Media Watch – September 25
Top Birmingham City Council stories
£50m boost as Tories agree to three more conferences (Birmingham Mail, Birmingham Post): Reports that Conservative party chairman Grant Shapps will reveal a deal has apparently been done to secure three more Tory conferences in 2016, 2018 and 2020.
Trojan Horse fallout sees Whitehall official sent in (Local and national coverage): Report on appointment of an Education Commissioner for Birmingham, Sir Mike Tomlinson. Chief executive Mark Rogers quoted.
Regional devolution (Birmingham Post): Several articles by local MPs on this issue, following the result of the Scottish referendum.
The end of local government as we know it? (The Guardian): Reaction piece on calls for devolution of powers and funding to English regions. Council Leader Sir Albert Bore quoted.
No privatisation of city refuse service - but garden tax stays (Birmingham Post): Coverage of Cllr Trickett's comments made at the Sustainability Scrutiny Committee meeting on the green waste service.
Spy cameras introduced to catch green-fingered fly tippers illegally dumping garden waste (The Mirror): Coverage of discussion at the Sustainability Scrutiny Committee meeting on possibly using CCTV to monitor fly-tipping 'hot spots'. Cllr Trickett quoted.
No chance to 'opt out' of wheelie bins - council will decide who will keep bags (Birmingham Mail): Report that residents will not be able to opt to keep the black bag system as the introduction of refuse wheelie bins is rolled out across Birmingham. Cllr Trickett quoted.
Anger over plan to relax rules on home extensions (Birmingham Post): Report on the council's call on the Government to ditch its plans to relax laws.
Plans to educate special needs pupils near home (Birmingham Post): Draft plans to make more special education needs places available where demand is increasing in the city. Cllr Brigid Jones quoted.
Film makers saddle up as cycling row rolls on (Birmingham Post): Article on the film Bicycle, in which producers add their view on Cllr Alden's comments that cycling is for 'white, young men'.
Bridge repairs to cause chaos (Birmingham Mail): Coverage of the extended closure of Aston Bridge, which will be closed for several months for repairs after a lorry crashed into it two weeks' ago.
Fire station developer praised for change of plan (Birmingham Post): City's planning committee praises developer Watkins Jones who are redeveloping the former fire service HQ at Lancaster Circus for revising their plans in light of conservationists' concerns.
Local plan 'chaos' could see city overspill on to greenbelt (Bromsgrove Standard): Report that Birmingham City Council is drawing up a 'strategy report' on 1,000 greenbelt land it owns in Bromsgrove district.
Controversial towers could get go-ahead (Birmingham Post): Looking ahead to the proposals to build five tower blocks on wasteland behind Gracechurch Shopping Centre in Sutton Coldfield, which are due to go before city planners on 2 October.
Regional headlines
A body has been found in the search for a British man missing since a hurricane struck the coast of Mexico. Paul Whitehouse, from Wolverhampton, was on a yacht which capsized when Hurricane Odile hit on 14 September.
An 'obsessed' Poundland worker has been jailed for 18 years for a horrific hammer attack on a colleague outside the store's Small Heath branch after she rejected his advances.
National headlines
Prime Minister David Cameron is to recall MPs to Parliament for a vote on whether British air forces should play its part in for air strikes against IS in Iraq.
Ofsted states low-level, persistent disruptive behaviour in England's schools is affecting pupils' learning and damaging their life chances.
