Big issues always on the agenda with Birmingham City Council
Jun 29 2009 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Post
The main talking points in the Conservative/Liberal Democrat coalition's control of Birmingham City Council since 2004.
New Street Station
Plans to refurbish Birmingham’s main station were in their infancy in 2004, with no clear scheme in place and no sources of funding.
A lengthy campaign, led by the council but also involving MPs, business leaders, Centro and the regional development agency, resulted in government approval for a £600 million makeover for New Street. The new station should be completed by 2013.
Library of Birmingham
Constant source of controversy for the Tory-Lib Dem coalition.
Plans for a new library at Eastside, designed by Richard Rogers, were dropped in 2005 as unaffordable. Councillors felt the proposed site was too far from the city centre.
A scheme for a £193 million library in Centenary Square was approved and construction will begin shortly.
But the fight continues to save the Central Library building in Paradise Forum, which council leaders want to demolish.
Midland Metro
Most Conservative and some Liberal Democrat councillors made it clear privately that they did not support Centro’s plan to run trams from Snow Hill Station through narrow city centre shopping streets to Five Ways.
But Government reluctance to spend money on such a scheme forced a radical re-think.
The latest proposal is to take the Metro from Snow Hill to New Street Station as a first phase.
Casino
Government plans for an American-style super casino with unlimited prize money provoked plenty of debate.
A bitter dispute erupted between two rival sites – the council-owned NEC and a scheme at a new Birmingham City Football Club stadium.
The council eventually came down in favour of the NEC. But the Government backtracked and withdrew its support for the super casino.
Housing
Condemned by the Government as a failing service before 2004, improvement in the housing stock has been one of the success stories.
Council housing is now rated with three stars by the Audit Commission with excellent prospects for further improvement.
And for the first time in years, new council houses are being built.
Social Services
So poorly run that it was on the verge of being taken over by the government in 2004, the story on social services is mixed.
Adult social services have made progress, with the decision to replace badly maintained and outdated old people’s homes with sheltered accommodation, extra-care villages and more care in the community.
But children’s social services took a step backwards recently, with provision for youngsters at risk of abuse being declared inadequate by the Government.
Single Status
The introduction of Single Status – ending pay differentials between male and female council employees and blue and white collar workers – and the introduction of a new, fairer, pay and grading system represents a towering personal success for cabinet HR member Alan Rudge.
Although by far the majority of staff found themselves either better off or no worse off, a minority suffered severe pay cuts.
>More: Five years of a coalition leadership at Birmingham City Council
