Update on the scaffolding on St.Marys Row

We are gradually moving closer to removing the huge scaffolding on St.Marys Row that has been in place for over 18months.

The scaffolding is holding up the frontage of two shops - a newsagents and a chinese restaurant. The frontages require holding up, since the Chinese restaurant unit was built (circa 1900) with the frontage on top of a brick sided water well. The section of ironwork that held up the frontage above the well, has rotted and the frontage is now collapsing into the well.

To complicate matters, the chinese restaurant unit was not insured. So over the last 18months, there have been disagreements between the property owner and the insurance company for the newsagents about who is liable and how much it will cost to make right.

A meeting took place this week between Council officers and the relevant property owners. The Council want the scaffolding removed asap, since it is an eyesore, it is obstructing the free flow of traffic on St.Marys Row and it is affecting the traffic signals at the junction of St.Marys Row and Alcester Road - there is a sensor buried in the road next to the scaffold and this is being affected.

At the meeting it was agreed that the property owner of the chinese restaurant would be given 28days to find a cheaper offer to repair the subsidense. The present estimate has been presented by the insurance company for the newsagent. If the owner can't find a cheaper offer, then they have agreed to go with the insurance company estimate. It was made clear by the Council officers, that if work does not start after the 28 days, then the Council will seek a court order to enter the restaurant premises, so that they can re-erect the scaffolding inside the restaurant.

Change in Council policy over planting of trees in pavements

A small decision was this afternoon made by Highways, which will transform Birmingham streets for generations to come.

The decision is to allow trees to be planted on top of underground services, EXCEPT above gas and water mains. This will free up thousand of miles of pavements in Birmingham to have trees planted in them.

Until this afternoon, Birmingham City Council have always insisted that trees must be planted in a tree pit that was 1metre by 1metre and 1metre deep. That tree pit had to be completely free of underground cables – namely TV cable, electrical, water, gas.

To add to this, the Council does not have a budget for digging holes in pavements. Digging a hole costs about £170.

This policy by the council has result in few trees planted in pavements over the last 20 years.

In Moseley, both Moseley in Bloom and myself have been planting trees in pavements since 2005. The tree planting has been funded from local Community Chest money and has involved a ‘hands-on’ approach. For example, I oversaw the planting of trees for two days in Cambridge Road and St.Albans Road. During that two day period I scanned a number of mature trees in Moseley and found them to all have underground cables going through their roots.

Until 2005, the Council wouldn’t even allow the planting of trees in pavements per se, since the roots would alledgedly affect the underground TV cables.

In mid-April, the Moseley in Bloom team invited a gentleman from Westminster Council who over a 30 year period had planted 5000 trees in London’s Square Mile – a most densely pack area of Britian with underground cables.

As a result of that meeting, both Moseley in Bloom and myself have forced the Council to loosen their policy on underground cables. Both Moseley in Bloom and myself will be hiring an underground cable scanner this summer to plan out where to plant trees in the coming years.

Update on Section 106 monies for Moseley and Kings Heath Ward

Below is the list of Section 106 monies for Moseley and Kings Heath Ward which are waiting to be spent.

Section 106 is a controversial part of planning decisions. It is namely a financial contribution that developers make to the Council to off set negative aspects of their planning application. For example if the developement does not contain enough social housing, then the developer will offset that providing money for soical housing to be created elsewhere.

Advocates of Section 106, claim that it makes developements possible in difficult sites. Opponents of Section 106, claim it makes developement possible that should not go ahead.

