Traveller caravans in Short Heath Park - response from cllr Robert Alden
"Thank you for your email to Councillor Alden, who is currently
away from the office and will be made aware on his return. In the meantime, I
can advise that Councillor Moore had been making enquiries with the Council’s
enforcement team who have advised that the encampment need to leave by today so
it is being monitored."
Burlington Court (Short Heath) - flytipping (might be a private road - can't be
explored via Street View anyway which usually means that) -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/5677839
Chester
Rd (Short Heath/Sutton border) - footpath linking Chester Rd to Marston Rd
(leads to the train station) has a dip which floods after rain & is very muddy
either side meaning it cannot be passed without going through the water or the
slippery mud -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/5630065
Goosemoor Lane (Short Heath) - column of Lamp 1 is bent -
reported for repair.
Goosemoor Lane (Short Heath) - dog constantly
yelping - a dog is left in the garden yelping for hours and most times it starts
at 6am -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/6272936
(I
think that is a longstanding issue down by the Gravelly Lane end - so it might
be that the map is marked in the wrong place. Update - it was by the Gravelly
Lane end and some residents have told me that the dog has now gone - and yes the
issue had been going on for years).
Gravelly Lane/Goosemoor Lane junction (Short Heath - adjacent to the shop) -
fencing around this area has been removed, lots of hazards if children were to
go in there, big paving slabs balancing on top of each other -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/5745021
Gravelly Lane/Station Rd/Norfolk Rd junctions plus into Norfolk Rd - road
surface is very uneven with potential pot holes starting to appear -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/5757056
Kittiwake Drive (Perry Common) - kids playing football on the road till late
night (there are parks nearby - an age old problem nationally of course) -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/6036867
Ridgeway (Perry Common) - flytipping, 3 bed bases, fridge freezer, car tyre,
loads of wooden pallets all left in different spots -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/6141285
Short
Heath Rd/Hailsham Rd/Court Lane - blindspot for pedestrians (on a bus route too)
- needs a zebrra crossing etc -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/6170705
Witton
Lodge Rd (Perry Common - near Gretton Rd junction and on that side) - a hot spot
for rubbish next to the bus stop as there are no bins present? -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/5594426
Birmingham Adult Education Service - courses September to December 2024 Local venue - Erdington Centre, 101 Sutton New Rd, Erdington, B23 6RE. Tel: 0121
464 6190
(Check the course venues in the last column on the right)
Sign outside the Evans cash and carry
on Goosemoor Lane
Ladders Of Opportunity Bursary - established in memory of Erdington MP Jack
Dromey and Stockland Green Councillor Penny Holbrook
Aims to provide vital support for individuals aged 16 to 25, empowering them to
overcome financial barriers and pursue their educational and career aspirations.
This initiative will provide bursaries of up to £1,000 to support learning or
pathways into work for young residents in the Erdington Constituency.
Sign in Jim Duffel butchers on The Ring (Witton Lodge Circle)
Northside Welcome Centre schedule
Bashed fence at the 7/65 bus terminus Spinney - on the to city side -
Council response below
"Your service request does require attention but is not an
immediate hazard and has therefore been included in our programme of repairs,
usually this will take place within the next six months. We aim to provide a
full response within 28 days following the completion of our investigation,
however if you still haven’t received a full response after this period or
require an update then please use our online form quoting reference ROS020935."
Campaigners took the streets of Erdington demanding urgent action to tackle
dangerous driving. The public protest was held at the junction of Gravelly Lane
and Chester Rd on Saturday 30 September, where a cyclist was tragically killed
in a hit-and-run in May this year.
Pedestrian suffers 'serious injuries' in Court Lane crash A pedestrian was taken to hospital with 'potentially serious injuries' after
he was struck by a car in Erdington. Police and paramedics were called to Court
Lane, at 1.20pm on Wednesday (August 23), and initially treated the male patient
at the scene.
"Did anyone see anything or have any ringdoor/dashcam footage by any
chance??? I was driving up Goosemoor Lane B23 towards Court Lane (9th August)
approx 11.30am by the park green railings when a guy in a white van (daughter
caught it was a 20 plate) drove too close to me coming in the opposite direction
smashing my wing mirror off & damaging down the side of my car, I stopped & so
did he, but as i was about to get out he then took off so
I
turned the car around & tried to catch him up but he took off at speed & them
must of shot up a side road & disappeared."
(There was an unrelated crash on Goosemoor Lane down by Cookes Furniture the
same day I think - certainly a couple of crashed cars were parked there the
following day).
Speed Detecting lines were in the road on Goosemoor Lane - by the Kirkwood
Avenue junction. They were only there for a few days though.
Houses Of Multi-Occupancy (HMO's) In The Area
The recent public meeting at Six Ways Baptist church about HMO's in the area was
as you'd expect standing room only - they said 150 people were there but it
seemed more like 200 to me - so the police and Council etc are in no doubt
whatsoever about resident's anger and experiences - both were there - but I
think we should also now allow them some time to improve things - obviously
though feel free to keep putting stuff on here about the problem.
See the latest plan here.
A disused pub in Erdington could become a 10-bed house in multiple occupation
(HMO) under new plans. The Royal Oak on Marsh Lane was put up for sale in July
2022, with the developer seeking to quickly bring the vacant pub back into use.
Some work has been going on with Lamp 17 on Goosemoor Lane - by the electricity
substation.
Residents Survey - Paulette Hamilton MP wants to hear from local people in
Erdington, Kingstanding, and Castle Vale. Please complete and submit the online
residents survey below.
Paulette Hamilton MP will be hosting another Big Conversation (community meeting
with police etc) later in the spring. For more information visit -
www.paulettehamilton.org
Rosie Mac's
(Rose and Crown)
pub on Gravelly Lane
Idea to re-route the 7 bus (Perry Common to city) in Newtown - NX Bus
response;
Ref: NE58329109.
"Thank you for your suggestion regarding service 7. We are aware of the
issues at Alma Street due to parked cars, and have previously considered
re-routing the outbound service via Milton Street as you suggest, however this
was discounted at the time as we generally prefer to align routes in either
direction where possible for consistency, but also as this would result in less
opportunities for interchange with service 8A/8C at Newtown. However we will
engage with drivers and review our data to establish the length of delays and
whether this option can be reconsidered."
(Alma Street used to have a large factory called Crocodiles but it has been
replaced by housing. However there were no garages provided so residents now
park in the street. Before, two 7 buses could easily pass each other along what
was an empty street, but now even one bus struggles to move along there in
either direction. Also the road curves so bus drivers can't see each other
coming).
The children's play area at the junction of Anstey Fields and Goosemoor Lane
is being improved by workmen.
There is some roadwork and pavement digging going on opposite Cookes on
Goosemoor Lane - being done by BT I think.
The burger bar trailer down by the church had a Council enforcement notice
stuck on it, and it has now gone. A separate burger trailer has now (legally)
appeared outside the Topcroft Rd shop.
The old painter and decorator company building on Court Lane by the Guthrum
Close junction has been demolished. I'll try to find out what will replace it.
A house alarm was going off every day at the Goosemoor Lane and Kirkwood
Avenue junction for some reason. It seems to have sorted itself out now though.
Update - care home plans on Goosemoor Lane
Solar lighting not working on the footpath in Short Heath Park -
reported.
Video - Court Lane B23 - Fire Service attending a call out - 8/11/2022
(seemed like a false alarm).
The World Soup Kitchen (WSK) helps the homeless and less fortunate by
providing freshly prepared, hot meals at soup kitchens in London and Birmingham.
In the capital they cover Peckham, Harlesden and Hackney - and in Birmingham in
Erdington.
They distribute care packages across the 2 cities, which contain everyday
toiletries and accessories tailored to the weather conditions. Due to limited
funding and volunteers, they run 1 soup kitchen at 1 location every few weeks on
a turn-by-turn basis. The medium-term goal is to be serving all 4 locations once
a week, simultaneously by the end of 2023.
Paulette Hamilton (Lab) 9,413 votes
(55.51%)
Robert Alden (Con) 6,147 (36.25%)
Dave Nellist (TUSC) 360 (2.12%)
Jack Brookes (Reform) 293 (1.73%)
Siobhan Harper-Nunes (Green) 236 (1.39%)
Lee Dargue (Lib
Dem) 173 (1.02%)
Michael Lutwyche (Ind) 109 (0.64%)
Mel Mbondiah (CPA) 79 (0.47%)
Thomas O’Rourke (Ind) 76 (0.45%)
Sir
Nos
Da The Good Knight (Loony) 49 (0.29%)
Save Erdington Market campaign - Barnabas Rd B23 6SH
Fighting to save the historic old Erdington market from closure. A local
community led campaign to save and secure the needed repair and refurbishment
this community space deserves.
Some of the solar powered lights on the path in Short Heath
Park are not working - reported.
96 Bus Changes As of Sunday 2nd January 2022, most route 96 journeys on weekdays and
Saturdays will be operated by Diamond Bus instead of National Express. However
National Express will continue to run this service on weekday and Saturday
evenings and on Sundays on behalf of Transport for West Midlands.
If you have a NX bus pass, this will not be valid on Diamond buses. You can
upgrade to an nBus pass so you can travel on both operators. If you want to do
this please call the number on the back of your Swift card.
If you only need to use Diamond services please buy your pass through them
It is by the alley that leads to Gravelly Lane past the pub.
(There is no carpark for that house at present and one if built in the small
front garden would only hold about 2 cars. And there are already parking issues
caused by Cookes and its delivery lorries on the other side of the road from
there. The proposed Goosemoor site is a small semi detached house).
The Goosemor Lane Website is 20 Years Old In July 2021 Yes it started in June 2001 - it began as as a project when I went to a
community meeting in the area about all the trouble and I was the youngest
person there! I thought that a least something telling local kids where all the
youth clubs were etc might make things better - it might at least engage them.
(Also there seemed a policy at the time to play down trouble generally across
the country and I wasn't happy about that seeming situation and so set up the
information website to challenge it).
(Think the date on this poster is 25/6/2021 - 25/8/2021
hasn't arrived yet)
Lorries delivering to Cookes Furniture and Travis Perkins Builders
Merchants - how much of a problem in the road? I don't live near either business, but some who do have told me that the
delivery lorries are causing all sorts of problems for them, even damaging
parked cars etc. The situation isn't entirely the fault of the 2 business, but
let me know and I'll see what can be improved.
gary_obrien_99@yahoo.co.uk
Goosemoor Lane blocked in both directions at the bend by roadworks - Fri
21/5/2021. But the Council didn't tell the bus company, Travis Perkins builders
merchants, or Cookes Furniture (or residents) in advance - and so articulated
lorries are getting stuck there (due to entering the road at the wrong end for
where they want to get to - the currently blocked bend is right in the middle)
and the bus company didn't put signs on bus stops in advance either.
The roadworks were completed later the same day.
Traffic island built at the junction of Beech Rd and Sycamore Rd
New off-licence on Witton Lodge Rd opposed (junction with Flackwell Rd) The opening of a new off-licence in Erdington would 'decrease public safety
and increase the risk of harm to children', it has been claimed. An application
has been made by the Grant Witton Lodge Convenience Store for a licence to sell
alcohol from 6am to 1am Monday to Sunday, something the police have objected to
over concerns around crime and disorder.
Local councillors Robert Alden (Cons, Erdington) and Gareth Moore (Cons,
Erdington) have also written to the council voicing their objection, stating
concerns around child safety.
However the applicant has hit back, presenting what they say is a petition by
local residents to support the application with more than 500 signatures.
Video - man in underwear flees police across gardens in Erdington. No
exact location given - certainly suspicious (he had a missing girl in his house
when the police came and ran away when dressed like that) but police say no
crimes committed;
Workmen have been pruning the sycamore trees on Goosemor Lane and some pot
holes have been filled too.
New street lamps have been put on the Topcroft estate - including in some
of the alleys where existing lamps were dull or have failed - so they are better
lit up now.
"I have created a WhatsApp group to keep everyone connected at St Martin's
church. People chat to each other through it daily and every Tuesday from 10
till 12 we have a virtual Place Of Welcome where we all come together and play
games (Virtually). This week we played Dingbats and it was hysterical, it helped
many with their isolation. If you have a phone that WhatsApp can be downloaded
on to and you would like to join, please send me your mobile phone number and I
can add you to the group. Also. if you know of anyone else who is struggling
with isolation and would like to chat with others to feel connected, send me
their name and mobile number and I can welcome them in to."
Database of relevant churches - check for a (virtual) Place Of Welcome scheme in
your area -
www.placesofwelcome.org.uk
Goosemoor Lane Church Starts Online Services
Just dropping you a line to inform you of our new online church service -
well, we're actually about to broadcast on episode 5 now, so not that new!It goes without saying that we are living in very challenging times
and all of us have been impacted to varying degrees. There are many in the
Goosemoor Lane community whose faith is an integral part of their life but find
themselves no longer able to attend their place of worship and meet with others.
They may be looking for ways of maintaining their connection with other
believers or there may be others who would not usually attend a church but are
curious and would find an online experience an appealing way of "dipping their
toe in the water".
THE SUNDAY CONNECTION is a pre-recorded production premiered each Sunday
@12pm, typically lasting around 30min. Viewers will be
presented with inspirational singing/music, personal expressions of gratitude, a
public health message and a short message of hope and encouragement.
Our next episode broadcasts at 12pm this coming Sunday (previous episodes are
available to watch on the same page)
. Just dropping you a line
to inform you of our new online church service - well, we're actually about to
broadcast on episode 5 now, so not that new!It goes without
saying that we are living in very challenging times and all of us have been
impacted to varying degrees.
- again
(16/2/2020) - same fault as on election night by the look of it (underground
cables by the Kirkwood Avenue junction) - workmen
were
out all night in the rain fixing it.
2 new sets of goalposts are up in Short Heath Park - by the side
bordering the allotments - see how much they get used and how long before
vandals tear them down.
General Election Result - Erdington
Labour - Jack Dromey. Votes: 17,720
Conservative - Robert Alden. Votes: 14,119
The Brexit Party - Wendy Garcarz. Votes: 1,441
Liberal Democrat - Ann Holtom. Votes: 1,301
Green - Rob Grant. Votes: 648
A Walk Across Birmingham Via Sutton and Erdington On Sunday 24th November 2019, two members of the Erdington Walking Group
walked from one end of Birmingham to the other. They chose the longest possible
route - estimated to be 18 miles.
Gary O'Brien and Selina Gooden started at the Four Oaks end on the
Staffordshire border by the BBC transmitter - and made their way on foot via
Mere Green, Sutton Coldfield town centre, Wylde Green, Erdington Aston,
Birmingham city centre, Lee Bank, Edgbaston, Selly Oak, Bournville, Northfield,
Longbridge, Rednal, and finally to Cofton Hackett on the Worcestershire border.
See just a few attached photos to illustrate the point - we took so many that
the phone battery went flat - but surely you already know what the Mothers old
concert hall on Erdington High Street looks like without needing the picture of
me photo-bombing it with my bald patch just to show my Warriors jacket again?
("I want everyone to know that The Warriors were there")
Feel free to request a picture of a particular part of the route and I'll
stick it on the thread if we took a picture there.
It was also done to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1979 movie
The Warriors,
where a group of young men had to make their way from one end of New York to the
other, and met a woman who decided to accompany them - hence the jacket that
Gary wore (and by co-incidence Selina taking part).
(Gary attempted to mimic Nikola Tesla's famous "wireless electricity"
experiment by placing a light-bulb in the ground yards from the BBC transmitter
- but it failed to illuminate! An electrical engineer might know exactly why not
but it seems that modern transmitters aim most of their energy at the horizon
not ground level).
Selina struggled on the final stretch up the long hill from Longbridge past
the car factory, but made it with some encouragement from Gary. It took 8 hours
(including posing for pictures) and the Autumn day start caused by organising
delays sadly meant that it ended in darkness.
Anyone else attempting the walk might want to choose a Summer day so that
they are always in daylight, and consider walking it the reverse way in order to
get the hills of Rednal, Longbridge, Northfield and Selly Oak etc done at the
start (the Mere Green and Four Oaks stretches are basically flat). Women will
generally find it harder to do than men.
You can follow the same route online is a far less exhausting but picturesque
way via Google Street View - the A5127 from the junction with the A4026 into
Birmingham city centre - on to the A38 and then the B4120 and the border is mere
yards before the B4096 junction (Rednal island) by the Lickey Hills - the idea
was to make it to that island but Selina was utterly spent at the border point
itself but managed a big smile for the camera.
The Warriors movie opening credits showing their initial outward journey (on
a Subway line a bit like our Cross City Line) before heading back in the movie
itself (New York City is about 35 miles across compared to Birmingham seemingly
being only 18) -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nsgtl6MF8RU
The Warriors movie end credits at their destination on the other side of New
York City (obviously don't watch if not wanting to know which of them made it
safely across until watching the movie - it is a bit like The Magnificent 7) -
sadly due to the fading light and clouds we couldn't get a final shot of the
entire city of Birmingham from nearby Beacon Hill at The Lickey Hills - Selina
couldn't go another step anyway and only just made it to the border as it was
and almost gave up entirely merely yards from it -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYh0XAoIi1U
West Midlands Railway - Adopt A Station scheme The Adopt A Station scheme enables individuals or groups to adopt their
local railway station and contribute to its use and welfare. Stations can become
beacons of hope and revival for local communities and volunteer efforts can help
restore their place as central to local life.
Our Adopt a Station scheme enables individuals or groups to adopt their own
local railway station and work with us as the Train Operating Company, playing
an active role in reviving and enhancing their local Station. Railway Station
volunteer activity provides a positive outlet for local energy to contribute to
improving towns and villages and these community partnerships can be
transformational for both economies and societies.
Friends of a Station come together to plant, paint, create, improve and promote
and great friendships can be made with station staff, other volunteers and
members of the wider community. The rewards are evident in commuters and
passengers’ responses and the visible upgrades which are uplifting to witness.
