August 2012

Olympic-size swimming pool for Birmingham at last

50-metre pool part of £175 million University investment

By:
Published August 30, 2012, in Politics


Birmingham will finally get an Olympic size swimming pool, putting paid to decades of false dawns.

But the sporting virility symbol won’t be provided by the city council.

The pool is to be part of a £175 million redevelopment of the Birmingham University campus in Edgbaston.

The council’s Planning Committee enthusiastically welcomed and approved the university’s proposals, which also include a new library, sports centre, running track and student accommodation.

At a length of 50 metres and with eight lanes the pool meets all of the Olympics authorities regulations and is expected to be used as a training centre for elite swimmers in the Midlands.

Sitting alongside recent expansion and improvements to the athletics track at Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr, the new pool, on the corner of Bristol Road and Edgbaston Road, will underline Birmingham’s growing reputation as Britain’s premier sporting city outside of London.

Birmingham University Director of Estates Ian Barker said the five-year investment programme “reinterprets founder Joseph Chamberlain’s vision for the estate for the 21st century and expanding the services to the local community.”

Birmingham City Council has made several attempts to secure an Olympic size swimming pool since the 1980s, but was never able to put the finance in place.

The council’s former Conservative-Liberal Democrat leadership obtained planning permission for an Aquatics and Leisure Centre, to include a pool, on land close to the National indoor Arena in Ladywood.

It’s thought the project is unlikely to be taken forward by the council’s Labour group, which took control of Birmingham in may this year.

Serco pins growth hopes on new police contracts

By:
Published August 30, 2012, in Politics



Curated from , written by (author unknown)

PoliceNEW contracts to provide non-frontline services to West Midlands Police could represent strategic UK growth opportunities for support services group Serco.Serco is one of several companies shortlisted…

It’s an oath, but not as we know it

Police Commissioners won't swear allegiance to God or Queen

By:
Published August 29, 2012, in Police Commissioners


Police and Crime Commissioners will swear an oath of allegiance upon taking office later this year, but not to God or the Queen.

A modern form of words being consulted upon by the Home Office will commit PCCs to represent all sections of society, to work to cut criminal offences and to give a voice to the victims of crime.

The proposed wording is: “I do solemnly and sincerely promise that I will serve all the people of (police force area) in the office of Police and Crime Commissioner without fear or favour.

“I will act with integrity and diligence in my role and, to the best of my ability, will execute the duties of my office to ensure that the police are able to cut crime and protect the public.

“I will give a voice to the public, especially victims of crime and work with other services to ensure the safety of the community and effective criminal justice.

“I will take all steps within my power to ensure transparency of my decisions, so that I may be properly held to account by the public.

“I will not seek to influence or prevent any lawful and reasonable investigation or arrest, nor encourage any police action save that which is lawful and justified within the bounds of this office.”

The proposed oath differs from those traditionally taken by holders of public office, which often demand allegiance to God, with an affirmation opt-out clause for non-believers, and the Queen.

Police constables take the following oath: “I do solemnly and sincerely declare and affirm that I will well and truly serve the Queen in the office of constable, with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality, upholding fundamental human rights and according equal respect to all people; and that I will, to the best of my power, cause the peace to be kept and preserved and prevent all offences against people and property; and that while I continue to hold the said office I will to the best of my skill and knowledge discharge all the duties thereof faithfully according to law.”

The oath of allegiance sworn by everyone joining the British Army is short and to the point: “I do swear that I will be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, her heirs and successors, according to law. So help me God.” A similar oath is taken by MPs, members of the Government and the Speaker of the House of Commons.

Police Minister Nick Herbert said the wording of the PCC oath was designed to make sure that ‘political’ PCCs represented all of the people.

Although most candidates for the commissioner elections in November represent political parties, the Government is keen to make sure that PCCs are seen as impartial.

Mr Herbert said: “Police and crime commissioners will be important public servants and it is right that they make a formal public commitment to the communities they will serve.