The list of outstanding Section 106’s is as follows. At the bottom, I explain current thinking on where this money will go

a) S/01640/98/FUL Brittanic House - £200,000 Housing money was received and £195,000 spent. With interest accrued there is a balance of £64,668 which is ear marked for Extra Care Villages. There is no expiry on this money. £65,000 open space money was also received. Works have been undertaken and following a draw down the current balance of open space money is now £22,699. There is no expiry.

b) S/02698/01/FUL 36-38 Wake Green Road - £100,000 Housing money received but has expired. However, endeavours will be made to seek a Deed of Variation to gain an extension of time to enable spend. A letter has been prepared.

c) S/00193/02/FUL Reddings Road (formerly Moseley Rugby club) - £97,284 Highbury Park money received expiring Sept 2010. Current balance is £109,929.

d) S/02019/05/FUL Coldbath Cottage - £88,400 open space / play money received expiring in 2012. Current balance is £104,209.

e) S/01468/06/FUL 2 Alcester Road (former Simon Court) - £28,000 open space money not yet due.

f) S/04017/06/FUL Moor Green Lane (former Ideal Insurance building) - £98,000 open space money not due yet.

g) S/03314/07/FUL School Road (former Centre 13 site) - £240,000 Housing money received expiring in 2012. £40,000 open space money received expiring in 2012.

Current thinking on where this money will go:

£22,699 from Britannic House for open space – proposed for new childrens playarea in Trafalgar Road pocket park

£109,929 from The Reddings for Highbury Park - £8,000 is about to be spent on the Historic Conservation Survey of the park – target date for survey to start is June 2008. This survey will set the paramaters in which this money can be spent.

£104,209 from Coldbath Cottage for open space – I personally think this money should be spent on Swanhurst Park, since the park is just across the road from the developement.
£28,000 from Simon Court developement for open space - proposed for new childrens playarea in Trafalgar Road pocket park

£98,000 from Ideal Insurance developement for open space – proposed for Highbury Park, pending the outcome of the Historic Conservation Survey

£40,000 from the Centre 13 developement for open space - proposed for new childrens playarea in Trafalgar Road pocket park

weekly report back of Moseley Street Wardens - w/e 9th May 2008

Below are details of what our two Moseley Street Wardens did during the week beginnng – 6th May and ending Friday 9th May 2008

Moseley Street Wardens are funded by public money granted by the Ward Committee, which consists of the three local Councillors. Moseley Community Development Trust manage the Wardens.

There are two Wardens who focus geographically on Moseley

PROBLEMS/MATTERS
Comments
Tuesday May 6th
Patrolled village / Route 2
Graffiti street furniture / walls - reported to L.Turner
Video stand / carpet on Edgbaston Rd in between Mary Street / Strensham Hill - reported to Contact Birmingham
Broken glass in road outside numbers 3 - 9 Strensham Hill - reported to Contact Birmingham
White plastic container outside 8 Strensham Hill - reported to Contact Birmingham
Sandbag outside 26 Chantry Rd - reported to Highways
Bin liner outside xxx Caroline Rd I.D. found - reported to Beth Peters
Patrolled village / Route 5
Graffiti street furniture - reported to L.Turner

Wednesday May 7th
Patrolled village / Route 1
Bin liner outside 43 Church Rd - reported to Contact Birmingham
Bin liner jtn Sandford Rd / Church Rd - reported to Contact Birmingham
Bin liner jtn Church Rd / Chestnut Rd I.D. found - reported to Beth Peters
Graffiti street furniture - reported to L.Turner
Patrolled village / Route 4
Bin liner / Child seat outside 29 Hillcrest Rd - reported to Contact Birmingham
Missed bin liner collection Tudor Rd, Leighton Rd (road works) - reported to Contact Birmingham
Missed paper collection Tudor Rd, Farquhar Rd and Leighton Rd (road works) - reported to Contact Birmingham

Thursday May 8th
Patrolled village / Route 1 (alt)
Graffiti street furniture
Tree obstructing pavement @ opp. xxx Anderton Park Rd - reported to Highways
Hedge obstructing pavement @ xxx Anderton Park Rd - reported to Highways
Hedge obstructing pavement @ xxx Anderton Park Rd - reported to Highways
Racist graffiti on PO Box B13 66 - reported to Royal Mail
Hole in road @ 35 Oxford Rd - reported to Highways
Advance binbags @ xxx Oxford Rd.ID recovered - reported to Beth Peters
Patrolled village / Route 2
Missed collection @ 1 Caroline Rd - reported to Contact Birmingham
Graffiti street furniture - reported to L.Turner
Table @ Alexander Court, Park Hill - reported to Contact Birmingham