As a company we are committed to getting closer to the communities we serve as
this will result in us building a better railway. We are aware that we are
merely custodians of much-cherished national community assets and we want to
work with local people to use stations and train services to reflect and enhance
community pride and prosperity.
If you are interested in adopting your local station and would like the Adopt A
Station Start Up Pack, please email:
fay.easton@wmtrains.co.uk
Places Of Welcome are run by local community groups who want everyone in
their neighbourhood to have a place to go for a friendly face, a cup of tea and
a conversation if and when they need it -
www.placesofwelcome.org.uk
The nearest;
North Birmingham Vineyard Church, Living Well Centre, 480 Chester Rd, Birmingham
B73 5BP www.nbv.org.uk
St Margarets Church, Jarvis Rd, Short Heath B23 5RR
St Michael's Church, Church Rd, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield B73 5RX
www.stmichaels.org.uk
Methodist Church, Boldmere Rd, Sutton Coldfield B73 5UB
www.boldmeremethodistchurch.org
Northside Welcome Centre, 176 Streetly Rd, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7AL
www.northsidewelcomecentre.co.uk
St Martin's Church, 140 Witton Lodge Rd, Perry Common, Birmingham B23 5AP
Six Ways Erdington Baptist Church, Wood End Rd, Erdington, Birmingham B24 8AD
www.sixwayserdington.org.uk
Sutton Coldfield Baptist Church, Trinity Hill, Sutton Coldfield B72 1TA
Police probe as woman found dead inside house on Summer Road The 54-year-old was discovered with multiple serious injuries and
was confirmed dead at the scene by an ambulance crew just before 9.30am on
Friday morning (September 6). The woman’s death is being treated as unexplained
and enquiries are on-going to establish what happened between 6pm last night (5
Sept) when she was last seen and this morning. Anyone with information should
contact police via Live Chat at
www.west-midlands.police.uk
between 8am and
midnight, call 101 anytime or ring Crimestoppers anonymously
on 0800 555 111. Please quote log 639 of 6/9.
Sign put up by a clearly exasperated resident at the junction of Goosemoor
Lane and Court Lane - it is possible to mistake their back garden for a field
etc if you are not local - however there are dog bins yards away in Short Heath
Park so there is no excuse really - generally speaking this is less of a problem
than years back?
The Aston Villa Supporters’ Trust
invites all groups, whether they are official or unofficial supporter clubs,
local community groups, websites, social media groups/channels or any other type
of fan groups to become official partners -
https://villatrust.org.uk/join-us/become-partner/
Steel Maitland Avenue (number 1) and Jarvis Road (number 3).
Council response - "One of my Street Lighting Team has now assessed the street
lights in question. Their investigation identified that the street lights are
not maintained under the Highways Contract; as such, my team is not authorised
to carry out any work on them. I am, however, working with my colleagues within
Birmingham City Council to identify who is responsible for the street lights in
question, and arrange for them to carry out the required work."
Lamp 12 Goosemoor Lane B23 was out - fixed
Hole in the pavement at the
base of Lamp 10 on Topcroft Rd B23 - reported
2018/02510/PA - Erection of two storey side and rear and single storey rear
extension - 304 Court Lane, Erdington, Birmingham B23 5LQ
2018/04123/PA - Application for a Certificate of Lawfulness for the proposed
erection of a single storey rear extension - 51 Somerset Road, Erdington,
Birmingham, B23 6NQ
2018/03918/PA - Erection of single storey front and side extensions - 23
Osprey Road, Birmingham B23 5JQ
2018/03564/PA - Erection of single storey rear extension and garage
conversion to habitable room with associated roof alterations to side - 26
Hidson Road, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7DY
2018/03376/PA - Application for a Lawful Development Certificate for the
proposed detached outbuilding and a dormer window to rear - 96 Dean Road,
Birmingham B23 6QF
2018/01993/PA - Demolition of existing garage and utility room and erection
of detached bungalow - 26 Pattison Gardens, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7NQ
2018/02911/PA - Erection of two storey side and rear extensions and single
storey side extension - 54 Kirkwood Avenue, Erdington, Birmingham B23 5QQ
2018/03130/PA - Erection of two storey side and rear and single storey rear
extension - 33 College Farm Drive, Erdington, Birmingham B23 5YE
2018/03323/PA - Erection of two storey side and single storey rear extension
- 23 Griffin Road, Birmingham B23 7EE
2018/02589/PA - Erection of single storey front and rear extensions - 25 Low
Wood Road, Erdington, Birmingham B23 6HE
2018/00531/PA - Installation of dormer window to rear - 56 Kirkwood Avenue,
Erdington, Birmingham B23 5QQ
2018/02596/PA - Display of one non-illuminated directional sign - Land at the
junction of, College Road and Perry Common Road, Erdington, Birmingham B23
2018/00625/PA - Erection of single storey rear extension - 9 Osborne Road
South, Erdington, Birmingham B23 6TT
Mac - the "Greensleeves" ice-cream man of Erdington - R.I.P.
Mac Leask was an ice cream man for 5 decades in the area and his funeral was
recently.
Reading all the media stories though, I had no idea exactly which driver they
meant (none mentioned the tune the van played and only mentioned him working
across Pype Hayes).
Air Ambulance Landed In The Area After Man Falls From Ladder In Boldmere
A man had to be airlifted to a major trauma centre after suffering
significant multiple injuries in a fall. The ambulance service received a call
at 5.24pm on Friday afternoon after the man suffered what is understood to be a
fall from a ladder in Church Road, Boldmere. The Midlands Air Ambulance from
Staffordshire was called to the scene and landed in a field at the back of
Littlecote Drive and a land ambulance also attended -
https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/man-airlifted-multiple-serious-injuries-14564451
Issues With A Bus Stop On Gravelly Lane Re the 96/66 to Erdington bus stop on Gravelly Lane by
the Oliver Rd junction (by the row of shops) - am getting messages that too many
cars park right there during the day and so the elderly/buggies etc can't easily
get on or off the buses - does anyone have more comments about it before I take
it up with the bus company and council etc?
From Erdington Tories;
The Tories are delivering a magazine in the area called Erdington News in
order to get their message/propaganda across -
https://www.facebook.com/ErdingtonNews/
Street Associations - aiming to stimulate and facilitate the
restoration of true community, and communal values, particularly those necessary
to support true community. A small core group (maybe 6-8 people) meets over a
coffee maybe four or five times a year to come up with ideas and then makes
things happen.
Getting started is easy - put a letter around inviting residents who want to
see more community spirit to come together for an evening (in someone’s house,
in a pub, hall, or under a gazebo on a green). Discuss the idea. If people are
keen, ask for volunteers to join a core group and take it forward from there,
together. It just takes someone to take the initiative.
The intention is to work with people of goodwill from all faiths and none,
together with local councils, housing associations, the health sector, police
and other stakeholders, together to affirm and realize the vision of restoring
true community to every resident on every street.
3 road accidents - 7/2/2018. Goosemoor Land on the bend. At the Maxted
Rd/Witton Lodge Rd junction. On Hawthorn Rd too - vague details though.
Power Cut - Entrance of St Thomas Road and Slade Road
cordoned off as smoke rises from pavement in underground fire - triggering local
electricity power cut - Tues 3/4/2018
Power cut Jan 24 (2018) in part of the B23 area
Power Cuts - past list
-
I do list them when they occur in the area, here are the ones from the last few
years that I know of;
There was a power cut
Tuesday
(6/9/2016)
in the B23 area from around midday to
2.15pm
Jaffray Road had a power cut - 13/7/2016. Back on the same day
Goosemoor Lane.
This was on Saturday 5th June 2015 from around 9.50am - 10.35am.
Spread out over a few minutes round about midnight Sunday 15th February 2014 and
Monday 16th February 2014 - on/off, on/off, on/off etc.
Power Cut - Gravelly Lane - Monday 3/2/2014. It affected one side by the
junction with Station Road (the off-licence, grocery store, Chinese takeaway,
lamp-posts and nearby housing for about 6 houses up etc). An electricity van was
there with workers digging up the pavement. I don't know if that was the cause,
the repairers, or arranged beforehand. An odd time to do it deliberately if that
was the case.
Electricity Power Cut - Goosemoor Lane - 4.50pm on Thursday 1/8/2013. Was out
for about 1 hour.
Power cut on Monday 5/3/2012
Power cut on the night of 4-5/10/2011
Power surge on Tuesday Night/Wednesday Morning 21/22 December 2010
Power cut - New Year's Day 2009
"UFO's" overhead in Erdington were actually just some F15 fighter jets
The pictures are online and there were many witnesses in the area, but
the "UFO's" seen overhead in Erdington early on Monday 12/2/2018 were actually
just some American air force fighter jets flying to Wales and back from a base
in East Anglia - not ET or the Russian air force etc.
So don't worry, the Yanks are on our side - well they are for now anyway.
Donald Trump might Tweet a change soon though - after all he's inconsistent with
everything else he Tweets so why not that too. We'll be able to fight back with
those aeroplanes we don't have on our aircraft carriers.
Man suffers fractures in Erdington struggling for TWO hours before 999
call
The man is believed to have fallen from a loft at a property off Gravelly
Lane and then ‘shuffled’ to his front door (November 18th 2017).
At the junction of Goosemoor Lane and Top Croft Road -
apparently just after 7am on Sunday 15th October. A car (seemingly coming from
the Gravelly Lane direction) collided with a lamp post and the Top Croft street
sign on the pavement before ploughing into the front garden fence of a house
there - anyone standing on the pavement at the time would've been badly injured,
or worse.
(Court Lane is open again now - they are working in the gap between the
Londis shop and the Greyhound pub)
Nine people evacuated after blaze breaks out at Fish 'n' Chip shop in
Flackwell Road The fire happened at Cod Fellas Fish 'n' Chips on Friday (August
25). Eight people were evacuated from the Hairways hair salon next door as well
as one resident from a flat above the chip shop.
Man injured in three-vehicle crash - Turfpits Lane
The collision happened in Turfpits Lane, near to the junction of Jerry's
Lane, at around 7pm on Tuesday (August 22).
Yet Another Accident - Sunday 30/7/2017 around 3.30pm
A car came down from the direction of Court Lane (in the rain) and crashed on
the Goosemoor Lane bend.
Police and an ambulance were in attendance.
(For news of the recent fatal accident and resulting resident
actions etc see the Crime page)
Good Neighbours Day in 2018
- social network Nextdoor has teamed up with Neighbourhood Watch and a charity
called The Challenge to call on the government to create an official national
Good Neighbours Day in 2018
-
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-40811530
The walkway between Jarvis Road and Baldmoor Lake
Road (called Erdington Gardens) is open again (it is a slight maze with at
least one cul-de-sac etc) and it will be opened to road traffic at some point -
www.erdingtongardens.co.uk
Erdington Massives Facebook page - this group is about
all things ERDINGTON! Did you grow up there? Do you have any photos, Good
memories or anything to share about ERDINGTON? Let this be the place where we
look back and archive and reminisce on this great town in a positive way -
www.facebook.com/groups/Erdingtonmassives/
Keep Left Signs Update (Some of this damage may be accidental/high winds, not vandalism).
2 keep left signs were uprooted on the Bend
The stretch of pavement by Lamp P2 on Somerton Drive is uneven -
utility workers dug it up - they say it is now even again but is it? Elderly and
partially sighted people live along that stretch of road and struggle to walk
along it. It certainly has a hump and a dip. Reported.
End of an area - the last of the 5 brick-based trees by the Court Lane
junction has gone. There were put in during the 1930's but one by one over the
last 40 years or so have gone.
Alley Boarded Up Both ends of the alley on Goosemoor Lane alongside the church has
been boarded up - might be temporary whilst the new houses are completed off
Jarvis Road
Perry Common regeneration enters final phase
A major project to regenerate Perry Common has taken a step nearer completion
with the beginning of the final phase of the development.
Jack Dromey MP campaign - WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE OLD BATHS ON MASON ROAD?
A small group of residents are keen to try to keep the building as an
Arts and Community Centre for the people of Erdington - run by the community for
the community.
(Many of the roads in Perry Common are named after birds - so a nice
coincidence there)
AUTIS is a community charity group to support & spread awareness of Autism Support meetings are held on Tuesdays from 9.30 -11.30, all welcome including
children
Highcroft community centre, Erdington, Birmingham B23 7NG
There are two potholes next to each other just after the lights on
Gravelly Lane travelling towards the Chester Road. Cars are swerving into
oncoming traffic to avoid the potholes making it very dangerous for road users -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/968043
Constant parking on yellow school zig zags on Witton Lodge Road outside of
Storey wood school. Also blocking driveway -
"We have recently been informed that the Labour controlled City Council are
putting together proposals to build on yet more of Erdington's green open space.
The area they are looking to build on is the public open space between Kirkwood
Avenue and Littlecote Drive. This area is where Birmingham trees for life have
planted tress in recent years.
Robert on a recent visit to the public open space off Kirkwood Avenue. We have
made it very clear that we oppose any such plans to build on our green space,
which is a valued local facility. The Council's house building body, Birmingham
Municipal Housing Trust, has expressed an interest in building houses for
potential sale or rent - we do not believe that this is appropriate. Therefore
we have set up a petition to demonstrate to the City Council the strong feelings
we have towards this proposal."
Road accident - Goosemoor/Sycamore junction Tue 18/10/2016 around 3.50pm. A white van was heading along
Goosemoor Lane towards Court Lane. It got to the mini-island and slammed its
brakes on (due to the usual confusion at that island probably) and was
rear-ended by a car. No injuries it seems.
Nextdoor phone app - free, private social network for your
neighbourhood. It is the best way for you and your neighbours to hear what’s
happening in your local community.
The Aviva Community Fund offers you the chance to get funding for an
important cause in your community. We want you to submit a local community
project and tell us what a difference these much-needed funds could make. Get
enough votes from your friends, family and supporters and you could reach the
finals, where our judging panel picks the winners and awards the funds -
https://community-fund.aviva.co.uk/acfcms/get-involved
A YOUNG boy has died following a collision with a bus in Erdington The eight-year-old was cycling along Wilton
Road at around 3.15pm on Monday (August 15) when he was in collision with a bus.
Police are now appealing for witnesses to come forward and anyone with
information is urged to call the Collision Investigation Unit on 101.
(There are some intermittent sound issues - I think microphones were being
switched on and off at the wrong times)
Round Up Virgin Media cabinet knocked over at
the junction of Jerrys Lane and Raford Rd - reported. A replacement roundabout
sign is on Lamp 21 Goosemoor Lane by the Sycamore Road junction. Lights now put
in the alley leading between Goosemoor Lane and Gravelly Lane (they have no
numbers - I'll raise that when one fails). Pelican crossing put in on Gravelly
Lane by the Rose and Crown pub. The electricity substation on Goosemoor Lane by
Short Heath Park has new railings.
Erdington was on TV - BBC Panorama - Why We Voted to Leave: Britain Speaks
At just under 19 minutes in, Erdington is featured. I don't know that very
opinionated guy and
I've
never supported an open door policy with Poland
etc
either, but I say this - the demise of Erdington high street is mainly down to
the Fort and Beggar's Bush and the Internet etc. All those
shops at the Six Ways end were boarded up before the Poles had them
Football executive Greg Dyke, over his efforts with organisers to modernise
TV football - "Old men are dangerous. They always want the past - and the past
doesn't exist anymore."
John Major clearly meant that in the Referendum, he should have said it
actually.
A small post office has opened in the One Stop
shop on Jerrys Lane
27 - 31 Jerrys Lane, Birmingham, West Midlands B23 5NX
"Hi
-
just reported the tyre swing to the council clearly been vandalised it has been
noted and one of the local rangers should be out soon .... stay safe people"
Large Recycler Box Gone - Gravelly Lane Junction
The very large blue Recycler Box is gone for some reason at the Goosemoor
Lane/Gravelly Lane Junction. It was emptied once a fortnight and was always full
by that time
Fatal road accident - Court Lane/Goosemoor Lane junction - police appeal for
witnesses
A pensioner hurt in a car smash in Erdington on Sunday (May 15
th 2016) has died
in hospital.
The 84-year-old was a passenger in a white Hyundai i10 turning out of Goosemoor
Lane on to Court Lane just after 3pm when it collided with a white Seat Leon.
The impact resulted in both vehicles mounting the pavement and striking a
lamppost. The woman suffered serious head and internal injuries and she was
pronounced dead in hospital
Officers arrested the Seat Leon driver on suspicion of dangerous driving; the
29-year-old man, from Erdington, has been bailed till a date in July pending
further enquiries.
A 50-year-old woman who was driving the Hyundai at the time remains in hospital
in a stable condition having suffered multiple fractures.
Anyone with information should call police on 101 quoting log reference 1354 of
15 May 2016.
Help stop the closure of Erdington Methodist Church Pre-School
Furious parents have slammed a decision to close a popular
preschool in Birmingham which has been running for over 40 years. A petition has
been launched to keep the Erdington Methodist Church pre-school
open.
House On Church Road (Boldmere) Struck By Lightning - 7/5/2016 (no-one hurt)
(So obviously this is the Church Rd by the football ground not the one off the
High Street) - a
family’s home in Church Road, Boldmere, Sutton Coldfield, was plunged into
darkness as the roof went up in flames. Around 25 fire-fighters were sent to the
scene at around 7pm on Saturday
"This fridge freezer has been there for a week now. It could be waiting to be
picked up but surely it is dangerous to leave it there with the doors still
attached, a child could climb in and be trapped."
NO again to High Street shops plan
Plans to demolish five historic shop buildings in Erdington High Street have
again been refused by the Council’s planning committee. The plans were first
turned down in early January, and came back to the committee unchanged for a
second attempt. But they were given a short shrift. Councillor Gareth Moore
described the plans for the new building as “hideous and out of character with
the rest of Erdington High Street.” Councillor Bob Beauchamp described the
proposed new building as an abomination.