“Although police and crime commissioners may stand for a political party, the public will expect them to represent all the people in their area impartially, without fear or favour.

“The swearing of an oath will be an important symbol of this impartiality, emphasising both the significance of this new role in local communities and that commissioners are there to serve the people, not a political party or any one section of their electorate.

“An oath will also underline the particular importance of even-handedness in an office which holds to account the local chief constable and police force who themselves are bound to serve impartially.”

 

 

Braced for a council tax bombshell

70,000 Brummies will lose rebates, but Government insists cuts unnecessary

By:
Published August 29, 2012, in Politics


About 70,000 low-income Birmingham households will have to pay council tax for the first time following Government changes to the way benefits are administered, it has been revealed.

The maximum rebate that most people will be able to receive is likely to be set at 76 per cent.

Only claimants with children under six, or who are disabled, and pensioners, will be able to continue claiming 100 per cent council tax benefit from April 2013.

The changes, which have been condemned as an attack on the poor by the city council’s Labour leadership, arise from a Government decision to hand the administration of council tax benefit to local authorities and at the same time to cut by £11 million the amount Birmingham gets to run the scheme.

Council leader Sir Albert Bore claimed he had no alternative but to pass on the funding cut in the form of lower rebates. He warned that the additional cost to the council when provision for bad debts and extra administrative costs are taken into account could be £15 million a year.

Sir Albert added:  “The city council cannot afford to make good this cut in Government funding without increasing the already severe savings it is making in all other service areas. This means that we face the hard choice of how we pass on this funding shortfall and we will be consulting with residents on this over the next three months.

“There are 135,000 Birmingham households which already receive council tax benefit because they are living on low incomes and need this help to meet their council tax bills. Many of those families are working but are still on low incomes, trying to make ends meet.

“The Government has simply passed the buck, knowing full well that councils cannot afford to absorb the shortfall and that we have no option but to pass the impact on to hard working families in our cities.”

Some Labour-led councils have accused the Government of bringing back the poll tax through the back door by making sure that even the poorest families will have to make a contribution to council tax for the first time since the early 1990s.

However, Local Government Secretary Eric Pickles insists that cities like Birmingham wouldn’t have to cut rebates if they were more efficient about administering benefits and collecting council tax.

by the Department for Communities and Local Government suggest that Birmingham could save £4 million a year by eliminating fraud and error from the benefits system.

Mr Pickles said: “When councils take over the benefit with their local schemes there is lots of money to claw back from wasteful mistakes and fraudsters cheating the system.

“Town halls are already the ones who set and collect council tax so it makes senses that they are the ones who give out the support too. Our reforms will restore the confidence of hard-working taxpayers that the benefits bill is under control and that work pays.”

As well as limiting most rebate claims to 76 per cent Birmingham is planning to scrap council tax relief on empty properties, in a move expected to raise £4.4 million a year. In addition, backdated council tax benefits will be reduced from six months to one month.

The changes mean that about 70,000 households will have to start paying 24 per cent of their council tax bill, an amount that is likely to range from £260 to £350 in most cases.

A £1 million hardship fund is expected to be set up by the council to help families in the greatest need.

 

Tories to stick with Matt Bennett for top police job

Party inquiry into 'flawed' PCC selection process will not overturn result

By:
Published August 28, 2012, in Police Commissioners


Matt Bennett will remain the Conservative candidate for West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner whatever the result of an inquiry into the selection process concludes.

Chamberlain News has learned that Tory officials won’t drop Mr Bennett even if an investigation into the conduct of a primary election held to select the party’s candidate discovers that mistakes were made.

An inquiry is underway after Bennett’s rival for the job, Solihull councillor and former police officer Joe Tildesley, complained that up to 28 of his supporters were turned away from a meeting and prevented from voting for him. It is believed they broke the rules because they had not pre-registered to vote.

The incident could have had a significant impact on the final result since it is believed Mr Bennett beat Coun Tildesley in a tense selection battle by

Continues…

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