Media Watch - September 15
Top Birmingham City Council Stories
Flytipping in Birmingham (BBC WM Breakfast show/lead news item) Liberal Democrat councillors are set to table a motion at today’s city council meeting, expressing concern over an increase in flytipping, which they are attributing to factors including the introduction of a chargeable garden waste service and the end of free bulky waste collections. Cllr Karen Trench, putting forward the motion, interviewed along with Cllr Lisa Trickett, Cabinet Member for Sustainability – who defended the council’s position saying the council has set up a Waste Enforcement Unit and that residents also need to take personal responsibility for their neighbourhoods, instead of dumping rubbish.
Top Brum club is ‘in the last chance saloon’ (Birmingham Mail, page 5 lead) Broad Street club Gatecrasher has been warned by the council’s licensing committee after a customer was recently attacked by a bouncer.
Charges fear for owners of diesel cars (Birmingham Mail, page 10 lead) Article suggesting that diesel car owners could face daily charges of £12.50 to enter the city centre as part of the Government’s effort to meet EU air quality targets. Article contains no quotes expressing the fear suggested in the headline, and only states the Government are suggesting that cities consider such measures. No comment sought from the council – which is supportive of measures to improve air quality but has not ruled anything in or out. Council currently assessing the consultation paper ahead of a formal response in due course (article also doesn’t reflect the Government’s position that towns and cities are best placed to come up with local solutions to this issue).
Sir Albert in pledge after harsh report (Birmingham Mail, page 13 lead) Continued coverage of last week’s Birmingham Independent Improvement Panel meeting. Council Leader Sir Albert Bore quoted, saying the council has been working hard to make significant and sustainable progress over the summer.
HS2 jobs offered in recruitment drive (Express and Star, page 17 lead) 100 specialist roles related to the HS2 project will be on offer at a jobs fair next week. Council Leader Sir Albert Bore quoted.
Combined authority latest (LGC, pages 2, 3 and 4) A series of articles looking at the latest developments across the country related to the emerging combined authorities. Warwickshire Council Council’s rejection of an offer to join the WMCA is covered along with the news that former care minister Norman Lamb has been offered the opportunity to chair a commission on mental health.
Birmingham gets £4m to improve (LGC, page 6) Further coverage of the news the DCLG has backed the council’s Future Council plan with £4.4m of funding. Leader Sir Albert Bore quoted.
Regional Headlines
Yardley MP Jess Phillips has expressed disappointment at the appointments made to Jeremy Corbyn’s new shadow cabinet, saying they make her feel “alienated” from the Labour party.
The West Midlands is the zero hours contract “capital of the UK” according to new figures from the ONS that reveal that 3.1 per cent of the region’s working population (79,000) are employed on such terms – against a national average of 2.4 per cent.
National Headlines
Hungary has brought in tough new migrant laws which it says will “start a new era” in preventing the inflow of illegal immigrants. Police can now detain anyone who tries to breach a razor-wire fence built on the border with Serbia.
A think tank says that investing heavily in school computers and classroom technology does not improve pupils’ performance. The OECD report says frequent use of computers in schools is actually more likely to be associated with lower results.
