Media Watch - September 4

Top Birmingham City Council Stories

Council boss: We will offer safe and welcoming haven to refugees (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham will offer a safe and welcoming haven to refugees fleeing war in Syria and will work with Government and aid agencies to support them, a council chief (Cllr James McKay) has promised.

Motorists reminded car smoking ban comes into force next month (Big Centre TV) Birmingham motorists are reminded that from next month it will be illegal to smoke in a vehicle carrying anyone under 18. Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Cllr Paulette Hamilton, interviewed.

Council to lift roadworks so Grand Central reopening isn’t greeted with gridlock (Birmingham Mail) Council bosses are to lift some of the roadworks in the city centre – so the grand opening of revamped New Street station and the Grand Central shopping mall isn’t greeted with gridlock.

Wholesale markets move paves way for new quarter (Birmingham Mail) The first steps towards releasing the city centre’s massive Wholesale Markets site for redevelopment have been taken after planning chiefs awarded the green light to build its new home.

City Chinese restaurant was shut down after cockroach infestation discovered (Birmingham Mail) A Birmingham Chinese restaurant which was found to be ‘an imminent risk to public health’ after inspectors found it was infested with cockroaches.

Noise warning to Tesco as 24-hour plan is given nod (Birmingham Mail) A major Tesco store (Swan Centre, Yardley) has been given the green light for 24-hour opening - but was warned it must keep the noise down or risk council enforcement action.

IT firm makes £1m a month from council (Birmingham Mail) The city’s outsourcing contract with Capita has come under fire again after Service Birmingham accounts unveiled dividends of more than £1 million a month.

Tribute to merchant navy (Birmingham Mail) Birmingham’s Lord Mayor, Cllr Raymond Hassall, flew the Red Ensign outside the Council House, to celebrate Merchant Navy Day and raise awareness of the UK’s ongoing dependence on Merchant Navy seafarers.

Birmingham celebrates great heritage (Birmingham Mail) Cavaliers and Roundheads will be doing battle at historic Aston Hall as the city celebrates its first Birmingham Heritage Week.

Warwickshire County Council rejects combined authority (BBC, Local Government Chronicle) Warwickshire county councillors have voted against joining the West Midlands Combined Authority. Seven authorities - Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton - want more devolved powers from the government.

Refugee aid charities see surge in donations after image of drowned Syrian toddler Aylan Kurdi moves the nation (The Independent) Refugee and aid charities across the country say they have been inundated with offers of support, after a shocking image of a drowned Syrian child focused the public’s attention of the grim reality of the refugee crisis. In Birmingham, youth worker Shale Ahmed is organising a demonstration on 5 September to call on the local council to welcome up to 50 refugees from Syria and the Middle East.

Councils own art worth £2.3billion - and less than 2% is on public display (Mirror) Britain’s councils own artworks worth £2.3billion - and less than 2% of it is on display to the public, a report has claimed. Top of the list is Manchester City Council, which has an art hoard worth £374m. It was followed by Birmingham and Southampton with £200m, Leeds with £150m and Newcastle with £104m, the research found.

IM Properties secures permission for Birmingham distribution centre (Property Week) Developer IM Properties has secured planning permission for an 18-acre development that paves the way for the relocation of Birmingham’s Wholesale Markets.

Regional Headlines

Inappropriate handling by care staff ‘hastened’ Ira Teale’s death
Care staff inappropriately handled a 91-year-old woman, causing a thigh fracture that hastened her death, an inquest has been told.

Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust told to improve by inspectors
The NHS trust running New Cross and Cannock Chase hospitals “requires improvement”, a health watchdog says.

National Headlines

Migrant crisis: Britain set to accept more refugees
David Cameron is expected to announce plans later to increase the number of refugees being allowed into the UK.

Extra screen time ‘hits GCSE grades’
An extra hour a day of television, internet or computer game time in Year 10 is linked to poorer grades at GCSE, a Cambridge University study suggests.


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