Updated 2:13pm 15 February 2012:

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Neil Elkes

Neil Elkes

Birmingham Gardeners' Weekend show moves back to Kings Heath Park

The Gardeners’ Weekend show in Birmingham is to return to the park where it was staged for almost 30 years.Read

Housing plan could see US forces sorting office in Sutton Coldfield demolished

Planners are to visit a Sutton Coldfield Second World War mail delivery office before deciding whether it should be demolished to make way for new housing.Read

Neil Elkes: Councillors making a song and dance about musical heritage

There is nothing politicians seem to enjoy more than a little brush with glamour, the sprinkle of celebrity and to get a little closer to the business we call show. Some of our city councillors would no doubt be angered at the mere suggestion that they are frustrated entertainers.Read

Mayoral candidate Sion Simon calls for audit of Birmingham City Council contracts

Major Birmingham City Council contracts should be independently audited to avoid a repeat of the costly off-shoring jobs to India fiasco, it has been claimed.Read

Neil Elkes: Labour Party returns to internal battles

After years in the political wilderness in Birmingham the Labour Party is preparing for a return to power in the Council House by turning on itself in spectacular fashion.Read

Birmingham City Council website attacked by hackers

Birmingham City Council's £2.8 million website has been offline after falling victim to online attackers. Read

Birmingham City Council to put pressure on Island House owners to prevent demolition

Birmingham City Council is to ramp up the moral pressure on developer Quintain Estates in a bid to save the 100-year-old Island House building from demolition.Read

MP Jack Dromey calls for tougher action against metal theft

Birmingham MP Jack Dromey has visited a city church which became the latest to be hit by metal thieves who stripped thousands of pounds-worth of lead from its roof.Read

Birmingham historian Carl Chinn joins fight to save Island House from demolition

Birmingham historian Carl Chinn has joined the campaign to save the Island House building in Eastside from demolition. Read

Birmingham needs a 'music tsar' says councillor

Birmingham has been urged to appoint a 'music tsar' – someone charged with shouting the promoting the city's musical heritage across the world.Read

Call for Birmingham to host a Black Sabbath Day

Birmingham may create a Black Sabbath Day to highlight the legendary rock band's contribution to music.Read

Golf upgrade pledge as social enterprise takes over Birmingham's courses

Birmingham's golfers have been promised a raft of new facilities after a not-for-profit social enterprise took over the city’s seven municipal courses.Read

Neil Elkes: Council not in the market for decisions anymore

There seems to be an end of term feeling creeping in amongst the city council’s leading lights as the Tory-Lib Dem administration enters what is widely expected to be the final few weeks of its eight-year reign over the UK’s largest local authority.Read

Mike Whitby gets Minister's backing to be Birmingham's elected mayor

Birmingham City Council leader Mike Whitby has emerged as a front-running Conservative candidate to become the city’s first directly elected mayor after receiving a ringing endorsement from Government minister for cities Greg Clark.Read

Legal contract could save Birmingham's 100-year-old Island House from demolition

Plans to demolish a much-loved 100-year-old Birmingham building have been approved by city planning chiefs - but it could still be saved due to an existing legal agreement.Read

Birmingham City Council debt revealed as £2.5bn

Birmingham City Council’s debt stands at £2.5 billion, including vast amounts borrowed to pay for the new library and the purchase of the Pallasades shopping centre, it has emerged.Read

New strategic director to take over Birmingham's troubled children's services

The £145,000-a-year job of improving Birmingham’s troubled children’s services is being handed to the head of an ‘outstanding’ department in Lincolnshire, it has been announced.Read

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce backs elected mayor campaign

Birmingham’s business community is now firmly behind an elected mayor for Birmingham after the Chamber of Commerce formally joined Birmingham Forward in the ‘yes’ camp.Read

Birmingham city centre bar Anjo's given order to remain closed

A Vietnamese city centre bar which was the scene of attempted murder must stay closed because the authorities have no confidence in the owner.Read

City centre bar must stay shut: Police

A Vietnamese city centre bar which was the scene of attempted murder must stay closed because the authorities have no confidence in the owner.Read

Author Profile

A local news reporter in the Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield and south Staffordshire area since 1995, Neil Elkes is the local government correspondent covering the activities of Birmingham CIty Council - Europe's largest local authority. An avid reader and collector of comics Neil is writing a column on this for the Birmingham Mail website.