"NEW SIGNS ON STREETS POP UP - Residents had been in touch with the local
campaign team Bob, Gareth and Robert to ask what the black poles appearing in a
number of roads across Erdington were for. Bob said "the Council has installed
them for directions on a number of new cycle routes across Erdington Ward".
Hundreds of new trees have been planted this winter across Erdington by
Birmingham Trees for life, including on Kirkwood Avenue Park.
A planning application for the Leopard Pub on Jerry's Lane has been submitted.
Sadly the application is to turn the site into flats with a large extension to
the side. Previously they had permission to build houses, which would have been
better for the area. Robert has objected to the application to the Council."
More -
www.erdingtonconservatives.org.uk
Recent Street-Lamp News Bowling Green Close is getting
a new set of street lamps - work has already started.
Lamps 5 and
7 Littlecote Drive are out - from the Council - "Lamp columns at the above
location are not on land which is Highway Maintained at Public Expense (HMPE)
and does not form part of the Birmingham Highways Maintenance and Management
Service. I have therefore referred your enquiry to the Highways Team at
Birmingham City Council to establish ownership and responsibility and they will
respond to you"
Lamps 4, 10 and 19 on Somerton Drive all had
some drama or other with them -
fixed except that Number 19 still has a bushy tree obscuring it
Lamp 3 Amber Court blinks - reported
Lamp 1A Jerrys Lane is still out
Unnumbered lamps on St George Avenue still out
Didn't take long, one of the solar park-lights has had oil poured over it.
Still works though.
Lamp P6 on the Top Croft estate (by what is coined the North Maisonette
Block) is still out, reported again.
Lamp PAA1 (or something) at the side of the South Block on Top Croft - is
missing it's head!
At the bottom of Court Lane between Short Heath Road and Marsh Lane is an
alley with a lamp obscured by shrubbery etc. Reported.
NEW CROSSING FOR GRAVELLY LANE - Gravelly Lane will be getting a new crossing
outside the Rose and Crown pub as part of a series of improvements that will
also see the alleyway between Gravelly Lane and Goosemoor Lane. The alley will
be resurfaced and have lights added. Bob said "We have requested that the lights
have covers added to protect the neighbouring houses from any light invasion.
Hopefully the new crossing and resurfaced alley should be a benefit for local
residents"
CRANLEIGH AND REPTON HOUSE WORK ALMOST COMPLETE - Bob, Robert and Gareth have
been tracking the work over the last year work on Cranleigh and Repton Houses on
the Toperoft estate to improve the energy efficiency of the tower blocks for
local residents. The scheme is providing external wall insulation, Ecopod
communal heating systems and new windows for both towers. Gareth said "the
blocks are looking really great."
2016/00176/PA - Church Of Christ, Goosemoor Lane B23 5PN - Erection of single
storey rear extension and conversion of existing room to toilet block.
2016/00723/PA - 15 Oliver Road B23 6QD - Installation of step lift to front
2015/09462/PA - Baldmoor Lake Road, Land to the rear Former Court Lane
allotments - Non Material Amendment to approval 2015/03116/PA for the re-siting
of windows (staircase/ landing) on front elevation to Plots 58, 59, 81 & 78,
amendments to Plots 17-21 (Blocks 51 & 52) to allow a widened side access and
bay window to Plot 21 (Block 51) and alterations to car parking bays together
with the installation of a sub-station to the south eastern part of the site.
2016/00409/PA - La Fitness, 366 Gravelly Lane B23 5SB - Application for
Lawful Development Certificate to confirm opening hours 0630-2200 hours Monday
to Friday and 0800-1600 hours on Saturday and Sunday in association with
Gymnasium.
2015/10315/PA - 56 Jerrys Lane B23 5NX - Erection of single storey rear and
two storey side extension
Contact Sarah Stride - 0121 303 0709 or 0121 464 4243
X Marks The Tree - lots of trees in the area now have blue crosses
sprayed onto them - presumably to signal to workmen the ones to be pruned.
More new trees - and a park bench - we've more new trees in the park
and and on the land at the back of the woodyard - and a bench has appeared
alongside the path in the park
Proposed New Council Ward Boundaries In Erdington - More Birmingham residents: have your say on new council ward boundaries - We are
asking local people and organisations to comment on our draft recommendations
for new ward boundaries across Birmingham.
We have an open mind about further suggestions from local people to change
and improve these recommendations. We will consider all the submissions we
receive whoever they are from and whether your evidence applies to the whole of
Birmingham or just a part of the city.
Below, you can see our proposals for new ward boundaries. You can compare our
proposals (in red) to the existing boundaries (in blue) and search across the
whole of Birmingham, even down to street level. You can also click on any ward
to find out how many voters are included in it and how many councillors we
propose should represent it.
You can submit comments to us or upload a document by clicking on the 'Have
your say' link at the top of the page. You can also draw your own boundaries and
annotate the map by clicking on the button.
There is plenty of information to help you make a submission in the 'Useful
links' section at the bottom right of the page.
(You can see that Goosemoor Lane would `move' into the newly created Short
Heath ward. Some of the top end of Court Lane would `move' from the Kingstanding
ward to join us in Short Heath. Goosemoor Lane wouldn't be in the same Ward as
Erdington High Street anymore - which would stay in the Erdington ward)
North Birmingham Community Together;
We write asking you to support our alternative proposals to the boundary
commission for the layout of the Council wards in the North Birmingham area. As
you may have seen in the papers, the Local Government Boundary Commission (LGBCE)
are proposing to break up local wards in our area. We are a local group of
residents putting through an alternative proposal with the support of community
groups, more than 10 so far!
Our proposals would keep Goosemoor Lane in Erdington.
The new wards they suggest have no relation to the actually local
community/area. For example they propose a Perry Common Ward that does not
include the Court Farm area off Witton Lodge Road, but does include Wyrley Birch
which requires you driving through 4 wards to get to the rest of the proposed
ward! While in Erdington they are proposing to remove the area around Station
Road and Gravelly Lane. This would mean Erdington Police Station, Erdington
Railway Station, Erdington Abbey, Erdington Royal Mail Sorting Office, Osborne
School and the old Erdington Cottages would all be taken out of Erdington! In
Pype Hayes, they break the link with Birches Green and include part of Erdington
round the Yenton and they split the Gravelly Hill Community across two wards.
We are contacting local community groups to ask for your support in getting
the LGBCE to adopt our changes that only affect the area north of the M6 and
south of Sutton Coldfield.
What we are asking you to do:-
1) We are asking community groups to back our proposals, and allow us to list
them as supporting us on our website.
2) We are asking groups to write in support of our proposals, to the LGBCE by
emailingreviews@lgbce.org.uk
and stating you ask them to change their proposals for the north Birmingham area
to be:-
A Pype Hayes Ward including Birches Green, a Castle Vale Ward, a two member
Erdington Ward, a Perry Common Ward, a two member Gravelly Hill Ward, a two
member Kingstanding Ward, a Stockland Green Ward and a two member Oscott Ward.
Fox attacks cat - Streetly Road A report came to me from a cat owner in the Streetly Rd area of Erdington whose
animal was being attacked/menaced by a fox at night recently in their garden.
Such attacks are rare but there are ongoing studies and advice etc -
www.vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2013/02/14/urban-foxes-attacks-on-cat/
Dropped Kerb A dropped kerb has been put in on both sides of Goosemoor
Lane at the Court Lane junction
New Young Trees On Goosemoor Lane - the labels are confusing though! (Google can't make up its mind if Corylus Colurna or
Corylus Columa is the correct name - the label on one tree says Corylus Columa
but Google when entered suggests Corylus Colurna. It'll become clear when it
grows up!)
Lorries in the area
The new estate being built by Jarvis Road has led to loads of
lorries trundling along Jarvis Road and along Topcroft Road onto Goosemoor Lane.
I'll keep an eye on it but we'll probably
have to put up with it - the estate won't build itself.
Win a holiday to Portugal by shopping at One Stop on Jerrys Lane Fill in your details below to enter into our prize draw
across our stores nationwide to be in with a chance of winning a holiday to
Portugal!
How to enter:
Enter the first 13 digits of the barcode from your receipt
Fill in your details below & click submit
Robert, Gareth and Bob (pictured left with a local resident on Perry Common
Rec) have had travellers, which had broken onto both Perry Common Recreation
Ground and Pype Hayes Park in recent months, moved on. Your campaign team
contacted the Council quickly to have them moved on and then get the sites
cleared up and demanded they are secured. Bob said "they left behind dozens of
bags of rubbish. It is disappointing that Council contractors failed to lock the
gate at Pype Hayes and left a hole in the fence at Perry Common Rec (which is
behind Turfpits Lane) enabling them access".
Bob and the team have had the mini round-about and approach to the junction
of Court Lane, Anderson Road and Somerset Road, resurfaced and repaired.
The demolition of the former Clover Hotel site on Chester Road has nearly
finished with building work for the new care home due to start in the new year.
Robert, Gareth and Bob have reported the broken bollard on Jerrys Lane, by
the junction with Sheddington Road for repair
Some of the drains in Goosemoor Lane and Top Croft Road have been
cleared, but some reason not all of them
White van on Goosemoor Lane by the alley leading to Gravelly Lane White van registration FD 53 YHX - seems like an abandoned
vehicle - heavy damage to the front left wheel - reported for investigation
From Erdington Conservatives - petition for an Erdington Conservation Zone
The Conservation zone would be focused on the historic
(mainly) Victorian heart of Erdington that built up either side of the railway
station and if possible will be extended to included the arts and craft homes
built interwar as Erdington expanded. The area will cover at least around
Gravelly Lane and the roads off, down Station Road and then around the Edwards,
Orchard, Arthur Road area including the roads off, running down the High Street
to the area around Church Road/Trafalgar Road.
Popular local Councillor Bob Beauchamp said "Erdington
has lost too many historic and beautiful buildings over the years. It is vital
that we make sure what is left is protected and preserved. A conservation zone
would help this happen".
From Erdington Conservatives - the former Court Lane Allotments site - update;
Fire - Witton Lodge Road Three people were rescued from a fire in Perry Common
after a car was engulfed in flames in the early hours of Wednesday October 14.
Emergency services received a 999 call at around 1.35am after a private motor
vehicle was found ablaze on Witton Lodge Road. A spokesperson for West Midlands
Fire Service said that the fire was thought to have been accidental.
2 road accidents on Goosemoor Lane in the last few days;
Erdington crash biker thrown 100ft by impact - a biker injured in a crash in
Erdington was thrown almost 100ft by the impact. The man, believed to be in his
20's, was left with head and leg injuries following a collision with a car at
the junction of Sycamore Road and Goosemoor Lane.
It happened just after 3pm on Friday (2/10/2015).
Police officers gave the motorcyclist emergency first aid until paramedics
arrived. He was airlifted to Birmingham’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital with a head
injury, stomach pain, a fractured upper leg and knee and a suspected fractured
pelvis. The car driver of the car, a man in his 60's, was shaken but unhurt.
(Part of a stone garden wall on Sycamore Road at that junction was knocked
down by that one)
An accident on Gravelly Lane was partially blocking the road at the Goosemoor
Lane junction.
The Goosemoor Lane pavement has been marked with white paint
at several points indicating pending repairs
WHEELIE BIN CHAOS. From Erdington Conservatives;
"Gareth, Robert and Bob have described the
recent wheelie bin roll out as a 'nightmare' following many residents across
Erdington having two months of missed collections and failed assisted
collections. Since wheelie bins have been introduced locally Robert, Gareth and
Bob have dealt with hundreds of requests for help with missed collections and
assisted collections. Bob said "Robert, Gareth and I are in daily contact with
the depot to try and get these unacceptable problems resolved for local
residents. We continue to bring this up with the senior officers and cabinet
members, demanding action for residents". Robert has been helping residents
across Court Farm, eg on Court Farm Road, to get their refuse collected
following the failing roll out of wheelie bins."
Fire - Baldmoor Lake Road THREE people suffered smoke inhalation following
a flat fire in Erdington. The incident occurred in Baldmoor Lake Road at around
7.20pm on Sunday (August 9). The fire occurred on the second floor of an
eight-storey block of flats after a chip pan had been left unattended in a
kitchen.
Somerton Drive - extensive rubbish dumping in shared alleyway by
neighbour. Resulting in the appearance of rats in the garden and the blocking of
way for emergency services -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/665907
Lease the Rose and Crown pub - this was in the Birmingham Mail;
"This Rose and Crown is considerably older than this
Birmingham boozer that bears the same name in Gravelly Lane, Erdington. Its
origin lies in the fact that Edward III used a golden rose as a personal badge
and his sons, John and Edward, used the red and the white rose. The battles
between the pair's descendants were knows as the War of The Roses. The combined
red-and-white Tudor rose, often crowned, has been a symbol of the monarchy since
the 15th century. This urban pub near Spaghetti Junction occupies a large space
with lots of parking and could be ripe for development. It has two bars, a
garden and accommodation above. It is available for lease. Offers are invited
through Christie & Co on 0121 456 1222"
From Erdington Conservatives - DUMPED RUBBISH - Osborne Road Gareth, Robert and Bob have reported the dumped rubbish on the
junction of Osborne Road and Station Road for clearing and for the rubbish
source to be investigated to ensure that this fly tipping does not continue. Bob
said;
"It is totally unacceptable for people to think they can dump rubbish like
this, making our area untidy. We will keep pressing the Council for action on
this".
Cable box was busted open - Goosemoor Lane - fixed On the pavement outside Travis Perkins builders merchants -
fixed.
Streetlife is a social network for local communities. We have a simple
aim: to help people make the most of where they live by connecting with their
neighbours and sharing practical information, advice and resources -
www.streetlife.com
(I got a letter inviting me onto the Short Heath section - so I'm Gary O on
there)
Spinney Bushes And Trees Being Trimmed The Spinney wooded area at the junction of Court Lane and Witton
Lodge Road is being trimmed and pruned.
Pavement re-l
aid up by the park
- I think the roots from adjacent
trees in the park have forced it to be done
Traffic chaos in Erdington after a lorry
hits the Summer Road railway bridge - again!
A lorry struck a railway bridge and shed its load, causing travel chaos for
train passengers and motorists. The truck collided with the bridge in Summer
Road, Erdington at about 9.15am (Wed 20/5/2015) forcing rail services to be
suspended while engineers inspected the safety of its structure. The HGV also
spilled its load on the road causing long delays for traffic trying to navigate
the collision site.
It is the second time within a month that a lorry has struck the bridge. A
lorry caused rail chaos for train passengers when the bridge was struck on April
23 blocking the Cross City line.
(It has been hit several times in several years in fact - there has been
at least one fatality. The Council have put in warning signs etc but as we see
not entirely solving the problem)
Another car-crash on The Bend This was on The Bend of Goosemoor Lane early on Thursday evening
(14/5/2015). In the wet a car came down the hill towards Anstey Fields, failed
to negotiate The Bend, took out one of the four Keep Left signs and struck a
tree on the pavement on the odd side of the road (the tree bears the evidence if
you check). The police closed that area for a time afterwards.
Fatal Road Accident - Memorial Fund A boy has died after being hit by a police car in a Birmingham street
just moments after leaving a church service. The accident happened as Harry
Kirkham crossed New Sutton Road outside Erdington police station with his
younger brother -
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/harry-kirkham-kingstanding-boy-dies-8879854
From Fix My Street - the Mosque situated on corner of Station
Road and Osborne Road have been putting bin bags out
(Friday PM) after collection time (Friday AM). Bags are piling up blocking the
footpath and bin men refused to clear them for past two weeks. Rubbish all over
the street from bags that have been ripped open..Ongoing problem reported
numerous times to Birmingham
City
Council
-
www.fixmystreet.com/report/629584
Rats in the area? A couple of people have contacted me rat sightings in the
area and I've even spotted a couple myself, normally on Sunday nights when the
bin bags are out.
Trip Hazard - Goosemoor Lane - Fixed There was a small man-hole cover popping up
above the pavement opposite the Kirkwood Avenue junction - fixed.
From Erdington Conservatives;
1. BALDMOOR LAKE ROAD CLEAN UP - Popular local ClIrs Gareth Moore, Bob Beauchamp
and Robert Alden recently carried out a clean up on the old garage site to the
rear of Baldmoor Lake Road. They collected 6 bags of weeds from the site and
trimmed back the edges. Residents had contacted the team about the area as the
Council was refusing to cut it back. Gareth, Bob and Robert therefore jumped
into action.
Gareth said - "There are two hedges that have large piles of fly tipped waste in
them that need the Council to clear them. These have been reported to the
Council for clearing. Hopefully now they can reach them they will agree to clear
them asap".
2. SHORT HEATH CAR PARK FENCE INSTALLED - Last year Robert, Gareth and Bob
announced they had secured funding for a fence and new path to be installed
around the car park at Short Heath Park, Court Lane. These have now been
installed. Gareth said - "The fence round the car park was needed after the
remaining timber stumps had started to rot". Bob added - "Last year we had to
have a trench dug round the car park to stop vehicles getting on the park. Now
the fence is installed this should keep the park secure".
3. LEOPARD PUB - Recently Intouch confirmed the Leopard pub had been given
permission to be demolished following vandalism. ClIr Bob Beauchamp said - "A
planning application has now been submitted for the site to have 7 houses built
on the site". Gareth said "as we have more news we will keep residents updated".
Post-Box On Station Road Was Catching Clothes etc The post-box on Station Road by the train station had a
steel plate across its slot which was catching and ripping clothes etc as people
walked past (it is by the busy station ramp). It was reported to Royal Mail -
and it is completely sealed off smoothly now
.
This has been sent in;
"Station Road alley way going to the rear entrance to the flats from 40 -
50 Station Road. The path has real bad uneven ground where I have slipped a
couple of times and even sprained my ankle, its a matter of time before someone
gets seriously hurt there also due to no lighting around the area makes it even
more difficult to use" -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/612312
Complaint About The Nature And Standard Of Repair Works To The Pavement -
Update
Council contractor Amey have fixed the ones which they judged to be a
trip hazard (so if you visit the above sites etc you'll see they are
smoother now).