Friday May 9th
Patrolled village / Route 3
Graffiti street furniture - reported to L.Turner
Bag of grass with Broken Glass / bottles @ jct. Church Rd / Wake Green Rd - reported to Contact Birmingham
Parking sign needs moving to face traffic @ 20 salisbury Rd - reported to Highways
Patrolled village / Route 6
Graffiti street furniture - reported to L.Turner
[edited car details ] opposite xxx Oxford Rd, no tax - reported to DVLA
Stop cock cover damaged outside 98 Blenheim Rd - reported to Severn Trent

Crime & ASBO
Tuesday May 6th
Spoke to PCSOs regards local drinkers / beggars

Thursday
Speak with Police re; drinker at Moseley Emporium, drinkers at Somerfield, drinkers on Village Green and beggar at Sainsburys

Proposed list of roads for Special Street Bulky Rubbish Collections

As mentioned in an e-mail as few days ago we are looking at re-focusing the roads which get a Special Street Bulky Rubbish Collection every two years. The intention is to reduce the number of roads to these that really need this outreach service - ie roads with high numbers of flats, high level of economic poverty or a lack of access to cars - these roads will then get the collection once a year, instead of the present once every two years.

I would welcome views on the proposed changes outlined below

The Council will still provide a special bulky collection on a individual basis by simply telephoning 303 1112. The council will inform you what day to leave the bulky rubbish out - usually within 7 working days.

I've divided the list into three sections, namely:
KEEP - those roads which were already on the list of roads to have a Special Street Bulky Rubbish Colection and it is proposed to keep them on the list - these roads will get a collection once a year, instead of the present once every two years.

ADD - these are roads which were NOT previously on the list of roads to have a Special Street Bulky Rubbish Collection and it is proposed to add them to the list. The roads were chosen because of the high number of flats/bedsits on them.

REMOVE - those roads which were on the list of roads to have a Special Street Bulky Rubbish Colection and it is proposed to remove them from the list. The residents will have to arrange for the Council to remove Bulky Rubbish on an individual basis by telephoning 303 1112.


TRAFALGAR ROAD - keep
FENTER CLOSE - keep
RUSHBROOKE CLOSE - keep
GREVIS CLOSE - keep
LOUISE LORNE RD - keep
HORATIO DRIVE - keep
MOUNT CLOSE - keep
SUTHERLAND DRIVE - keep
SOVEREIGN WAY - keep
ADMIRAL PLACE - keep
HARRISONS PLECK - keep
WOODBRIDGE ROAD - keep
LABURNAM GROVE - keep
KING EDWARD RD - keep
ST ALBANS RD - keep
KINGSWOOD RD - keep
CHESTNUT ROAD - keep
BRIGHTON RD(from Alcester Rd to Kingswood Rd One side only) - keep
NEWPORT RD(one side Only) - keep
CHURCH RD - keep
GRAYFIELD AVE - keep
QUEENSWOOD RD - keep
WOODHURST ROAD - keep
SANDFORD ROAD - keep
MERTON ROAD - keep
BLOOMFIELD ROAD - keep
ANDERTON PARK ROAD (Wake Green Road to Woodstock Rd only) - keep
WOODSTOCK RD(one side Only) - keep
COPPICE ROAD - keep
OAKLAND ROAD - keep
FOREST ROAD - keep
MAYFIELD ROAD - keep
WAKE GREEN ROAD (Church Road to Yardley Wood Rd only) - keep
LENCH CLOSE - keep
PARK ROAD - keep
AUGUSTA ROAD - keep
AUGUSTA RD EAST - keep
STRENSHAM HILL - keep
THE HOLLOW - keep
CAROLINE RD - keep
EDGBASTON RD EAST (one side only) - keep
EDGBASTON RD – (Salisbury Rd to Park Rd) - keep
PARK HILL - keep
STATION ROAD - keep
WESTFIELD ROAD - keep
YORK ROAD - keep
GRANGE ROAD - keep
BANK ST - keep
BALACLAVA RD - keep
SILVER ST - keep
SILVERFIELD CLOSE - keep
FAIRFIELD RD - keep
WHITESMITHS CROFT - keep
VICARAGE RD(from Avenue Rd to High St – One side only) - keep
ALFRED ST - keep
ALBERT RD - keep
ALCESTER GDNS - keep
MIDDLETON RD - keep
OLIVE PLACE - keep
NUTGROVE CLOSE - keep
ADDISON ROAD – keep


