Confusion reigns over Birmingham £1m big screen fiasco

Oct 14 2009 by Sarah Probert, Birmingham Post

Birmingham council bosses were able to side-step a potentially embarrassing grilling over the £1 million big screen fiasco, but served only to highlight confusion about the project.

Labour group deputy leader Ian Ward aimed his fire at Martin Mullaney, the council’s Liberal Democrat cabinet member for leisure, sport and culture, who had earlier this year promised to sort out the “crazy” situation surrounding.

It is more than two years since the screen was put up in Victoria Square but it has never been switched on due to legal action from office workers and protests from conservationists.

A planning application, aimed at ironing out the shortcomings in the initial planning process, was submitted in December but has not been heard of since.

At a full meeting of the authority yesterday, Coun Ward asked Coun Mullaney what he was doing to deliver on his promise to deal with the issue.

Coun Mullaney (Lib Dem, Moseley and Kings Heath) pointed out that it was the subject of a planning application and would have to be dealt with by the planning committee at the appropriate time.

Coun Ward (Lab, Shard End) said: “Coun Mullaney promised he would investigate the big screen in Victoria Square. It was submitted by the local services directorate. Why doesn’t he ask his colleague in charge of local services, Coun Ayoub Khan, to withdraw the planning application?”

Coun Mullaney again avoided the issue by pointing out: “That is a decision for him to take.”

Under council question time regulations, Coun Ward was unable to turn his question on either Coun Ayoub Khan (Lib Dem, Aston) or the chairman of the Planning Committee, Coun Peter Douglas Osborn (Cons, Weoley), for a full answer.