From Erdington Conservatives;
Objection to Application for Hot Food Takeaway, 179 Gravelly Lane -
2015/01262/PA
"An application has been made for the above premises to be changed from a retail
unit to a hot food takeaway opening from 11:30 — 22:30 Monday to Sunday. We have
serious concerns about this proposal and have made the following objections to
the Planning Department about this application.
There is already a large number of hot food takeaways located in the surrounding
area, a number of which are already in close proximity to these premises. There
is not a need for more takeaways in this area. • These premises are located
close to a residential area which would suffer from public nuisance, in terms of
litter, noise, smell and anti-social behaviour. This would include into the
evening and night and disturb local residents. A hot food takeaway at this
location would have a substantial impact for residential properties located
close by. • There already exists parking issues in the surrounding residential
roads which have only on-street parking.
We would encourage as many residents as possible to contact the Planning
Department directly to object to this application and demonstrate the impact it
would have by using the existing takeaways as an example. These already cause
issues for the local area and another takeaway will only make things worse. If
you would like to object you can contact the Planning Department by emailing
planning.enquiries@birmingham.gov.uk
or calling 0121 303 1115, quoting the above reference number. Alternatively sign
our petition by completing the slip below and returning it to us."
Yours sincerely,
(Please note that Cllr Bob Beauchamp is a Member of the Planning Committee and
so cannot comment on this application at this time)
Fire - Buxton Road - Perry Common A crew from Erdington attended an incident in Buxton Road (March 17) at
around 9.30am which was caused by an unattended pan left on a kitchen stove
New Community Hall Planned - Goosemoor Lane "Junior Bucknor here. I'm part of the leadership at the New Testament Church
of God on Goosemoor Lane (the old Church of Christ building). I hope you can
help us by circulating this link for a survey we are conducting.
Erdington New Testament Church of God is the building located next door to
Cooke’s Furniture store, set back from the road on Goosemoor Lane. As a
congregation, it has been part of the Erdington community for over 50 years.
There is a hall at the back of the main building that is underused during the
week. As there are a lack of community and neighbourhood facilities with good
access and parking within the Erdington area, Erdington NTCG is hoping to fill
this gap and we are proposing to undertake some renovation work to the back hall
to make it even more accessible to the diverse communities within Erdington.
This work will see:
New toilets installed – to create separate facilities from the Church area and a
facility that can be hired out to the local residents/groups
Upgrade of the kitchen area – to provide a state of the art food preparation
area
Landscaping of the garden area –to provide opportunities for children to
experience nature in the heart of the city.
A key part of the planning for this project is to determine the demand and need
for this facility within the area. To help with this we would be grateful if you
would complete this short questionnaire to tell us about your relationship with
the building and let us have your opinions about how the building can become
more relevant/be better used within and by it's host community."
New Path In The Park - there is a path now between the car-park and
the play-area.
From Erdington Conservatives;
"Have reported the speed sign on Court Lane for fixing as it was showing KPH
instead of MPH.
The team are helping residents raise challenges over incorrect Wheelie Bin
assessments.
Got New Street, Osborne Road and Court Lane roads resurfaced."
Big Centre TV is the new local TV channel for Birmingham, Walsall,
Wolverhampton, Solihull and The Black Country. It broadcasts on Freeview channel
8 or free online -
www.bigcentre.tv/watch-live
Trees Being Pruned on Goosemoor Lane
The contractor Amey is doing it. A few years back another
contractor managed to sever lots of the BT phone-lines along the street whilst
doing it! Here is hoping for no repeat
A new fish and chip shop has just opened on Flackwell Road at the junction
with Witton Lodge Road
From Erdington Conservatives - "NEW SPEED SIGN -
Gareth, Robert and Bob have secured a second speed sign on Court Lane, following
the tragic car crash last year."
65 Bus Disruptions - it is currently having to cope with all this along
the route;
Food Bank At Bethany Church On South Road In Erdington
"We are starting a food bank up in our church. Also we are seeking donations
of food from those able to help. All the information is on our web page -
www.bethanypentecostal.org "
Plans for Sainsbury's supermarket on vacant Erdington showroom site
shelved - for now
At the junction of Gravelly Hill and Wheelwright Road, the road floods after
a small amount of rain. Cars drive through it at speed and soak pedestrians as
they walk past - www.fixmystreet.com/report/566276
Pot-hole near the Sycamore Road junction (outside 178 Goosemoor)
Motorcycle Accident - Goosemoor Lane/Kirkwood Avenue junction Sunday 14/12/2014 around
1pm. It was a male rider, collided with a white van at the junction. The injured
man was treated at the scene and went to hospital with suspected leg injury and
for full medical assessment.
A passing neighbour attended the scene and administered first aid and kept
injured safe and as comfortable as can be until police, ambulance and fire
services
attended.
The vehicle crashed into a bridge on Summer Road in Erdington at
around 3.20pm (Wednesday November 26th 2014) and got stuck. The road was blocked
between Machin Road and South Road
Collapsed Man - Goosemoor Lane An epileptic man collapsed whilst walking his dog opposite the Woodyard -
Wednesday 12/11/2014 around 3pm. Passersby assisted him to his nearby home.
Some pics have been sent in showing repair work to the some of the paving
slabs by contractor Amey on Goosemoor Lane down near Cookes and at the Topcroft
junction -
tarmac has replaced the slabs and that is cracked already. You can see why the
resident has complained.
From Amey re
the dodgy paving repairs;
"Footway Concerns - Goosemoor Lane. Thank you for your
enquiry regarding the condition of the footway on Goosemoor Lane.
Following investigation of your enquiry, I can confirm
that the tarmac has been laid as a permanent surface. The slabs have been
removed due to the mature tree roots lifting the slabs and posing a dangerous
trip hazard to pedestrians.
The ponding issue on the footway does not pose a risk to
pedestrians currently. The site will be monitored on a regular basis and any
defects found will be repaired where necessary."
Three injured in horrific car collision at the junction of
Chester Road and Court Lane.
THREE people involved in a horrific car collision on the border of Sutton
Coldfield and Erdington (on Saturday October 25th 2014) were "fortunate not to have
suffered more serious injuries", emergency services have said.
The victims had a miraculous escape when a silver VW and a grey BMW were
involved in a collision at the junction of Court Lane and Chester Road, near
Halls Garden Site at around 6.30am.
Online Petition Re Good Hope Hospital Please ask the NHS Heart Of England Trust to honour their promise
made sometime ago of holding a Public Meeting, by naming a date for such a
Meeting, where patients from all areas covered by Good Hope Hospital will hear
what the proposals for change regarding this Hospital are and for them to have
their voices heard -
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-good-hope-s-local-services
`Cllr's Gareth Moore and Bob Beauchamp working with
Parliamentary Spokesman Clir Robert Alden have stepped into where Birmingham
City Council refused. The communal Flower bed set back on Jerry's Lane had been
neglected and allowed to become untidy. Bob and Robert spent a recent Sunday
afternoon, clearing up the leaves and plants and then replanting the flower beds
with new plants. The area set back flats half way down Jerry's Lane now looks
welcoming for local residents.
Bob said - "While the Labour Council maybe willing to run our area down we are
not and s stepped into buying some plants ourselves and clearing the area up for
local residents."'
The Tories are also;
Campaigning to get Ilford Road resurfaced
Got dumped rubbish cleared up on Jarvis Road.
(Jack Dromey of Labour sends stuff in - but it is just general waffle about
national issues rather than specifically local stuff - he has its own website
where you can read it. Must every community website in the land be turned into
the hopeless and unending trench-warfare of Westminster? This one proudly
isn't).
Tippex Island Repainted - the two small islands at the junctions of
Sycamore Road and Topcroft Road have been repainted.
Police fears over Station Road mosque rejected From the Birmingham Mail;
`"A MOSQUE based in a former corner shop on a busy
Erdington street can stay open permanently despite police fears over traffic
congestion and lack of parking spaces.
The Sultania Hadayat-ul-Quran prayer hall on Station Road, Erdington, for up to
23 worshippers, had been open for a year under a temporary planning permission,
before being granted full approval. But there were objections from ten residents
over the noise from the mosque which during certain times of the year can open
as early as 4.15am and close as late as 11pm.
Police also complained that there is not enough parking in the street for users
of both the mosque and Islamic school. But the planning committee was told that
during the year-long trial there had been no formal complaints over noise and no
traffic incidents and therefore they should approve the prayer centre.
Committee member and local councillor Bob Beauchamp said: "Parking is a problem
as raised by the police - "Residents have complained to us about the chatter and
banging of car , doors late at night. We must limit this for the peace of the
area."
But Coun Mohammed Azim (Lab, Sparkbrook) said: "Parking is a problem
everywhere."'
Outside 234 and 238 Goosemoor Lane are loose paving stones on the pavement
- reported
Poor Sycamore Road Camber - at the junction with Goosemoor Lane on the
even side of Sycamore Road it floods in heavy rain due to a poor camber.
Reported.
Action Plan for Erdington - by Erdington Conservatives Cllr Robert Alden has teamed up with Cllr Gareth Moore, Tyburn
campaigner Clifton Welch and Kingstanding campaigner Andy Rudge to launch their
Action Plan for Erdington and Kingstanding. Have your say on the future of our
local area by filling in the petition below and help decide what will help make
our home even better for local residents -
www.erdingtonconservatives.org.uk/news/action-plan-erdington
More Diseased Trees
To Go More trees
on Goosemoor Lane now have removal notices on them due
to disease
or structural faults. Another one has
already now gone (a second of the large brick-foundation
ones right at the junction with Court Lane which dates from the 1930's and is in
pictures on the History Page from that time).
The Council does plant others in their place, but it is sad to see some
notable ones go.
Sycamore Road Floods At The Goosemoor Lane Junction In Heavy Rain This is caused by a poor camber rather than a blocked drain etc -
I'll report it.
Oil on Gravelly Lane car park - "A
skip hire truck driven every day by one of the residents of the pavilions
housing estate is making a mess of the car park. It has had some kind of oil or
fuel leak which has been left to soak into the ground and spread across the car
park."
(That is up by the Chester Road junction and next to the gym)
New Traffic Lights At Salford Circus/Spaghetti Junction - better now? Let it be known if these new lights solve the problems, or make it worse.
Certainly at evening rush-hour on weekdays the traffic was often backing up
along Lichfield Road to Aston Railway Station (massively delaying the 65, 66 and
66A buses amongst everything else even given the bus-lane in some stretches
along there). The seeming cause was traffic on the island trying to enter the
crowded M6 and mingling with all the traffic entering the island from Lichfield
Road which was trying to enter the M6 too or travel up Gravelly Hill or Slade
Road etc.
It will probably be hard to make a proper judgement until the kids go back to
school.
(The walkway underneath seems hardly used)
The "pinch-point"" problem at the junction of Gravelly Hill and Kingsbury
Road out-of-city remains. I think there are plans for there too, but nothing has
happened yet - I always suggest putting in modifications which block right-turns
from Gravelly Hill onto Kingsbury Road, but allow right-turns from Gravelly Hill
onto Wheelwright Road where the lights are. Presently, paused traffic
out-of-city halts everyone, but that new idea would leave one lane open whenever
traffic has to stop before making a right-turn.
On the pavement down by
the shops at the Gravelly Lane/Station Road junction in Erdington there's an
uprooted phone-box and mail-box next to it also uprooted, there were workman
taking the phone-box away
That was indeed the result of a car mounting the pavement and striking them both
(late on Sunday 13/7/2014). Somehow the car missed the bus-shelter very nearby.
The driver was ok apparently.
Would be serious impact to knock over a phone-box and mail-box too.
Boldmere Road/Church Road junction shut after collision involving a lorry and
a car
Boldmere Road was closed in both directions and West Midlands Fire Service
advised residents to avoid the road at the Church Road junction. West Midlands
Fire Service, Police and Ambulance were at the scene and although no-one was
trapped,a female is being treated by paramedics onsite suffering from a chest
injury.
At 1.47pm on Friday June 27 in 2014, West Midlands Fire Service were alerted
to the incident by the Ambulance Service and sent crews from Perry Barr and
Sutton Coldfield.
(Historically that junction has been dangerous. Motorists coming out of
Church Road can only see a few yards down Boldmere Road in the direction of
Chester Road - though I don't know if that was the actual cause in this case)
Some Workman Were On The Land Between The Jarvis
Road And Topcroft Estates The area is ear-marked
for housing, and a few workmen have been spotted doing some sort of preliminary
work there. I can't find any Planning Applications for that land though. Watch
this space.
In Post Parcel Locker - reference number UKBIR16945, Gravelly Lane,
Birmingham B23 5SB Location: Premier Store (in front of the shop)
A number of issues have been sent in, my comments are underneath each in
brackets;
"Somerset Road - There are a number of front garden walls which look
like they are leaning towards the pavement at a worrying angle and there is one
in particular which looks ready to collapse at any moment. I don't know if there
is an inspection of walls in Birmingham, but it does raise the question of
preventing injury to folk walking by."
(I've checked some of these walls - yes some lean out slightly but none are
actually in any danger of toppling over it seems. Each is only about a yard high
too - a danger to cats and poodles if anyone).
"Gravelly Lane - I reported this one to a PCSO twice within the last 2
years and even paid a visit to the Police Station. There is a large black cable
of about 18 inches outside a garden wall which snakes along the pavement about
an inch or two from the wall. It seems like it is only a matter of time before
someone trips and hurts themselves."
(This is a botch job by Virgin Cable when leading the cable from the pavement
to a house etc. In theory it is a tripping hazard to someone who is partially
sighted).
"Metal rails by steps at the start of the gully between Somerset Road and
Jarvis Road have been missing/stolen for about 2 years also. These rails were
invaluable to the older folk, especially in the bungalows, who have difficulty
walking as this is the main route to get to the shops on Gravelly Lane."
(I assume the metal railings in that alley have been nicked the same way that
everything metal is nicked these days. Replacing them with something
non-metallic is one idea).
"Another thing I have noticed is the sound of Police, Ambulance and Fire
Brigade Sirens around Erdington which have increased 1000 fold I feel, in recent
years and has definitely made a huge noise impact on the ambience of the area
day and night. I am not disputing that these are emergency vehicles perhaps on a
life or death incident, but I do wonder why the huge increase? You can almost
guarantee meeting one of these vehicles rushing by on every trip or outing you
make in this area, especially at the Chester Road junction with New Summer Road,
in fact it does make that junction very dangerous due to the frequency and
perhaps a road sign could be put up regarding this danger spot, as the road into
Sutton has been narrowed into a two into one lane as you turn left at the lights
going into Sutton, this junction gets very busy at rush hour and I have
witnessed emergency vehicles going in different directions from two approaches
at this time."
(We are not far from Erdington fire station and Erdington police station, so
will always have them rushing about the area - I'll try to find out if the
sirens are louder now though. I have noticed the 2 - fire and police - trying to
both cross junctions in a rush at the same time in the area and getting in each
other's way - such as at the Station Road/Sutton New Road junction - but I don't
know what can be done).
Missing Bus Stops And Wobbly Bus Stops - Update There is now a new 66A bus-stop post by the electricity substation on Goosemoor Lane
from the Erdington to Sutton way. Some of the existing bus-stops posts on Goosemoor Lane are wobbly.
Reported to Centro - response;
"Thank you for your email received the 5 February 2014, regarding the bus stops
on Goosemoor Lane. We are aware that the flag which was originally installed on
a lamppost on the 66A route travelling towards Erdington is missing, and are
looking to rectify this. The bus stop at this location has 'And Opposite'
arrangement in place, meaning that bus services should stop on both sides of the
road.
We have however received feedback from passengers that this is not always the
case, and that on occasions drivers have not been stopping on the opposite side
of the road. It is therefore our intention to install two new stops at this
location, meaning the bus stop flag would no longer be installed on a lamp post.
Prior to a bus stop being installed we have to ensure the location meets with
the Highways Authority's strict road safety criteria and hence need be located
in a safe environment for passengers to board and alight vehicle. Therefore we
have arranged for a member of our team to carry out a site survey to find a
suitable location for the stops to be installed.
Whilst I cannot give you a confirmed decision at this time I can advise you that
we will endeavour to install stops here as quickly as possible, subject to
receiving highways approval.
I hope this information helps, and thank you for taking the time to contact
Centro.
Motorcyclist sent 'flying through the air' in Erdington crash A motorcyclist had a lucky escape after witnesses described him ‘flying
through the air’ following a crash on Short Heath Road early on Monday evening
(19/5/2014). The bike collided with a car at the junction with Turfpits Lane
just before 6pm.
Vegetable plants for sale at Court Lane Allotments "We have a large selection of vegetable, fruit and herb plants for sale through
the shop at Court Lane Allotments. The plants have been grown from seed by our
own plot holders. They are in the netted area near the main car park by the
shop. The shop is open to everyone on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm.
Please come along and help to support us to raise funds for our site.
There was a car accident on the junction of Chester
Road and Church Road during the night of Thursday 8th May The car mounted the pavement and demolished the brick wall
of the house on the corner of Chester Road and Church Road in Boldmere. There
was a spillage of engine coolant on the path which was also littered with broken
glass, and pieces of broken car bumper.
Dog Fouling - More The Council have put up a dog-fouling warning sign by the Court Lane
junction. A resident on Goosemoor Lane opposite the Amber Court junction has a sign on
their gate about dog-fouling on the pavement outside - and another resident have
a sign up by The Inset too. There is dog dirt on the pavement along Goosemoor
Lane if you check. Here is the general Council info about it;
"The Dogs (Fouling of Land) Act requires any person in charge of a dog which
fouls on designated land, to remove the dog mess immediately. Almost all land in
Birmingham is designated. Offenders can be issued with a fixed penalty notice
(£50).