Alcester Road from Trafalgar Road to Queensbridge - add
Oxford Road - from St.Marys Row to Cotton Lane - add
School Road - entire length - add
Greenhill Road - School Road to Clarence Road - add
Prospect Road - add
Ashfield Avenue - entire length - add
Grove Avenue - entire length – add


OAKLEAF DRIVE - remove
ELM BANK - remove
BELLE WALK - remove
HIGHFIELD ROAD - remove
APRIL CROFT - remove
GROVE AVENUE - remove
COTTON LANE - remove
POULTON CLOSE - remove
ST AGNES RD - remove
AVON DRIVE - remove
ST AGNES CLOSE - remove
MULBERRY DRIVE - remove
REDFORD CLOSE - remove
SHELSLEY DRIVE - remove
LINKSWOOD CLOSE - remove
DYOTT ROAD - remove
COLMORE CRESCENT - remove
NORTHLANDS ROAD - remove
SOUTHLANDS ROAD - remove
EASTLANDS ROAD - remove
WESTLANDS ROAD - remove
YARDLEY WOOD ROAD (from Woodstock Rd to Swanshurst Lane, one side only) - remove
COLDBATH RD – one side only - remove
WHEELERS LANE(one side only - remove
CHANTRY ROAD - remove
SALISBURY ROAD - remove
SALISBURY CLOSE - remove
MOORCROFT ROAD - remove
AMESBURY RD - remove
REDDINGS ROAD - remove

Proposed changes to the Special Street Collection in Moseley and Kings Heath

I would be interested in readers views on the present Special Street Collections and proposed refocusing of this collection.

At the bottom of this e-mail is the list of roads in Moseley and Kings Heath Ward that are on the programme of Special Street Collections.

The Ward spends £10,000 per year out of Community Chest Funds for these Special Street Collections. This is in addtion, to the service where anyone in Birmingham can request a special bulky rubbish collection from their house any time of the year by telephoning 303 1112 and booking in a collection. Also residents can drive bulky rubbish to various recycling centres across the city
The Special Street Collections were set up in the early 1990’s by the Council as an outreach scheme to areas where residents either:
a) did not have the knowledge or confidence to telephone the Council for a Special Street Collection
b) did not have access to a car to drive bulky rubbish to a recycling centre
c) lived in short term rented accomadation and would be highly likely to want to clear out the previous occupants furniture.

In the early days, the Special Street Collections was focused on roads with high levels of economic poverty or high levels of short term occupied rented accomadation.

Over the years, the Special Street Collections have been used by all politicians as a political football with promises to residents all over the Ward to include their road in the scheme. This has led to an increase in the number of roads covered by the scheme, WHILE the annual number of collections has NOT changed. As a result the frequency of Special Street Collections has reduced considerably in the original target roads – at the moment it is one collection every two years. This has in turn left to high levels of household furniture left in front and rear gardens for months and years in the original target roads. The dumped furniture then attracts rats, who live in it.

What I am proposing is a refocusing of the Special Street Collection back to the roads where it was original planned for AND to ensure these roads have a collection ONCE a year.

If you look at the present rota, you will see that not all roads are covered in the rolling programme. There are some roads missed out which are in desperate need of an annual Special Street Collection, namely Alcester Road and Woodnorton Drive.

I haven’t got the final draft of a refocused scheme, although the roads covered would include those in north Moseley (ie Church Road, Kingswood Road, Trafalgar Road, Augusta Road, Park Road) and various roads off Kings Heath High Street that have high numbers of rented accomadation (eg Station Road, Westfield Road, Addison Road). All the roads in the re-focused list would have a collection ONCE a year.

