GREEN or GREED?

Bellway Homes have submitted plans to build flats on the Green in front of residents homes.

A number of residents have contacted me about these proposals to see if anything could be done to prevent this development.

In the original master plan for the whole site, regardless, of whatever sales may have told purchasers, half of this Green was to be used to provide an under five’s nursery building.

However, we hear that Bellway Homes have been providing resources to allow Monyhull Church to have a nursery on the other side of the Church building.

I have asked The Planning Committee to stipulate that until the Councils Children and Young People Dept, have carried out a full assessment, approved the newly built nursery with the requisite number of places at Monyhull Church, that no building on the Green should take place.

Once C&YP Dept reports back that the nursery is a success then, and only then, The Planning Committee should make its decision on any development on the Green”.

Both Wimpey and Bellway have got away with building more homes than originally intended, so why should more green open space, used by all in the community be lost forever.

Scrambler & Mini-Moto Bikes

We all recognise that Brandwood has much green open space, one of the reasons many have made this area our home, however there are some residents, who believe that this open space is just to allow them to use their scrambler motor-bikes or mini moto’s on.

Well they will have to watch out as the local police are planning operations to catch them, once caught, their bikes are then confiscated and crushed, watch this space for further news.

NOISEY NEIGHBOUR “SHUSHED”

The Mountaineer on the corner of Ashburton Road and Listowel Road has continued to be of concern to me and many local residents. The recent tenant and his manager have given up the premises, following complaints logged by residents to the Police and after I involved the Councils Licensing Enforcement Officers.

Drinking till the early hours at weekends, meant it was more a nightclub than a local. Loud music, shouting and fighting were regular occurrences. Now we are told the owners, Enterprise Inns want to revert back to normal pub hours, which almost all the residents applaud, so will be supporting improvements in the licensing hours.

MAYPOLE REVAMP

Finally, the long awaited revamp around the shopping areas at the Maypole is underway.

First off has been the removal of the shrubbery after it was found that large numbers of rats had been nesting there. Starting this month will be the big scheme itself which will make the area more attractive to shoppers and visitors to the area.

The total cost of the project, originally funded out of money the council was given by Sainsbury’s, will be around £250,000.

HOUSING MADDNESS

With more than 30,000 families on the Council Housing waiting list, why are there boarded up homes?

For more than three years, a large number of homes here in Brandwood have been boarded up and targeted by vandals.

I have been calling on the Housing Department to upgrade, repair or demolish these properties.

At a recent public meeting, I said “I’m appalled, with more than 450 families here in Brandwood wanting a home we haven’t done something with these properties already”.

WHERE IS THE WEEDOL ?

What has gone wrong with the council and its control of weeds in recent years?

With weeds as high as two foot in places it seems that they have forgotten this part of Birmingham. In days gone by, the little wagon which swept our pavements, kept weeds at bay, after they had been sprayed in the Spring, and the larger wagon kept weeds out of the gutter, but all of this has gone by the bye.

I have had to write to the council to ask what they intend to do, to clear weeds in Brandwood, otherwise I'll will embarrass them by using my own strimmer.