If you are issued with a fixed penalty notice this will include details, where
and how payment of the fine can be made. Failure to pay will result in
prosecution and, if the matter goes to court, may result in a fine of up to
£1,000.
The dog wardens affix appropriate signs to lamp posts and distribute educational
leaflets and posters to encourage dog owners to clean up after their pets."
Mary Harvey (Birmingham). Mary has for years been an important part of her
local community. She is a member of the local Community Watch in Perry Common,
Birmingham and set up a ‘Duckling Watch’ scheme - amassing an army of local
children to become junior community wardens, tackling anti-social behaviour and
helping local wildlife.
From Erdington Conservatives; "From previous leaflets residents will be aware
we have been working to secure the former Leopard Pub on Jerry's Lane. The pub
was sold at auction, earlier this year, and since then has remained empty and
accessible. We are delighted to confirm that the pub has now been secured. The
owner has sealed all the windows and installed a gate to the rear.
We are now working with the police to find a long term solution to the building
both security wise and what the site will be used for in the future.
We will update residents with more information as and when we receive it. If in
the meantime you find more issues or ASB occurring at the Leopard Pub site
please do ensure you ring the local Police Station to record it and ask for a
log number. This will ensure that it is recorded on the Police database and even
if the Police do not come out and attend at that point, it will ensure the
Police allocate even more resources to the area to tackle the site.
If you have problems with anything else please let us know on the details
below."
Erdington
Conservatives; "We have
contacted the Council demanding that the Spinney on the corner of Witton Lodge
Road and Court Lane is cleared up (below).
The site is owned by the City Council Housing Department
and so they have an obligation to keep it clean. It is in desperate need of
being cleaned up and so we have asked them to send a cleaning crew down to clear
the site."
Erdington Conservatives letter to the Council; "I have been contacted by a
number of residents regarding the state of the Spinney on Witton Lodge Road at
the junction of Court Lane. I have been out to look at it and once again it is
been used as a dumping ground almost. The site is full of litter which has been
thrown over the fence. As this land is owned by the City Council housing
department please can we get a cleaning crew out on site to get it cleared up
for local residents. In addition part of the fence has been damaged please can
we look at this and see if we can get it repaired as well please."
Pavement (Chester Road and Sutton Road junction) to 687 Chester Road is
littered with broken glass -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/452115
A report has been sent to Fix My Street by
someone -
"A property on this road has a fence with barbed
wire on top of it. That's not a problem of course,
but in one section the bracket has fallen over
meaning the barbed wire is hanging over the public
footpath. A tall person may not see it and it is low
enough to injure them. The owner of the building
needs to put the barbed wire back in place."
Serious
Accident - Goosemoor Lane Bend - Car Upside Down! More (The car's speed and then the sound of the crash
actually woke me up and I live by the Kirkwood Avenue
junction!)
Friday morning
5.30am - 28/2/2014. A car (small grey or silver
hatchback) travelling at speed down Goosemoor Lane (in rain) from the direction of the
Kirkwood Avenue junction towards the notorious bend on
Goosemoor Lane went completely out of control on
that bend - and ended up on its roof! Lamp 14 was
completely uprooted.
I've no idea
of injuries etc but I could soon hear sirens - nearby people
were already there within minutes.
It hadn't
gone through the fence into the kids play area (was by
the Anstey Field junction) - luckily no kids were in there at that early
time though.
That bend is
notorious for crashes and the issue of the nearby kids
play-area and the new housing development there was
repeatedly raised with the Council beforehand - planning
permission was still granted though.
The car had been
removed by around 10am.
Erdington MP Jack Dromey "Under-Age Sex" Row This issue is now being widely reported nationally. I have no further
information beyond that, here are the mainstream media links about it;
(When Labour finally got a leader capable of winning general elections after 18
years notice how he either quickly dumped or sidelined Harman, Abbott, Short,
Livingstone and Dobson etc - and from cases like this you can see why. Who would
the crucial Essex swing-voter support in this big row - the mindlessly stubborn
Harman or The Daily Mail?)
Water leak fixed - Goosemoor Lane
- by the Inset and Sycamore Road junction,
was on both sides of the road, gushing a bit. Severn Trent spent several days fixing it.
Alley Between Jarvis Road An Somerset Road Cleaned
From Erdington Conservatives;
`Last month saw local residents, our popular local Cllrs Robert Alden, Bob
Beauchamp and Gareth Moore, join with members of St Margaret's Church to carry
out a clean up around the Alley between Jarvis Road and Somerset Road and the
land on Jarvis Road around the Church. Robert said "it was great to see so many
people from the local community come together to help clean it up and show pride
in our area. Thank you to everyone who took part and to the Council for taking
the 40 plus bags of waste collected away!"'
Small holly trees pruned in Short Heath park - by the car-park. Seems
to be a move against anti-social behaviour given the other small bushy holly
trees have been left alone.
A WARNING has been issued to pet owners following a fire in Glendon Road in
Erdington involving a naked flame The blaze was started by an animal knocking a candle on to curtains at a three-bedroomed
property in Glendon Road in Short Heath - Wednesday, February 5. Fire crews from
Erdington and Perry Barr were called following a 999 call at 10.22pm reporting a
house fire at an end terrace house. Two fire officers using breathing apparatus
entered the two-storey home and extinguished the fire in a rear bedroom.
The ambulance service also attended and gave precautionary checks to the four
people in the property but none were taken to hospital.
Topcroft North Maisonette Block Door Finally Fixed Took a few
months, but it locks again now. Had been bust open for some time.
(North Block is the one nearest Goosemoor Lane - coined by this website to
tell them apart).
Road Accident - Chester Road/Sycamore Road Junction A resident reported that there was a road traffic accident on the
corner of Chester Road and Sycamore Road at about 7.15am (Wednesday 11th
December). The accident involved a car and a motorcycle. The police and
ambulance service attended the scene. Traffic was restricted to one lane causing
some tailbacks in both directions but by 8am traffic conditions had returned to
normal.
(The Birmingham Mail mentioned that the motorcycle rider injured their wrist and
was taken to hospital as a precaution)
Jack Dromey MP Fuel Expenses Row/Jack Dromey MP Proposed Increased Salary
Row/Jack Dromey MP Twitter Row I say that the `huffing and puffing' voter of Salford pretty much makes
all of this sort of thing irrelevant in the safe Labour seat which Erdington is
(the Salford voters totally swore blind to get rid of expenses cheat Hazel
Blears MP - but then simply re-elected her when given their first chance to
chuck her out).
Here are all the recent `scandals' anyway, but I say Jack Dromey will be
re-elected the Erdington MP in 2015;
As ever Jack Dromey is offered the right of reply on these 4 issues, any
response which will be placed as prominently on the website as this original
notice. He may choose to only respond on his own website though -
www.jackdromey.org
Re the Twitter row - I've reported the bombastic Tory David Morris MP to
Parliamentary regulators - I'll keep you updated.
From Erdington
Conservatives - "The
team have been
continuing to chase the
Council regarding their
continuing refusal to
fix the potholes in
Court Lane, Wilton Road,
New Street and Osborne
Road."
From Erdington
Conservatives - Leisure
Centre Petition Can you help our
campaign reach 10, 000
signatures to help save
our local leisure
centres. The petition to
save Erdington
Constituency Leisure
Centre’s can now be
downloaded and printed
here to help sign up
friends, family and
neighbours to the
campaign -
www.erdingtonconservatives.org.uk/news/download-swimming-pool-petition
Renee Spector MBE, a Labour councillor for the Erdington Ward from 1986 to
2007, has died aged 84
"Sycamore Road was partially blocked for an hour last night (Thu 10/10/2013) due
to a broken down car at the junction with Chester Road. The wheel had broken
clean off the vehicle as it entered Sycamore Road from Chester Road. The RAC
were called and the vehicle was recovered by 10pm."
Councillors Reject Plans To Put School For Troubled Teenagers On Gravelly
Lane Councillors have rejected plans to put a school for troubled teenagers in
an empty office block on one of Birmingham’s busiest road junctions. The
council’s planning committee criticised the scheme for a special education unit
at Stuart Court in Erdington and asked the developer to come back with more
information. They were outraged that not only is the office block on the busy
junction of Gravelly Lane and Station Road but it also lacks any outdoor play
area for the teens – who would be children recovering from emotional and
physical abuse or with behavioural problems.
Planning Permission Application - Land at Dovedale Road, Perry Common,
Birmingham, B23 5BP Erection of 59 two - four bedroom houses for social rent with associated
highways, parking and landscaping works - Approved
Elderly Widower Died In Bus Collision - Witton Lodge Road An elderly widower died after he stepped in front of a double
decker bus, an inquest heard. Ron Butler, 72, had been on his way to meet his
daughter when the accident happened, in Witton Lodge Road, Perry Common on
August 19th in 2012 (last year) -
www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/local-news/elderly-erdington-widower-died-bus-5755578
(That is not the first fatal road-accident in living memory at that location. They'll be
official statistics held somewhere. The nearest pedestrian crossing is about 100
yards away serving Perry Common Recreation Ground and crossing over to the Maxted Road junction).
Permission For Small Mosque Approved - Station Road - Cllrs Approve It On A 1
Year Temporary Basis To Allow Assessment Of Any Impact On Residents
Big Road Accident - Gravelly Lane! (No-One Badly Hurt)
This serious incident where a VW hatchback car
overturned occurred on Gravelly Lane on Monday 15/7/2013 around 6.15pm.
Amazingly the driver (the only occupant) only suffered a cut elbow and no-one
else was hurt! Police, fire service and ambulance all attended. Obviously the
road was blocked for a time.
The VW was travelling on Gravelly Lane towards
Station Road (having gone past the Norfolk Road junction) when it hit a parked
car. It flipped over onto its side and slid across and down onto the other side
of the road - but didn't then mount the pavement on the other side - it nearly
did though.
e.g. note how the number plate is yellow - because
that is the BACK of the car. It was heading towards Station Road and got knocked
right across onto the other side of Gravelly Lane.
(See the mixed-race guy in the blue jacket behind
the car in the pics? That is me! I was walking along towards Station Rd when I
heard the big bang behind me and looked around saw the car coming right at me
sliding along on its side! I ran of course, but thankfully it never came onto
the pavement etc. It slid about 50 feet right across the road diagonally
though!)
A lucky escape
A resident sent the pics to me.
(There is a long-standing issue on that stretch of
Gravelly Lane of loads of parked cars on that busy road because front gardens
are too small to have any cars in them. You can see front-drives for cars on the
other side but as I say the car was travelling towards Station Road and it a car
on that side of Gravelly Lane).
Littlecote Drive Right Of Way Dispute This letter was in the Sutton Observer last week;
"Bordering on the dangerous. MYSELF and my
neighbours live in an apartment block which borders the Chester Road and
Littlecote Drive Over the recent years we have been plagued by dozens of adults,
both male and female and their children, using our private gardens as a shortcut
to and from the Chester Road.
Myself and my neighbours often stop and point out to these people that they are
trespassing in someone's garden, but usually all we get back in response is a
stream of abuse. We are subjected to litter, dog faeces and people walking
though and making noise late at night often after 11pm.
All of this despite the fact that the footpath and garden is gated and the land
is marked 'Private', 'No Public Right of Way' on three separate signs. The
single wide footpath runs from our car park around the side of our block past
several bedroom windows and finally past a bathroom window. There are several
female residents, including myself, who live in the block of six apartments.
I feel we no longer have any privacy because of these
selfish people.
J Wilson, via email."
That is a series of botch-jobs from the developer of that 1980's estate - e.g.
gas emerging from the ground has to be monitored (it is an old rubbish tip) and
the public green space become boggy and unusable for days after any rain.
Some years ago I suggested bringing together
residents and Vesey cllrs etc to resolve the right-of-way dispute, but instead I
got a threatening letter from a known resident of the Littlecote Drive apartment
block in question - one of whom was bleating to you last week. I passed the
threatening letter to the police, but they did nothing (so Rupert Murdoch lives
in that apartment?)
With at least one new Vesey cllr these days, a
certain Dr Pocock might want to resolve all the long-running disputes and
problems on that estate? Good luck.
Ceiling Collapses Into Swimming Pool At LA Gym On Gravelly Lane!
Summer Road By The Railway Bridge Still Floods In heavy rain the dip in Summer Road by the Railway Bridge still floods
despite the many drains there. Traffic and pedestrians either can't pass or get
stuck etc. The drains do eventually clear the water but it takes time.
Erdington Chip Shop Goes Up In Flames - Marsh Lane (at the
Summer Road junction)
Goosemoor Lane/Baldmoor Lake Road Conjoined Alley - Clogged With Rubbish -
Latest There is a gated alley at the back of about 100 - 158 Goosemoor Lane
(shared with some houses on Baldmoor Lake Road) and it was reported to me about
all the rubbish in there some time ago but I couldn't get in there at first. I
managed to get in there recently though and can confirm all sorts of stuff is in
there.
(Even a cat's remains are in there! Giving you some idea of how long that
dead animal has been lying there!)
It used to be wide enough to drive a car down from one end to the other -
you'd struggle to do that now with all the dumped stuff and overgrown bushes etc
clogging it up. Even the Council can't always get in there to fix the lamps (it
does belong to the Council)
Some residents want to make it nice again - but don't really know how. They
have suggested arranging a sort of Community Day for residents to do it, or
getting the Council to do it - or both.
(With at least one dead animal lying in there though it might not be a good
idea for residents to clear all the stuff?)
Burglars have been known to enter that gated alley to then gain access to the
back gardens too - it being clogged with dead cats etc might deter them - so
think about that before reaching any decision over clearing it!
From Erdington Tories;
`Re: Fly-tipping in Alleyway - Goosemoor Lane
"Further to my previous correspondence, I have now received a response from
Environmental Health, a copy of which I have enclosed for you. I have been
informed that some of rubbish in question has been arranged for removal. I am
aware that there may be further rubbish located within the alleyway itself which
will be problematic to remove. Should you still have further concerns about this
rubbish, please do let me know and I do what I can to get it moved.
Thank you for taking the time to contact me regarding this matter and should
you have any questions or would like to raise another issue, please do not
hesitate to contact me."
Response from Environmental Health;
"Re: Fly tipping in rear access way leading from Goosemoor Land to Top Croft
Road, Erdington, Birmingham B23. I acknowledge receipt of your enquiry of 2nd
May 2013 written on behalf of residents of Goosemoor Lane concerning fly tipping
in the rear access way leading from Goosemoor Lane to Top Croft Road. I visited
Goosemoor Lane on 8th May 2013 and my survey revealed that there is a pile of
builder waste approximately half a skip near the access way between 98 Goosemoor
Lane and 17 Top Croft Road . I have photographed the waste and will arrange for
the rubbish to be cleared by way of the City Council's Your City Your Birmingham
Initiative. I will let you know once the waste is removed."
From Erdington
Tories;
"Speeding On Court Lane - We have been contacted by
a number of residents asking for us to lobby the Council for action on speeding
cars in Court Lane following the tragic events over Easter, where a young child
lost their life.
We have therefore launched a petition calling on the Council to take action in
Court Lane and do something regarding the speeding traffic."
"Former Court Lane Allotments Site - The Labour
Council has recently decide to restart plans to build on the old allotment site
between the Topcroft Estate and Jarvis Road, bordered by Goosemoor Lane and
Court Lane. The current allotments site is not at risk. They are still planning
to build a road from the site onto Jarvis Road running between the first tower
block and the rear of Cookes furniture store. However now instead of the
previous plan which would have seen part of the homes been private for sale and
part rented by the Council they are making the whole site rented but not by the
Council. This means that the properties will not be managed by the Council in
any way.
We are very concerned that the Council has gone ahead and agreed to restart the
plans to build on this site, despite concerns raised by ourselves and residents
not being asked their views. Both the Labour Council and London based Labour MP
fully support this scheme. Indeed a member of the London based Labour HP's
staff said to the Council that they were `supportive to these proposals'".
(More Erdington news is carried from The
Tories than Labour on the website simply because The Tories send more stuff in
than Labour)
Fire - Windsor House - Jarvis Road Two people were rescued from a sixth-floor balcony at a Birmingham tower
block as flames engulfed a flat yards from where they stood. The terrified pair
took refuge on the balcony and could only watch in horror as the blaze tore
through the flat at Windsor House in Jarvis Road.
(The report is dated 26/4/2013 but doesn't say when the fire was)
That
new large YMCA hostel on Reservoir Road wasn't universally greeted as a
good idea by existing residents before it even got Planning Permission, and
`grist to their mill' here by the look of it now it has been built. A photo of
loads of rubbish which has been dumped from there onto the adjacent Cross City
railway line -
www.fixmystreet.com/report/346531
Note enough dumped stuff yet to cause a problem with the passing trains
(which serve stations at Gravelly Hill, Erdington and Chester Road etc), but
only a matter of time unless something is done - that report was sent to the
Council by whoever took that photo.
"Some bollards have been secured for the
junction of Jerrys Lane, Streetly Road and Sheddington Road to stop cars going
straight over the junction and into the pavement."
(That's that "Eau Rouge" chicane I've
been complaining about for years - it is as dangerous as that (in)famous stretch
of track in the Belgian grand prix)
(If a mere over-hanging tree branch did that then it is another alarming
symptom of our "Walk On By" society. The size of low branch needed to do
that would hardly have grown out overnight and so it must have been whacking
bus after bus for weeks previously with no National Express staff,
passengers, or public etc reporting it).
Community
Rallies To Help After
Fire Ruins Witton Lodge
Road Family Home
A KIND-HEARTED community has come together to bring Christmas spirit to a
family of five after their house was struck by a blazing fire. The incident took
place last Thursday (December 13) around noon on Witton Lodge Road, Perry
Common.
Three appliances attended the scene but the fire damaged the whole property.
Lost in the blaze were all of the Christmas presents bought for the family,
which includes a mum, her two boys aged, seven and 11, and two girls, aged 15
and 18.