Before publishing a proposed re-focused list of roads, I would like opinions.

TRAFALGAR ROAD
FENTER CLOSE
RUSHBROOKE CLOSE
GREVIS CLOSE


LOUISE LORNE RD
HORATIO DRIVE
MOUNT CLOSE
SUTHERLAND DRIVE
SOVEREIGN WAY
ADMIRAL PLACE
HARRISONS PLECK
WOODBRIDGE ROAD
LABURNAM GROVE
KING EDWARD RD


ST ALBANS RD
KINGSWOOD RD
CHESTNUT ROAD
BRIGHTON RD(from
Alcester Rd to Kingswood Rd
One side only)
NEWPORT RD(one side
Only)


CHURCH RD
GRAYFIELD AVE
QUEENSWOOD RD
WOODHURST ROAD


SANDFORD ROAD
MERTON ROAD
BLOOMFIELD ROAD


ANDERTON PARK ROAD
(to Woodstock Rd only)
WOODSTOCK RD(one side
Only)


COPPICE ROAD
OAKLAND ROAD
FOREST ROAD
OAKLEAF DRIVE
ELM BANK


BELLE WALK
HIGHFIELD ROAD
APRIL CROFT
MAYFIELD ROAD


WAKE GREEN ROAD
(to Yardley Wood Rd
only)
LENCH CLOSE


GROVE AVENUE
COTTON LANE
POULTON CLOSE


ST AGNES RD
AVON DRIVE
ST AGNES CLOSE
MULBERRY DRIVE


REDFORD CLOSE
SHELSLEY DRIVE
LINKSWOOD CLOSE
DYOTT ROAD
COLMORE CRESCENT
NORTHLANDS ROAD
SOUTHLANDS ROAD
EASTLANDS ROAD
WESTLANDS ROAD


YARDLEY WOOD ROAD
(from Woodstock Rd
to Swanshurst Lane, one
side only)
COLDBATH RD – one side
Only
WHEELERS LANE(one side
Only)


PARK ROAD
AUGUSTA ROAD
AUGUSTA RD EAST
STRENSHAM HILL
THE HOLLOW
CAROLINE RD
EDGBASTON RD EAST
(one side only)
EDGBASTON RD –
(Salisbury Rd to Park Rd)


PARK HILL
CHANTRY ROAD


SALISBURY ROAD
SALISBURY CLOSE


MOORCROFT ROAD
AMESBURY RD
REDDINGS ROAD


RUSSELL ROAD
THE RUSSELLS
TORRIDON CROFT


GOODBY ROAD
MAPPERLEY GDNS
HOLDERS LANE
HOLDERS GDNS
HEATHER DALE
BOUNDARY DRIVE


MOOR GREEN LANE


CADINE GDNS
ELIZABETH ROAD
DADS LANE – ward
Side only
SHUTLOCK LANE
TILBURY GROVE
SEATON GROVE
YEW TREE ROAD
BRITANNIC GDNS
QUEENSBRIDGE RD


AVENUE ROAD
HIGHBURY RD


STATION ROAD


WESTFIELD ROAD
YORK ROAD


GRANGE ROAD
BANK ST


SOUTH ROAD
WATERLOO RD
BALACLAVA RD
SILVER ST
SILVERFIELD CLOSE
FAIRFIELD RD
WHITESMITHS CROFT
VICARAGE RD(from
Avenue Rd to High St –
One side only)


HOWARD RD EAST –
One side only
WHEELERS LANE –
One side only
BARN LANE
ALFRED ST
ALBERT RD
ALCESTER GDNS


MIDDLETON RD
OLIVE PLACE
NUTGROVE CLOSE
MOSSFIELD RD
BAGNEL ROAD
PORTMAN RD


ADDISON ROAD
BROOK LANE – ward
Side only


DRAYTON RD
GOLDSMITH RD
GADDESBY RD
RICHMOND PLACE


MELTON ROAD
INSTITUTE RD


HEATHFIELD RD
FLORENCE ROAD
CHESTNUT PLACE
QUEENS AVE
SPRINGFIELD ROAD