PROGRESS ON COLLEGE AT LAST

It would appear that along last there has been some positive progress been made regarding the Suttoncoldfield College Great Barr Campus. Plans (for the Old Dairy Site) as seen in last weeks Great Barr Observer look promising and lets hope there will be a move to start the work there soon. Students need and deserve to have a first rate quality college to work in and they need to have the right facilities sooner rather than later.
However many residents living by the old college (Brooklyn)site can hardly wait for the old site to move as this would dramatically ease the parking problems they face.
Having said that the Planning application for the old Brooklyn site must be continually monitored to iron out the problems it has.

YOUNGSTERS READING FOR THE FUTURE

I was delighted to be asked along with Khalid Mahmood MP, by the Library Service to present awards to a number of youngsters who have took part in the Reading in the summer holiday project.

The staff at the Perry Common Library have done a great job promoting and helping this project be so successful, despite the problems they have faced with the structure of Perry Common Library.

Many parents have also done their bit to really encourage their children to read during the summer and every one concerned deserves a pat on the back.

It is vital today that all our children learn to read well, as without this skill their futures would be very bleak in deed. All we do is based on communication and reading is a most basic but very important way we do that.

Once again well done to all those concerned.

MORE FUNDING FOR LOCAL GROUPS

THE MARY VALE CENTRE



At yesterdays Oscott Ward Advisory Board meeting some 16k worth of funding to local Oscott groups was discussed. This funding was available due to the Oscott Environmental Warden position not now needing Oscott Community Chest funding as believed given the Council have funded the Position for the rest of the year.

The recommendations of the Oscott WAB were to recommend allocating the funding as follows.

Age concern should receive the bulk of the funds available (£10.200.00 for 3 projects.
A Befriending scheme, Gardening Scheme and Handyman Project.

The Mary Vale Youth Project ( a youth club operating from the Mary Vale Centre) should receive £2000

The All Stars Link Group ( a Nursery project based on the Bandywood Estate) should receive £1.200

The Imagine Group, (bases at the Dove club Birdbrook Road) A self help group for those suffering from depression should receive £1.000

There were also small awards given to help promote Black Opera (and Quires in the area) and for a security lock.

All these applications well deserve funding but more money is needed to help the community.

These recommendation's now go to the Oscott Ward Committee (this is made up of the 3 Oscott Councillors) for finale ratification next week.

As the Chair of the Oscott WAB I would like to thank all those organisations who have put in requests for funding from the Oscott Community Chest (there was only 100K in total this year) and also all of those on the Oscott Ward Advisory Board who took such interest in the process of recommending the funding allocations to the Oscott Ward Committee.

To find out what other awards for funding were allocated from the Oscott Community Chest please see my post dated Wednesday July 9th.

T.U.F ON TRANSPORT?

I attended one of the Birmingham T.U.F meetings last night where it occurred to me, probably accept for the dozen members of the public who regularly attend, no one else has probably even heard of a T.U.F.
T.U.F is short for Transport Users Forum,(these replaced TUACS a couple of years ago.) I am sure if you are reading this you are probably non the wiser now?

T.U.F'S are where Transport users can attend meeting to discuss issues or concerns with those responsible for running our Buses, Railways and Metro, as well and elected members who represent their districts.

It is also an opportunity to hear what future plans Bus and Rail companies have for the future in the region.

These T.U.F,s have been badly advertised in the past and the Birmingham version of these T.U.F's is now, to be staged in different venues around the city on a quarterly basis.

If you would like to know more about the Birmingham Transport Users Forum or have any complaints or issues you would like me to pass on please let me know- Tel 360 6486

WELL DESERVED AWARD TO RECOGNISE GIB MACKAY

BIRMINGHAM LORD MAYOR JP CHOUDRY RASHID, KHALID MAHMOOD MP AND OLD FRIEND BERT COOKE FAR LEFT PRESENTING KATH WITH GIBS AWARD

I was very pleased to see that Gib Mackay's window Kath has received an award on his behalf. The award recognised his life long service for the community and was very much deserved. I was delighted to be one of those making the arangements.
Gib worked tirelessly for the Community and was a champion of pensioners rights. He was a leading member of the Kingstanding pensioners Convention for over 20 years.
Kath herself has always been involved in community activities and worked along with Gib on many issues.

PERRY COMMON LIBRARY OUT OF ACTION

Just some of the books which will need to be safely stored

It is very sad to see that the Perry Common Library will be out of action for some months, due to it needing urgent repairs carried out. Both Councillor Dring and I will be pressing the powers that be to find the funds needed, to have this extremely valuable community asset repaired and reopened as soon as possible. Many of the libraries books will also have to be stored safely until the reopening.

In the mean time as an active library book borrower (I just wish I had the time to read more library books) I will be using the Kingstanding Library and would urge others to do the same. We need to support all of our Libraries.

376 BUS UPDATE

Following the petition and campaigning by local residents like Pauline Cook, as well as Councillor Barbara Dring and myself, Cento have agreed to alter the 375 bus route.
The route in the Oscott area will now revert to the old 376 route. However the route will finish in Aldridge, where you will need to connect for Walsall or Druids Heath.
Unfortunately the hour schedule will remain although, extra buses will mean there will now be a 17.00 bus.
This will go a long way to help those residents who felt they were left out of the link and should mean they can get to the shops at the Kingstanding Circle more easily. We now all need to use this bus service more regularly to keep it in the future.

ROAD SAFETY WORK ANNOUNCED AT LAST FOR THE NOVA COURT JUNCTION

At long last Birmingham City Council and Sandwell Council appear to have got their heads together and have agreed plans to introduce road safety improvements to the Nova Court Junction on the Queslett Road.
I have been campaigning to get something done at this junction, along with Councillor Barbara Dring. Local Campaigner Maureen Byrne and others for at least 2 years and it is about time they did something.
They have now announced that work on traffic lights will begin by the end of the financial year. I hope they will also be looking very carefully at the lay out of this junction as it leaves much to be desired.

NEW GATE FOR KING GEORGE PLAYING FIELD

After year of campaigning local resident Brian Stevens and myself have managed to get the Council to fund a fence and "kissing gate" for the Keston Road entrance to the King George Playing Fields. Many residents told us of their concern that the current trip rail encouraged youngsters to sit on it and to harass users of the field. Motor bikes were also lifted over it and there has been some fly tipping there. Lets hope this fence and gate help solve these problems.

ACTION NEEDED ON KINGSTANDING ROAD

A number of residents have now contacted me with their concerns about speeding traffic on the Kingstanding Road, between Hawthorn Road and College Road.
I will be campaigning with them to try and get road safety measures introduced to this road, although with the current Council Administration altitude to road safety in Oscott it may be an uphill battle. Certainly Speed indicators and better signage need to be high on the Councils agenda.
I have already been handed two petitions to hand in to the Council and I hope to this for residents next week.