So moved by their loss, Kingstanding mum Toni Cave of Binstead Road, has rallied
round to gather gifts for the family in time for Christmas. Toni witnessed the
fire from her business, the Cave Tattoo Studio on Flackwell Road, in Erdington,
which she owns with husband, Lee.
"Have your say on the Future of Erdington's Walk in Centre
Dear Resident,
The NHS will be carrying out a review of all Walk in Centres in the Country
starting in December to see what local demand there is for each of them. As you
will be aware the Erdington Walk in Centre is based on the High Street and as
well as being well located for users, also attracts people to shop on the High
Street.
We feel that the Erdington Walk in Centre is well used and should therefore
continue. To help us with putting forward the case for protecting the Erdington
Walk In Centre we are now carrying out a survey and Petition of local residents
to provide evidence to back up the case we are putting to the NHS. Please fill
in the survey, sign the petition and return to us freepost using the slip on the
back. This will then be submitted to the Consultation when it is launched by the
NHS. Thank you for taking the time to support our campaign to keep Erdington's
Walk in Centre.
Firework Accident At The Jarvis Road Event On Saturday? I got this from a resident;
"I was at the Firework display at St Margarets Church at Jarvis Rd on
Saturday evening. Towards the end of the display a firework seemed to
malfunction and fired at the crowd of people in all directions. A Paramedic team
was called out as a child was injured I understand and was treated inside one of
the tower blocks. I saw another young boy with a burn to his face, although not
serious looking but it could have been his eye. I wondered if you had heard
about this incident and if there was any news on the child, a young girl I
understand."
Girl, 5, Knocked Down On College Road Left Brain-Damaged The devastated parents of a young Polish girl who was struck in an
alleged hit-and-run in near Perry Common Library have been told that she has
suffered brain damage in the crash.
Robert, Gareth and Bob are delighted to announce that following
their pressure to Highways, the Council have demanded the owner of James Court,
Gravelly Lane/Station Road corner, remove the hoardings that had been blocking
the pavement for years.
Bob said "it was vital that the pavement was cleared so residents
could use it. In the end it took the threat of a fine from the Council for
action to be taken."
Had A Heart Attack On Saturday I had a (small) heart attack on Saturday (20/10/2012). Hence the
delay updating the page. Am back from the hospital now, one artery was
temporarily narrowed and the others were clear - all are back to normal now.
Doctors say I will be ok IF I follow their direct instructions from now on
etc - they say it is just one of those things, e.g. my Race and age (47) etc.
Parking Problems Outside Short Heath School - Streetly Road - More I've got a response over this;
This is probably an issue outside many schools across the city when parents
collect their children, but we've traffic havoc at the end of the school day,
especially if two 65 buses meet there at the time too (one travelling to-city
and one from-city), cars and buses even having to drive fully on the pavement.
The road can be widened by narrowing the very wide grass verge outside the
school, but it would cost money and we'd lose that green space with its trees.
The school have sent this in;
"Thank you for your e-mail with regards to the parking problems outside Short
Heath Primary School. We have contacted the Police and the Council and they are
aware of the issues that you mention."
`Cars Illegally Driving/Parking On Pavement' - Top Croft
Road - report on Fix My Street
"Cars are being driven at speed along the pavement on Topcroft Rd - they are
using 2 separate dropped kerbs to mount the pavement and park, they then drive
at speed along the pavement to exit. Young children frequently use this pavement
(many 4/5 year olds on their own) to cross the road and go to the corner shop
and they cannot see or expect these cars being driven at them - this is a
accident waiting to happen. Bollards need to be installed to stop this happening
as this corner piece of pavement has turned into a car park nos 29, 31, 33 and
37 worse offenders."
(That's just one report placed online on Fix My Street and I can't vouch for
how accurate it is entirely - though that photo is fairly conclusive over at
least cars being parked on the pavement. Purposely placed on the News Page
rather than the Crime Page for now. Let me know your own views)
Lorry Stuck Under Bridge - Summer Road - Erdington (From The Birmingham Mail) A BUSY
Birmingham road had to be sealed off when a HGV got stuck under a railway
bridge. Police cordoned off Summer Road in Erdington after the lorry lost part
of its roof in the accident about 1pm on Thursday (27/9/2012).
(Yosemite Thatcherite - "Tear down that Wall mister Gorbachev, tear down that
Wall! - Close it, close it, close it up again!")
And yet dopey Labour got stuffed by Gillian Duffy on the topic.
Chester Road/Beggars Bush Traffic Lights - The Farce Continues The traffic lights at this junction now often back the traffic up to the
Sycamore Road junction each day even around midday! Yet the other junctions
(Jockey Road and Kings Road) often clear on each change. Meanwhile traffic
coming towards Castle Vale on Chester Road always clears easily.
Council forever looks at it, and it was
better for a bit. Reported though - again.
I think there is a correct altering and
flexible setting throughout the day which they can be put on, the Council still
has to find it though.
Erdington Cllr Robert Alden
Has Got Married Recently
Get Well Soon Cllr Beachamp Initially, due to privacy issues, I didn't want to mention a medical
injury on the website even though Cllr Beachamp was openly on crutches, but this
then appeared in The Birmingham Mail recently, having occurred a few weeks
before;
"HANCOCK is relieved to hear that a motorbike injury to Birmingham councillor
Bob ‘Biggles’ Beauchamp (pronounced Beecham) is on the mend. The intrepid car
and bike-mad Erdington councillor tore his achilles tendon while starting his
vintage 1936 Norton motorbike at an airfield near Shenstone."
Dead Body Found In Burned-Out Car In Scrapyard - Gravelly Lane - Foul Play
Ruled Out From the Birmingham Mail
at www.birminghammail.net
`A SCRAPYARD in Birmingham has been sealed
off by police after a body was found in a burned-out car. Fire
crews were called to the salvage yard on Gravelly Lane just
before midnight last night to reports of several cars on fire.
Following an examination of the scene a body was found in one of
the torched vehicles and confirmed dead. Cordons were set up
around the site while forensic examinations take place.
A post mortem will be carried out on the
body, which has not been identified, today to determine a cause
of death.
Detective Sergeant Andy Bradley, from
Force CID, said this morning - "We are at the early stages of
our inquiry and the death is being treated as unexplained as we
try to determine how the person died, and the fire began. We are
urging anyone with information about last night’s events to come
forward and speak to us at their earliest opportunity."
Early enquiries included detectives
speaking to local residents in the wake of the grisly discovery,
a process which will continue today. Anyone with information was
asked to contact force CID on 101 or Crimestoppers, anonymously,
on 0800 555 111.'
(This has been found to be a suicide - more details to come)
From the Conservatives Bob and the team have secured new trees for our parks and
streets this year. Bob is pictured planting trees in Short Heath
Park.
Bob ensured that the tree planters on Goosemoor Lane, which had
fallen into disrepair, were upgraded and fixed using natural
stone rather than plain bricks as done elsewhere in the City.
Bob's Road Rescue Plan for Erdington has seen roads and
pavements improved across the ward. Bob is pictured inspecting
the new pavements in Tedbury Crescent.
During the year Bob and the team have carried out numerous
litter picks across the local area to help try and keep
Erdington cleaner, safer and greener. Here Bob is pictured
cutting weeds back on Station Road
The team support all our local school, here Gareth, Robert and
Bob are pictured on a visit to the Abbey Catholic Primary
School, holding the School Travelling Ted'. Bob is a governor at
Court Farm Primary School.
This year the team helped secure improvements to the play
equipment in Short Heath Park that have meant not just new play
equipment but also some outdoor gym equipment has been
installed.
Bob by the new speed sign on Orphanage Road, this is one of the
three the team have secured this year.
Drains on Goosemoor Lane The drains at the Top Croft junction are blocked, and
we've bad road cambers by the Gravelly Lane junction and on
the Bend which cause water to collect there, and bad cambers
doing the same at the junction of Short Heath Road and Marsh
Lane too (the very heavy rain-water was nearly flooding up
to the doorways of both the pubs there on Sunday night).
Sinking more drains under the railway bridge on Summer Road
by Six Ways has sorted the "weir" problem which used to
occur there in heavy rain. I've reported things to see if
anything can be done.
From Erdington Conservatives
`Popular
tireless local campaigners Cllrs Bob Beauchamp, Robert Alden and Gareth Moore
have been running a campaign to improve road safety across Erdington.
As part of this they have overseen the installation of new driver feedback signs
on Orphanage Road, Goosemoor Lane and Gravelly Lane and taken part in local
police led community speed watch events, like the one on Holly Lane.
Now they are campaigning for improvements to the junctions at the 'Yenton' where
Sutton Road and Chester Road meet, the Jerry's Lane and Shedington Road junction
and by the Station Road and Gravelly Lane junctions.
Bob said "both of these junctions are very busy and yet have no pedestrian phase
making them very dangerous, we have collected a petition for each and are
lobbying the Council for action. As well as all this we are also running a
Twenty is Plenty' campaign to have 20mph zones introduced around Erdington's
schools to protect local families".'
Bob, Robert and
Gareth are delighted to
announce that the
overdue speed warning
signs for Goosemoor Lane
and Gravelly Lane have
now been installed. Bob
said;
"Residents will be aware
that we secured the
funding for these along
time ago and since then
the Council
transportation
department has dithered
and taken far to long to
install them.
However we are glad that
these vital signs are
now installed. Both
these locations are
prone to speeding
traffic and hopefully
the signs will help
discourage people from
breaking the speed
limit. We are continuing
our campaign for
improvements to the
junction at Station Road
and hope to update
residents soon".
Summer Road Micro
Park Campaign
Residents will recall
that Bob, Robert and
Gareth took matters into
their own hands earlier
this year when residents
got in touch about the
appalling state of the
waste ground at the
junction of Station Road
and Summer Road.
Following this Bob has
been leading a campaign
to have the area turned
into a "micro park" so
that it is properly
maintained and is an
asset to the local
community rather than a
blight on the
environment.
Bob said;
"We have been working
hard and meeting with
Transportation
department to get
permission to do work to
the site. We now have
that permission and so
are working on schemes
to see if we can secure
the required funding to
get the work done."
Electronic Speed
Sign - Goosemoor Lane We have
a 30 mph speed-limit
along the road of
course, and a new
electronic sign is now
by The Woodyard
indicating the speeds of
vehicles heading towards
the Bend, a notorious
accident black-spot. See
if it makes any
difference.
Power Cut - Monday
5/3/2012 We do get these every so
often now, I don't know
what the problem was
this time. The
electricity went off
around 10.30pm in the
Goosemoor Lane area on
Monday 5/3/2012, and
came back on around
11.15pm that same day
(someone working the
generators who doesn't
like Jeremy Paxman?)
It was only
localised, certainly the
Topcroft Estate power
stayed on.
Goosemoor Lane Resident
Graeme Croton (Project
Aspie) - On The Alan Titchmarsh Show Watch online here -
www.itv.com/itvplayer/video/?Filter=311684
- about 38 minutes in,
during the Philip
Schofield interview
about the Princes Trust.
Lord Corbett Of Castle
Vale (And Erdington MP
From 1983 - 2001) Dies,
Aged 78, After Cancer
Battle From the Birmingham Mail
at
www.birminghammail.net
`FRIENDS have paid
tribute to Lord Corbett
of Castle Vale, the
former Birmingham MP who
has died aged 78. Lord
Corbett of Castle Vale,
Robin Corbett
represented Birmingham
Erdington as a Labour MP
for eighteen years, from
1983 to 2001. He was
also a former
journalist, working for
the Birmingham Mail and
later the Daily Mirror.
He died on Sunday at 8am
with his wife, Val, and
family present. He had
been suffering from
cancer.
Jack Dromey (Lab), the
current MP for
Erdington, said:
"Robin was truly a great
man, loved and a legend
in Erdington. He leaves
a remarkable legacy of
achievement and it was
typical of him that,
after outstanding
service to the people of
Erdington, he went to
the House of Lords as
Lord Corbett of Castle
Vale."
Lord Corbett was born in
Fremantle, Australia, on
December 22, 1933, and
attended Holly Lodge
Grammar School in
Smethwick. After his
national service in the
Royal Air Force in 1951,
he became a journalist.
After a career in
newspapers, he became
deputy editor of
Farmer’s Weekly in 1968.
He was elected Labour MP
for Hemel Hempstead at
the October 1974 general
election, losing the
seat in 1979 but
returning to parliament
as a Birmingham MP in
1983.
Lord Corbett was a
senior figure in the
Labour Party in
opposition, serving as a
party whip from 1984 to
1987, shadow home
affairs minister from
1987 to 1992 and a
shadow culture minister
from 1992 to 1994. He
later served as chairman
of the influential
Commons Home Affairs
Select Committee from
1999 to 2001, until
retiring from the
Commons to join the
House of Lords.
There, he was chairman
of the all-party British
Parliamentary Committee
for Iran Freedom and
chairman of Friends of
Cyprus.
He was a supporter of
local employers as an
`ambassador' for
Advantage West Midlands,
the government agency
set up to support the
economy.
Mr Dromey said: "He
never lost touch with
the people he served so
well. He will be sorely
missed but forever
remembered."'
Erdington MP Jack
Dromey Sorry For Failing
To Declare Almost
£30,000 In Wages From the Daily Mirror at
www.mirror.co.uk
`Shadow Housing Minister
Jack Dromey yesterday
apologised for failing
to declare £30,000 of
wages from the Unite
union. The former Unite
deputy general secretary
told Parliament in June
2010 he was giving up
his old job and salary
after becoming an MP but
he stayed there
part-time until October.
Mr Dromey - the husband
of Labour deputy leader
Harriet Harman - said he
had made an honest
mistake by forgetting to
update the register of
members’ interests.
He told the Commons in a
statement: "I failed to
update my initial
registration. I want to
apologise unreservedly
for this."
The Standards and
Privileges Committee
said Mr Dromey had
failed to give an
accurate picture of his
relationship with Unite
but it also noted he
apologised and
co-operated fully with
them'.
POLICE Investigating The
Death Of A Woman In
Erdington Ruled Out Foul
Play The body of the
37-yearold, named
locally as Claire Brown,
was found at a house on
The Hurstway, Erdington,
on Thursday evening
(5/2/2012). A
53-year-old man from
Harborne was initially
arrested by police. However, following the
completion of a
postmortem examination,
they are no longer
treating the death as
suspicious.
"Although further tests
are being conducted,
officers can confirm the
death is not
suspicious,'' a
spokesman said. "A
53-year-old man has been
released without charge.
The file has now been
passed to the coroner."
A neighbour of the
woman, who asked not to
be named, said: "I knew
her to say hello to but
that was all. I would
see her going to the
shop. I just can't
believe she's dead, I
only saw her a few days
ago. It's such a shock."
Sutton Coldfield News
Newspaper Closes Its
Doors Originally founded
in 1869, the local free
newspaper The Sutton
Coldfield News published
its final edition last
week.
Delivered to homes in
Sutton Coldfield and
Erdington, the paper is
one of three regional
publications being
closed by the Trinity
Group Midlands as the
company goes through a
restructuring process.
The restructuring of
the group could result
in the loss of up to 50
editorial posts across
the Midlands region
despite turning around a
£7m loss in 2009 to an
operating profit of
£3.2m in 2010.
Speaking on the loss
of the paper Cllr Philip
Parkin said,
“I am very sad to
hear that the Sutton
News is being axed. I
would like to wish the
best of luck to everyone
involved with the
paper.”
Other publications in
the Trinity Mirror
portfolio include the
Birmingham Post and
Birmingham Mail. Trinity
Mirror Midlands managing
director Steve
Anderson-Dixon is
overseeing the changes
and is quoted as saying
“This review of our
organisational structure
is vital if we are to
ensure a future for our
newspapers and websites
in the Midlands.”
NUJ Midlands
organiser Chris Morley
has accused the group of
making nothing but cuts
since taking over the
reigns in 2001.
The same rules as
always with this - Jack
Dromey has the chance to
put his own view forward
here on the website -
which will appear
unedited and as
prominent as this
initial report.
He's not obliged to
take up this chance to
explain himself directly
to his Constituents of
course, and may choose
to do it only on his own
website -
www.jackdromey.org
His predecessor Sion
Simon was always given
the same chance during
the Expenses Scandal,
for whatever reason he
always ignored the
offer.
Yet Another Power-Cut On Goosemoor Lane The night of 4-5/10/2011 this time, off again for
a couple of hours. Happens every few months now. The
electricity company never says what it is.
Driver Crashes Car Into House - Gravelly Lane From the Birmingham Mail;
"A WOMAN motorist was treated for shock after she
crashed into the front of a house in Birmingham. The
driver had to removed from the car through a hole cut
into the roof by fire-fighters.
Luckily no one in the house in Gravelly Lane,
Erdington, was injured in the crash shortly after 7pm on
Saturday (1/10/2011).
Warning After Latest Child
Road-Accidents In Erdington People have been urged to
take care after a fourth serious
collision involving a child or
young adult in the West Midlands
in 24 hours.
A 17-year old girl was hit by
a car in the latest incident in
College Road in the Kingstanding
area. She was taken to hospital
with serious head and pelvic
injuries after the ambulance
service was called to the road
at about 08:20 BST on Thursday
(15/9/2011).
It has advised drivers to use
"extreme caution" near schools
and colleges. A spokesman said:
"As schools and colleges
return for a new academic year,
parents and children are being
urged by West Midlands Ambulance
Service to take heed of key road
safety messages."
A boy, believed to be aged
11, suffered foot and leg
injuries when he was hit by a
car at the junction of Holly
Lane and Sutton Road, Erdington,
at about 15:35 BST on Wednesday
(14/9/2011).
Large Tree Branch Was
Blocking Pavement - Goosemoor
Lane The high winds on
Tuesday (6/9/2011) brought down
a large tree branch on Goosemoor
Lane which was now blocking the
pavement at the Sycamore Road
junction. Was reported to The
Council - removed.
