ACTION REPORT – July 2024
Local events
Food Bank Collection – It was great to be back last weekend collecting for local foodbanks including Anawim and Kings Heath. We were pleased to be joined by our MP, Tahir Ali, and had some great discussions with passers-by. We will be back at the end of August on Saturday 31st.
I had great fun helping out during Moseley Festival’s anniversary celebrations and volunteered at the Street Festival where we had music, games, cake and a parade! The high vis matched the gazebo! The street market was also a great success and a huge congratulations to all involved in the organising of some fabulous events.
Pleased also to help Moseley in Bloom with their pop up plant sale, raising money to be spent on planting projects across Moseley.
Local news
You will be aware that we have been told our stations are facing another year delay and are not expected to be ready until Autumn 2025. I am told this is due to a number of reasons including delayed work due to the risk of unexploded bombs and drainage issues! I have invited the rail sponsor from West Midlands Transport to come to the next ward meeting which is taking place on the 18th September at The Shires so that residents can be fully updated. More information here.
Consultations
A number of consultations have been launched:
Police and Crime Plan 2025-2029
The West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner, Simon Foster, is asking the public what matters most to them and what they want him and the force to prioritise, to prevent and tackle crime in the region. Members of the public who want to influence policing priorities, over the next few years, can do so by filling out the West Midlands Police & Crime Plan 2025-2029 public consultation. The three-month consultation ends mid-October 2024.
Birmingham Local Plan
The council are working on a new Local Plan for Birmingham which will guide how the city will develop in the future, and provide policies to guide decisions on development proposals and planning applications up to 2042. Consultation is taking place on the ‘preferred options’ from Monday 8 July to midnight on Tuesday 27 August 2024. In preparation for the consultation, the evidence base for the Local Plan has been updated. To make your views known on the Birmingham Local Plan, you will need to register on the Planning Consultation Portal and comment directly on any section of the document.
View the document and make comments here – Alternatively, you can email your comments to [email protected] (Hard copies of the documents are also available at the Council House and main libraries.)
Advice surgeries
I hold a general advice surgery on the fourth Thursday of the month from 6-7pm at the Moseley Exchange, no appointment necessary. At the busy session last week I met with residents raising a range of issues with me. I’m pleased to say that all but one have already been resolved. My SEND surgery is held on the first Thursday of the month from 5-7pm by appointment only at the Hive. You can make an appointment here.
Local meetings
I attended meetings of Moseley in Bloom and Moseley Forum and was pleased to be asked to present a gift in recognition of 25 years of volunteering activity by Forum founder David Isgrove and Jill Adams.
Casework and other updates
I make regular ward walkabouts and continue to report flytipping and other issues and defects. I am still finding fridge-freezers and fridges put out and hope you can help spread the word by letting friends and neighbours know that the best way to get rid of white goods is by taking them to the Tyseley recycling site for free disposal. If you spot flytipping you can report it either via the council website here or through Fix My Street.
I reported several abandoned and overflowing bins and am again grateful for the fast response received from the Atlas depot manager for the action to get these issues addressed quickly. We are working together to see where we can put further resources in to help assist keeping our roads clean.
Mobile Household Waste Centre
We had a visit from the Mobile Household Waste Centre this week which came to Trafalgar Road. Despite putting out a leaflet locally, some residents do not understand how this service works and were putting out mattresses and other items outside their houses for collection. These items will not be taken and I will look at ways of getting out further information ahead of future visits by the service.
Council Meetings
Full Council – 9th July
I attended a meeting of the full council on the 9th July and prior to the meeting I was pleased to attend and speak at the Brum Rise Up Rally. I also met parent/carers and listened to their concerns regarding the provision of school transport for their SEND children in September. I will be raising these issues with the Cabinet member and the Director of Children’s Services.
Overview and Scrutiny Committees
I chaired the Education, Children and Young People’s Scrutiny Committee earlier in the month and we had a look at the draft Birmingham School Attendance 2024 – 2028 as well as setting our work programme for the coming 12 months. The formal part of the meeting was followed by a Task and Finish meeting with key senior officers to look at the delivery of budget savings and identify the best way of measuring impact. Several recommendations and requests for further information were made.
I also attended a meeting of the Corporate and Finance Scrutiny Committee which heard from Fiona Greenway, 151 Finance Officer in regard to the financial challenges being faced.
Get in touch
I have a secure WhatsApp Channel providing regular news snippets relating to Moseley and other issues of interest. It’s really easy to use and keeps your phone number private. Do have a look and sign up. Follow the Moseley News from Cllr Kerry Jenkins channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Va87zIp9Gv7YCfKLLc3A
If you don’t fancy Whatsapp there are lots of other ways to keep up to date with what I am doing and you can look at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Please let me know if I can help with any issues in your bit of Moseley and I will do my very best to help.
Thanks for reading,
Kerry Jenkins, Labour Councillor, Moseley where
