) The city council has set out key sites for its biggest ever housing plan. The Birmingham Housing Prospectus was launched at MIPIM
Smithfield revamp consultations begin (Midlands Insider) A public consultation into the proposed £500m of the wholesale market area in Birmingham has been launched. Sir Albert Bore quoted
High street ‘shopping tax’ scrapped by city (Birmingham Mail, Saturday) A planned new charge for suburban high streets has been scrapped amid fears it could push some of them into the red
Cathedral to go floral (Church Times) Birmingham Cathedral will feature in this year’s Birmingham City Council entry at the Chelsea Flower Show
Regional Headlines:
Suspended Tory could go ‘within days’ - A Conservative election candidate suspended over allegations he plotted with the English Defence league is likely to be removed from the party in days, a source tells the BBC
Fifth man charged over club death - A fifth man is charged in connection with a man’s death at a nightclub in Coventry
National Headlines:
Singapore mourns founding father - Singapore begins seven days of national mourning following the death of Lee Kuan Yew, founder of the modern city-state
Ashya King ‘free of brain cancer’ - The parents of five-year-old Ashya King, who were detained after taking him abroad for treatment for a brain tumour, say their son is now free of cancer