Harlech Tower - The
Lyndhurst Estate - RIP The unloved tower-block
(surely named after Harlech
Castle in Wales) that like all
the others stood as a monument
to the infamous 1960's
architectural error. However,
its towering nature at least
told you where `home' was if
gazing anywhere in the city from
miles around - but no more;
From Erdington Conservatives - Flackwell Road
Phone Mast Stopped `Residents will
recall that local Conservatives Robert and Gareth have
been campaigning against a planned phone-mast for the
junction of Flackwell Road and Witton Lodge Road.
Having collected a petition
against the application and handing it into the Council
as well as arranging for letters of complaint from local
residents Robert Alden was delighted to confirm that the
application has been rejected by the planning
department. Robert said "this was the wrong location and
we are delighted that we have stopped it from going
ahead. Thank you to all the residents who signed our
petition objecting".'
Young Girl Injured In Road Accident - Abbeyfield
Road From West Midlands Ambulance Service;
`Friday 22nd July 2011 - A
three-year-old child has been taken to hospital
following a road traffic incident in Erdington.
West Midlands Ambulance Service
was called to Abbeyfield Road, Erdington at 11.50am.
An ambulance; a paramedic
officer in a rapid response vehicle and the Midlands Air
Ambulance based at Cosford were sent to the scene.
A West Midlands Ambulance
Service spokesperson said:
"On arrival at the scene
ambulance crews found a three year old girl who had been
injured after reportedly colliding with a car." The
child sustained a serious head injury. The patient was
stabilised at the scene by ambulance staff before she
was taken by land ambulance to Birmingham Children’s
Hospital for further assessment and treatment. The
hospital was alerted to the condition of the child."'
Birmingham Councillor Was Offered Sexual Services
In Erdington Massage Parlour From the Birmingham Mail at
www.birminghammail.net
`A SENIOR Birmingham councillor has told how he
visited a massage parlour to alleviate back pain - but
was offered "sexual services" on the side.
Coun Roger Harmer, deputy leader of the city’s
Liberal Democrat Group, said he was shocked by the
proposal made to him by Thai staff at Fruity Spa, in
Erdington, and made his excuses and left.
The 46-year-old father of three said he only visited
the massage parlour once.
It is based in an apartment near the Six Ways
roundabout in Erdington, but only reveals its full
address to registered website members.
Councillor Harmer’s name was revealed in a membership
list, seen by the Mail, which was sent out by the owner
informing clients of a change in contact details.
The venue has pictures of its staff on the webpage
dressed in their underwear, or draped across beds.
Their faces are obscured.
It says it offers Nuru massages, described on the
site as "erotic", for a starting price of £40 for 30
minutes.
Coun Harmer unsuccessfully stood as the Lib Dem
candidate for Edgbaston at the 2010 General Election.
He was previously a primary school governor.
And he has claimed to have a passionate commitment to
the environment and works for an environmental charity.
Speaking about his experience in the massage parlour,
the Oxbridge graduate said:
"I regularly get back massages because I have
muscular issues and I am lazy in terms of my posture. I
have had therapeutic back massage for the last 15 years
or so, which has been very effective, and I’ve rarely
had back pain in that time. The same guy has done it in
all that time and he is very good, but occasionally he
isn’t available. I either wait or I have to find
somewhere else. It all looked very respectable at this
place, the price for Thai massage was reasonable and I
certainly did not expect anything to go with it. I had
the massage and at the end of it I was offered various
extra sexual services. I said ‘no thank you’ and I made
my excuses and left. It is a fine line how some of these
places dress themselves up as massage parlours, but may
be offering sexual services. Equally, the place itself
might be perfectly respectable and it’s just a rogue
girl who is trying to make some extra money. It is very
difficult for people like me who are genuinely looking
for a massage. I had to register with them in order to
get an appointment. I have obviously not been back since
it happened and I will not be going back. It’s just one
of those things. It’s an embarrassing thing, but that’s
life."
A spokeswoman for Fruity Spa, which is also known as
Myumimassage, said:
"I think Yumi has sold the business".
The woman, who did not want to give her name, added:
"I don’t know who owns the business. I don’t have their
name or their number. Maybe you should call back."'
Prickly Bush - Hawthornbrook Way (off Court Lane) "The very prickly bush
on the corner of Hawthorn Brook Way is growing into the
path. It is especially noticeable when holding a child's
hand as they are almost certain to be brushing against
the bush. I would really like it to be cut back,
please."
(I've seen that bush and it is indeed prickly!
Someone set fire to it not long back, but it's now
recovered. I'd recommend residents clip bits off and
plant them in their back-gardens where they think
burglars might get in - the Home Office even says do
things like that!)
Latest On Goosemoor Lane Resident
Graeme Croton's Asperger's Syndrome Project
From the Birmingham Mail;
`A
MAN who battled bullies and abuse for much of
his life before being diagnosed with Asperger's
syndrome at the age of 25 has officially
launched his website to help others in a similar
situation.
Graeme Coton, from Erdington, set up Project
Aspie to offer free counselling services and a
chance for youngsters with Asperger's syndrome
to build friendships and enhance their social
skills by taking part in meet up activities.
And it went live yesterday (5/5/2011).
He said: "The message of my website is that
young people with Asperger's syndrome can do
positive things. It also offers advice and
support to parents, carers, and family members
of loved ones with Asperger's syndrome."
Graeme's hard work has already seen him named
the regional winner in the Triumph category of
the vinspired national awards which recognise
the work of young volunteers across England aged
16 to 25.
He was also awarded a Prince's Trust community
award. And this year he has won an UnLtd award
and an O2 Think Big award.
Graeme said: "I have achieved more with a short
space of time than I ever did through out my
entire life. I am educated and passionate on my
condition and I am dedicating my whole life now
to helping the future of Asperger's. I want to
offer Aspies, the autistic word for individuals
with Asperger's, a chance and opportunities that
I never had in my childhood, adolescence and
early adulthood."
Graeme has also started to write the first part
of his three-part autobiography on the years
before he was diagnosed. During that time he
faced bullying that forced him to move from
school to school. He achieved just one GCSE in
creative arts
He also faced bullying in the workplace because
of his difficulty communicating and lack of
qualifications.
Since being diagnosed, Graeme has dedicated his
life to helping others in a similar situation.
He said:
"I always craved one dream and wish throughout
my life to gain a cultural belonging and
identity."'
Goosemoor Lane Speed Warning Signs From Erdington Conservatives;
"As you will be aware over the last year we have been campaigning on trying
to help stop speeding cars on Gravelly lane and Goosemoor Lane. This campaign
which included petitions to the local Council called for electronic speed
warning signs for the two roads and the repainting of the slow down markings in
Goosemoor Lane. We have reported and chased regarding the markings and the work
should now be done.
We are also delighted to announce that we have secured
£6,000 funding for the electronic signs and they have now been ordered. They
take about 6 weeks to be delivered. When they arrive they will then be installed
one on each of Goosemoor Lane and Gravelly Lane."
Pensioner Dies In Fire At Erdington Housing Complex - Perry
Common From the Birmingham Mail at
www.birminghammail.net
`A PENSIONER died and another man is seriously
ill in hospital after fire ripped through a ground-floor sheltered housing flat
on a Birmingham estate.
The woman died in the blaze at Sycamore Court,
a sheltered housing complex run by Witton Lodge Community Association, in Buxton
Road on the Perry Common estate in Erdington. Firefighters said the blaze was
started by "smoking materials".
A man, thought to be a relative aged in his
60s, is being treated in hospital after suffering chest pains when he arrived at
the flat while fire crews were fighting the blaze at 8.30am yesterday. His
condition is not thought to be life-threatening.
Paramedics also treated another man at the
scene, aged in his 50s, for smoke inhalation. Emergency services have not named
the dead woman or the other casualties.
A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said
the woman was killed in the fire and not by the resulting smoke.
"She died in the fire itself which we think was
caused by smoking materials," he said.
Part of Buxton Road, a quiet residential
street, was closed at the height of the fire. Crews spent several hours damping
down the property and the scene was still cordoned off late yesterday afternoon.
The woman has lived at the ground flat for
about a year. Other residents at the housing development were too shocked to
talk about the incident.
A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service
said:
"An elderly woman has died following a fire at
a property in Erdington. Ambulance crews also assessed and treated a man in his
50s for high levels of smoke inhalation. The casualty was stabilised at the
scene and later transferred to hospital."
The Sycamore Court complex, which was opened in
2005, houses 40 self-contained apartments. It offers non-residential care to
elderly residents. Grieving relatives refused to talk about the fire or reveal
the identity of the dead woman.'
From Jack Dromey MP - Two Issues Buses:
There was a great deal of worry
about changes to local bus routes - in particular the 68 and also the 638 which
people want extended so that it reaches the ASDA. Concern was expressed about
the lack of bus transport to the Dove Medical Centre. I have a meeting planned
with the relevant authorities shortly where I will raise these matters.
Housing:
The flats outside the bungalows
in Jerry's Lane were going to have security cameras but nothing ever happened. I
have been in touch with the Housing Department."
From
Erdington Conservatives - Two Issues `Making traffic junctions
safer - the Summer Lane and Station Road junction where Erdington Conservatives
got the Council to demolish their derelict building so that visibility at the
junction would be improved.
Bob, Robert and Gareth have managed to secure
solar-lights for the paths from the Topcroft Estate to Goosemoor Lane through
Short Heath Park.
Gareth Moore said "we fought to get these
lights so that the paths would be safer at night".
Park Lights! The new tarmac paths running through Short Heath Park now have (seemingly
solar-powered and charged during the day) lights on the ground at night! Also at
The Ring at Witton Lodge Circle. Hopefully they won't confuse passing aircraft
that it's a runway!
Damaged Car - Court
Lane - Gone A small green Ford Ka - number W 711 PDM - had been parked empty for ages
at the side of the road with serious front-end damage at the notorious accident
black-spot that is the Court Lane S-bend by The Greyhound pub. Now gone.
Former Erdington MP Sion Simon (Labour) Defends His "Redundancy" Payout / From the Birmingham Mail at
www.birminghammail.net
`Sion Simon, the former MP for Erdington who is
now campaigning to become Birmingham’s first directly-elected mayor, said he had
received a redundancy payment like any other public-sector worker who lost their
job.
He was one of 20 former West Midland MPs who
pocketed payments of up to £64, 766 following last year’s general election.
Politicians were entitled to payments known as
resettlement grants whether they fought their seat and lost or simply chose to
stand down, but they only received the money if they applied for it.
Mr Simon and former Black Country MP Sylvia
Heal, who represented Rowley Regis and Halesowen, spoke about the grants when
the Birmingham Mail contacted them yesterday (7/4/2011).
Others, including former Birmingham MP Clare
Short (Labour), former Redditch MP Jacqui Smith (Labour) and former Bromsgrove
MP Julie Kirkbride (Conservative), who all received the payments, did not
immediately return our calls. Payments were based on length of service and Mr
Simon, who was an MP for nine years, was eligible for £32,383 after he stood
down.
He told the Mail:
"After nine years of the tremendous privilege
of serving the people of Erdington in Parliament, I got six months’ redundancy,
which is broadly comparable to local government or other public sector schemes.
Contrary to common perception, not all former MPs want to be directors of banks
or walk straight into other jobs. I am in Birmingham working in the community."
Ms Heal was entitled to £43,393.22 based on her
length of service in the Commons.
She said:
"It is almost like a form of redundancy, in
terms of giving people time to adjust and time to find alternative employment. I
understand people’s concerns. All I can say to that is it is part of the terms
and conditions of employment that you accepted when you became a member of
Parliament. Compared to the type of bonuses many people get, certainly bankers,
it is not so enormous."
Westminster officials have only now revealed
which MPs chose to apply for the money, after trying to keep the details secret
for almost a year.
Commons authorities released the names after
the case was referred to the Information Commissioner, the official freedom of
information watchdog.
It emerged 220 MPs from across the country
accepted the grant and only five, none of them from the West Midlands, chose not
to apply for it.'
Safer Routes For Schools - Osborne Road Chris Davison, Highways
attended an Erdington Ward meeting and displayed drawings of the two options
proposed for the Osbome Road safety scheme.
Option 1, one-way traffic system running down from
Station Road
Option 2, two-way traffic system incorporating a
crossing-point, a table and three cushions
Consultation had taken place in 2010 and it was hoped that a
final decision would be made this week with work planned to begin in February
for completion in March.
Members and residents raised concerns which included the
following points:
A one-way scheme would not work due to parked cars
There would not be sufficient space for passing cars
There would not be sufficient space for emergency vehicles
Why were there to be three cushions?
In response to a question from the Chairman, Chris Davison
confirmed that the table would be placed at the junction with no loss of
parking. He further explained that cushions were designed for emergency vehicles
to straddle, and that the width of the road and regulations determined how many
cushions were needed.
After further consideration of the scheme, the Chairman
thanked Chris Davison for attending the meeting.
New Pop Band Named `Court Lane'! A Sutton Coldfield boy-band has been formed called Court Lane, and
yes they are named after our Court Lane. Website -
www.myspace.com/courtlaneofficial
`The City Council proposes to close six Neighbourhood
Offices and relocate another nine Neighbourhood Offices, as well as reducing
their opening hours.
With fewer locations and a reduction in opening
hours, it is likely that you will have to travel further to access your service
and it is likely you will have to wait longer for an appointment - it is already
taking up to 3 weeks to get an appointment!
Your Neighbourhood Office will no longer be
your local community-based office.
You will face:
A future of fewer interviews with an advisor -
Because the Council will force you to seek to resolve more of your queries over
the telephone or via the Internet.
A future of fewer staff to see you - Birmingham City
Council are proposing a 25% reduction in staff as fewer offices will be open for
you.
A future of longer travelling - If your office is moved
further away from where you live, you will have to travel further to see an
advisor.
A future of longer waiting times - Because there will be
fewer offices and fewer advisors there will be fewer appointments.
A future of limited choice - Because more of your
queries are dealt with electronically or over the telephone, you will get an
inferior service as you will be talking to inexperienced staff reading from a
script.
These proposals will make it more difficult for you
to;
Avoid losing out on benefit entitlement
Stop the risk of paying bills late
Get your benefit documents verified
Have a letter or bill explained
Reply to an urgent letter
Report as homeless
Sort out a housing issue
Deal with bailiffs
We believe you should have the chance to shape the
future of the service that you, your family and your friends use.
We believe that not all of your enquiries can be
resolved over the telephone or over the Internet.
We believe that you would still like the real
option of meeting with an experienced and trained advisor when you need to.
We want our role to stay focused on helping with your
enquiry.
Write to your Local Councillors or attend their advice
surgeries and let them know what you think about the proposed changes.
Plan To Close 9 Ticket-Offices On
The Cross-City And Other Local Railway Lines From train-operator London Midland;
"There are some ticket-offices where the sales
are very low and so it makes commercial sense to target our resources where our
customers most need them. We are proposing the closure of nine ticket-offices:
Adderley Park, Bescot Stadium, Cheddington,
Duddeston, Jewellery Quarter, Lye, Small Heath, Witton and Wythall."
`EVERY rail-station in Sutton and Erdington
will have its hours of operation slashed if proposals by London Midland get the
go-ahead.
The train-operator has launched a consultation
on proposed new opening-hours for 86 of its ticket-offices, which would see
manned operating-times in Sutton stations cut.
For instance Sutton Coldfield's main station,
with a ticket-office that currently closes at 11.49pm on weekdays, would
potentially close at 7pm or 8pm on Fridays.
Butlers Lane, Chester Road, Erdington, Four
Oaks and Wylde Green station would face similar cuts, while the ticket-office at
Witton station would cease to operate at all.'
Send the below message on a postcard to the address given;
"Dear Passenger Focus,
As a regular user of London Midland services, I am writing to
you to request that Passenger Focus objects to London Midland proposals to close
nine ticket-offices and reduce ticket-office opening times at over 70 of! their
stations.
London Midland has received over £260 million in public
subsidy since November 2007 and has seen passenger revenue increase in the
period to 1st January 2011.
Replacing trained ticket-office staff, who are best placed to advise rail
users about their best and cheapest travel options, with ticket-machines will
reduce the quality and range of services available to passengers.
Passengers will have to queue longer to purchase tickets
Machines do not offer the full range of available tickets
Seats can't be reserved using a ticket-machine
Machines can't deal with damaged or mis-purchased tickets
Machines are not always conveniently located
Machines are all too often subject to vandalism
Yours sincerely ........... "
Send to;
Passenger Focus
Freepost (RRRE-ETTC-LEET)
PO Box 4257
Manchester
M60 3AR
(More freepost protest-forms can be gained from the Erdington and Chester
Road Station ticket-offices)
National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers -
www.rmt.org.uk
Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen -
www.aslef.org.uk
From Erdington Conservatives on the topic;
`Move sends the wrong signals -
LONDON Midland Trains has made an application to the Department of Transport to
alter the hours of operation of station ticket offices in the West Midlands form
the summer.
These proposals include plans to reduce the early morning and evening opening
times of the Erdington and Chester Road train station ticket offices. Myself,
fellow Erdington Conservative councillor Bob Beauchamp and local Conservative
campaigner Gareth Moore are campaigning to stop these changes.
We have made the following points to London Midland:
Erdington and Chester Road stations have many more than 12 people an hour
getting on trains in the evenings;
These stations are vital for the local community, especially for those
without a car. To remove the office from them, and thereby the ability to be
able to buy the right ticket in a practical and helpful manner, is a disgrace
and will surely only worsen the situation of numbers using the trains in the
evenings;
Loss of help to passengers who are mobility-impaired;
A possible negative impact on attempts to regenerate the area and a negative
impact on the promotion of public transport.
The most important point is that the stations are in secluded areas raised up
away from houses. They can, at night, be very dark and intimidating places for
residents.
The manned ticket office therefore provides a very valuable source of
protection and puts off people from doing any anti-social behaviour or from
committing crime.
They are vital for all users of the train, even ones who already have a train
pass or ticket and for local residents around stations that rely upon them being
manned to keep them safe.
This, of course, also encourages customers to use the train which helps
London Midland and stops things from being damaged at the station, thereby
saving London Midland money.
We are collecting a petition against these changes. If you would like to add
your name, please do so by calling 07810 291 302 or email
g_moore1805@hotmail.co.uk
We also urge as many people as possible to also make their feelings heard by
replying to the consultation before it closes.
Councillor Robert Alden, Erdington.'
Chat Room For Goosemoor Lane
A website called @ Birmingham has set up a chat-room for
every road in the city! Here is our's;
Take the usual common-sense precautions if using it of course
- it could be Bin Laden asking if Lamp 2 oon Bowling Green Close has been fixed
yet!
Linda Burt Death - Trident Close, Erdington - West Midlands Police Pay
Damages / From the Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
"THE family of a Birmingham teaching assistant
who died in police-custody has received damages and costs from West Midlands
Police following a seven-year battle for justice.
Teaching assistant Linda Burt, aged 49, was
arrested for an alleged breach of the peace after an argument with her elderly
mother at her
home in Trident Close, Erdington.
She suffered a cardiac-arrest shortly after
being handcuffed and was taken to Good Hope Hospital, where she died, on
September 27, 2003. Her family waited six agonising years for an inquest.
Finally, in October 2009, a coroner’s court
jury at Sutton Coldfield Town Hall concluded that a catalogue of police
failings, combined with an undiagnosed heart-condition, led to her death.
Ms Burt suffered pain while being restrained by
the arresting officer and began to experience breathing difficulties, the
inquest heard.
The jury found the arresting officer was not
justified in handcuffing her and officers did not act quickly enough to help
her.
And when her condition had been acknowledged,
police officers continued to make failings by allowing a member of the public to
help, resulting in Ms Burt being placed in the wrong recovery position.
The jury’s findings contradicted those of the
Independent Police Complaints Commission which ruled no officers should face
disciplinary action over the incident.
Neither West Midlands Police nor Linda Burt’s
family would reveal the amount of damages given.
Solicitor Iftikhar Manzoor, acting on behalf of
Linda Burt’s family, said the out-of-court settlement was reached shortly after
the defence was filed late last year.
A police spokesman said:
"Any death is a tragedy, and West Midlands
Police regrets the fact that Linda Burt died whilst in our care. We have taken
time to carefully consider the extensive narrative verdict of the jury to
establish if lessons can be learned from Linda’s tragic death."
Power Surge On Tuesday Night/Wednesday
Morning? I suffered an Electricity surge, and so did
someone in Great Barr too (reports from Kingstanding too). The night of 21/22
December. It destroyed some of my electrical stuff and put other stuff out of
action for a bit, and actually blew their TV up!
(Just as well they were still up since their TV was actually set on fire!)
I switch my TV off at the wall each night.
Were others affected?
Fatal Road Accident - Chester Road (by Pype Hayes Park) From the Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
`TRIBUTES have been paid to an “inspirational” art teacher
killed in a road accident. Ian Preston, aged 39, died after his Ford Focus was
crushed beneath the back of a parked lorry in Chester Road, Erdington, just
before noon on Thursday (16/12/2010).
Mr Preston was also chairman of Erdington Arts Forum and worked with a group of
artists at The Cube in the area.'
Woman Hurt In Smash - Chester Road From the Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
"A WOMAN was taken to hospital with neck
injuries after a three-car smash in rush-hour. Police were called to the
junction of Chester Road and Fernwood Road, in Sutton Coldfield, at about 5am
yesterday (Monday 13/12/2010).The road was closed off for a short time as the
34-year-old casualty was dealt with.
No-one else was injured."
Electricity Substation Was Open - Goosemoor Lane Either by careless workmen or by (very dangerous)
trespassing, the electricity-substation opposite Bowling Green Close had been
left open at the back.
Path Alongside The Erdington New Testament Church Of God,
Goosemoor Lane - Cleared Again From that Church earlier;
`We (New Testament Church Of God - Erdington)
have been in correspondence with the Probation Service recently, and as part of
the work we will be doing with them we arranged for the "walkway" alongside the
church to be cleared.
As well as the bushes etc. encroaching over our
fences, we are also aware a lot of residents use that path as a shortcut from
Jarvis Rd. The path should be a lot clearer now; free of the overgrown grass,
cans, broken bottles, needles etc - for the time being at least - so a little
bit safer to negotiate!!'
Road Accident - Goosemoor Lane From West Midlands Fire
Service;
"At 17:12 hrs yesterday
(Tuesday 26/10/2010) Fire Control received an emergency-call to
attend an RTC (road-traffic crash) on Goosemoor Lane in Erdington,
Birmingham.
Crews from Erdington Fire
Station attended the scene that involved a vehicle in collision with
a telegraph-pole. One female was released from the vehicle prior to
the arrival of fire-crews.
Fire-crews made the vehicle
safe whilst West Midlands Ambulance Paramedics assessed the
casualty.
The incident was made safe at 17:35
hrs."
Serious Road Accident - Gravelly
Lane/Summer Road Area (This might have been a Crime since excessive speed was cited) Sunday
22/8/2010 around Noon. By the bridge and the South Road junction a car crashed,
one occupant had to be cut out.
Local Heron Birds From resident Gina Mair;
"I live in Kirkwood Avenue and have taken a keen interest in
the antics of herons who seem to have a regular schedule for perching on top of
a conifer bush/tree at the back of Goosemoor Lane at regular intervals during
the day.
Does anyone know where they ‘live’, i.e. in marsh land or by
the side of a pond/pool/lake etc.
I do know that neighbours have lost fish to
these herons, and they are particularly active at the moment, so watch out if
you have just re-stocked a pond in your garden.
They are, of course, the largest bird native to Britain and
are so majestic in flight, it would be a great pity if they become extinct -
although I do sympathise with those who have lost their expensive fish to these
birds of prey!
Kingstanding community-activist Lionel Felton passed away at his home from a
heart-attack on Saturday 3rd July 2010. Born in June 1948, he was 62.
An agoraphobic, I rarely (if ever) knew him to leave his house where he lived
on Finchley Road with his family - he leaves a widow Irene, children, and
grandchildren.
That said, his illness never halted his enthusiasm in assisting the area and
people of Kingstanding.
I came to his attention (via my community activities in the Short Heath area
of Erdington) in December 2008. He asked me to become involved in Kingstanding
community issues, and I was happy to oblige - and have done so ever since.
It was his idea to gather a petition over the planned release of Darren
Bardsley for the hit-and-run killing of Justin Murphy, which was later delivered
by me, Justin's mother Theresa Murphy and his uncle Larry Murphy to Downing
Street earlier this year.
The bane of several local Kingstanding politicians in an area where ultra
safe-seats are indicative of a wider Political malaise and forever brings about
little hope of overall change amongst residents, Lionel was seen by many locals
as their only chance to get things done.
So it is with great sadness that I acknowledge that Lionel is no longer with
us.
He sent me an enigmatic message via Facebook on Saturday at midday. But
thinking it wouldn't be long before we spoke again anyway - I never responded to
his enigmatic message.
So here is that final Facebook message from Lionel Felton to me;
"Please
accept this gift -- I got it just for you! I hope you like
it!"
With a picture of a strawberry and rose.
(Makes me think of that song "Hello - This Is Joanie" - remember that one?
During the Winter Of Discontent it was a hit of course - December 1978/January
1979).
They famously chose Elton John's Candle In The Wind at Princess Diana's
funeral in 1997 of course - but I always think Sheena Easton's 1981 album track
Don't Send Flowers triumphs hands down at times like this;
"Carry on to the other side,
Have some fun on the other side
You were always trippin' on your feet
'Round the wrong way down the one-way street
Since the day when you found your wings,
You awake to much better things
Now you'll never get the chance to see,
What's been goin' on inside of me
Don't forget all the love I gave you on your way
Chorus:
Don't send flowers, just give me some hours
Just a minute of your time, would really make it shine, so think it over
Don't send flowers, from ivory towers
I just wanna see your face, forever and always, please think it over
Find your way through uncertainty,
Then one day, please come back to me
I'll be waiting in the wings for you
If you find you don't know what to do
Darling, come back to me forever, but till then
Chorus
Don't send flowers, just give me some hours
Just a minute of your time, would really make it shine, so think it over
Don't send flowers, don't send flowers, don't send flowers."
Don't Send Flowers - The opening track from the 1981 album
Take My Time, by Sheena Easton;
I always think it should be played at every funeral where
mawkish emotion threatens to overshadow the ongoing need for the rest of us to
carry on with life and get things done and make decisive changes - as at
Princess Diana's.
So indeed, I'll be carrying on with my community activities in
Kingstanding - Lionel Felton would want that.
A Car Was Stuck Under Chester Road
Railway Bridge Wednesday 9/6/2010 around 7pm. A
car broke down on Chester Road, the to-Streetly way, right under the railway
bridge. It was stuck in gear and an automatic etc so was stuck solid and could
not simply be pushed into nearby Knipersley Road etc, so traffic chaos was quick
in coming! A passing police patrol car was alerted. Don't know for how long that
car was stuck there though.
Road Accident - Witton Lodge Road Wednesday 2/6/2010 around 6.30pm. At the Flackwell
Road junction, two small cars collided. Didn't look like anyone was hurt.
Teenager Injured In Collision With Car On Streetly Road - 65 Bus Was Diverted From the Sutton
Observer website at
www.thisissuttoncoldfield.co.uk
"A TEENAGER was airlifted to hospital on
Wednesday (26/5/2010) after being injured in a traffic collision.
The boy, who is thought to be 15 years old, was
hurt in an accident with a car on Streetly Road, Erdington around 4pm. He
suffered back and leg injuries. The driver of the car was uninjured.
The Midlands Air Ambulance airlifted the boy to
Birmingham Children's Hospital, where staff were on standby."
The 65 bus service was diverted due to that road being blocked
for some time. One bus driver then tried to make up time later on - and simply
caused ANOTHER road accident by colliding with a car at speed on Slade Road!
No-one hurt in that one.
(Less haste - more speed).
Road Accident - Station Road/Gravelly Lane Junction - Friday 14/5/2010 -
More / From the Sutton News;
"A car and a taxi collided at a
notorious blackspot in Erdington last Friday. Police and paramedics were called
to the traffic lights at the junction of Gravelly Lane and Station Road a about
10pm. A Sutton Coldfield police spokesperson told The News there were no
serious injuries to either driver."
Road Accident - Witton
- Disrupted The 7 Bus Route / A major road accident blocked Witton Road in Aston at the junction with
The Broadway, Thursday 6/5/2010 around 6.30pm. The road was blocked for some
time in both directions whilst the Fire Service cut a person (or people) free
from a car.
Several 7 buses were held
up in a long line, so if you were waiting for ages for one in Erdington that
evening - that's what happened.
I have no more details
about the road accident itself, it was a very serious one though.
Woman Cut Free From Car After Erdington Crash / From the Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
`A STRICKEN motorist was cut free from her car
after it flipped onto its side in a collision with another vehicle in
Birmingham.
The woman was trapped in the wreckage until
firefighters cut her free following the crash near to the Cross Keys pub in High
Street, Erdington.
She was immobilised with a spinal board and
taken to Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield for back injuries. The male
driver of the other car was not injured in the accident at about 7am yesterday.
The road was not closed.'
New Gates - Top
Croft Estate / /
You may have noticed more new iron gates
surrounding the Large Island
www.goosemoor-lane.com/largeisland.htm, this from Erdington Conservatives; /
"Over the last two years we have managed to get
gates on alleys in Dunvegan Road, Fern Road, Orchard Road, Mason Road, Hart
Road, Holiday Road, and Topcroft Road." /
Grit Bin For Jerrys Lane From Erdington Conservatives;
"Jerrys Lane can be very dangerous in the snow and so we
are delighted to have secured this extra bin for the area."
Court Lane Death - Foul Play Ruled
Out From the Birmingham Mail website at -
`DETECTIVES investigating the death of a woman in Birmingham have ruled out
foul play.e ruled out foul play.
The body of the 54-year-old, who has not been named was found in her
Erdington flat on Friday evening when worried neighbours raised the alarm after
not seeing her for several days.
The block of flats on Court Lane was cordoned off for much of the weekend
while scenes of crime officers in white suits carried out a fingertip search for
clues.
However, a post-mortem examination found she had suffered injuries consistent
with a fall.
A West Midlands Police spokesman said that her death was no longer being
treated as suspicious and added that the case had been referred to the city
coroner.
Shocked neighbours yesterday told the Birmingham Mail of their sadness at her
death. She had lived here for about 15 or 16 years and was very quiet but always
said hello and smiled when she went past, said one neighbour.'
Gravelly Lane - Erdington Businessman Claims He Lost Out On £4,000 Takings
Due To Roadworks
`A BIRMINGHAM businessman wants compensation
after the city council started roadworks at just 48 hours’ notice.
Ken Thompson, who runs Square Deal Car Spares,
on Gravelly Lane, Erdington, said he has lost up to £4,000 in takings since
Birmingham City Council closed the road for resurfacing work over the last two
weeks.
All lanes were closed off by workers between
9.30am-4.30pm every day since February 2 and work is expected to finish today (Feb
12 2010).
Businesses were given two days’ written notice
of the disruption, but a council spokesman today insisted this was due to the
work being subject to an "emergency reschedule".
Mr Thompson, who has run the store for 18
years, said access issues caused by the roadworks meant small traders on
Gravelly Lane were hit hardest.
"The council’s attitude and the way they have
dealt with us has been pathetic," the 63-year-old said.
"We only had two days’ notice, so I didn’t have
time to tell my customers what was happening, so I’ve probably lost nearly
£4,000 because of this."
He said stock deliveries had not reached him
since work began, and that trade had slumped at his busiest time of year.
He said: "I will be writing to the Council to
give them my thoughts and I’m going to ask for compensation. This could damage
repeat business, because if people have trouble reaching us, then they can
easily go elsewhere."
A council spokesman said: "We apologise for the
short notice. We usually like to give people two weeks’ notice, but in this case
the programme of works was subjected to an emergency reschedule and became a
larger project due to the recent bad weather."'
2nd Suspected Suicide In Erdington
In As Many Weeks Oh dear - re the missing person appeal regarding Janice
Adetoro of Erdington, read the Birmingham Mail report here;
Suspected Suicide - Jarvis Road -
25/1/2010 From the Birmingham Mail
website;
`HORRIFIED residents have spoken of the moment
they found the body of a mother-of-one who died after plunging 80ft from a
Birmingham tower block.irmingham tower block.
Flowers and a candle marked the spot outside
Stokesay House on Jarvis Road in Erdington where the 20-year-old was found lying
on the grass, at 8.30am on Monday.
The Birmingham Coroner’s office have named her
as Jolanta Wielgus, who was believed to be Polish. Neighbours said she was a
lovely woman with a young daughter.
Dorothy Burrows, aged 63, was first on the
scene when the woman fell from the ninth floor balcony of her two-bedroomed
flat.
The grandmother-of-six said:
"I heard a scream and I looked out of the
bedroom window and saw her lying there. It was as though she was asleep on her
tummy. She wasn’t moving and was just about breathing. She was completely white.
I asked her brother to take off his coat and wrap her in it. A lady from the
first floor threw down a blanket. The cleaner called an ambulance."
Crews from the Midlands Air Ambulance battled
to save the woman but she was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after 9am.
Police said they were not treating the death as suspicious.
Ms Burrows, who is also vice-Chair of Jarvis
Towers, said:
"I’m still in shock. People all knew her in the
block because she was a mom and there are other mothers here. I didn’t know her
name. She was a very, very nice lady and spoke good English. She wasn’t married.
She had been in the flat for two or three years and her daughter was getting
ready for infant school. I think she worked as a carer but don’t know for sure."
A number of other tearful residents said they
were too traumatised to talk but all said she was a wonderful woman.
Jarvis Road was cordoned off for most of Monday
and a police tent was erected above the spot where the woman was found.
Helen Chambers, aged 53, who lives in the
neighbouring Berkley House, said:
"Suddenly there was a lot of commotion and we
had all sorts of flashing lights from the police and ambulance."
A force spokesman said: "Police are
investigating the death and the Coroner has been informed."'
Scrap-Dealers In The Area - Latest From the Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
`FED-UP Birmingham residents have declared war
on noisy Rag and Bone men who have been waking them up on a "daily basis" from
7am.
The city council has written to at least 18
registered scrap collectors after Erdington residents started demanding action
over the racket created by the modern-day Steptoe and Sons.
The new nuisance was blamed on the increase in
scrap collectors who are thought to be cashing in on the higher value of metal.
Erdington councillor, Robert Alden (Con), said:
"It has become a daily occurrence. You can hear
the noise echoing around the constituency as early as 7am. The rise in the price
of scrap metal, coupled with the current economic climate is probably making it
more lucrative. The real problem is the noise they make. The issue was raised at
our last meeting by a number of residents who were fed up. They have advised by
the environmental health officers that there are powers available. Officers
urged residents to take down the registration details of the vehicles."
A spokeswoman for Birmingham City Council said:
"Over the last two years we believe there may
have been a increase in scrap metal dealers plying their trade in north
Birmingham. We have received an increase in complaints. However, this does not
appear to be a citywide problem. The majority of the 18 vehicles identified to
us recently are registered in the Walsall area. People should report the
complaints and provide as much information as possible. Environmental health
officers will investigate the complaint and take action if necessary. If they
are using amplification, then the Control of Pollution Act 1974 makes what they
are doing an offence. However, if they are just calling, shouting out, or using
unamplified musical instruments, then there is no obvious criminal offence. We
are currently collating complaints. Letters will continue to be sent to all
scrap collectors as they are identified."
Erdington MP Sion Simon added:
"I always support enterprise and business. But,
we have to ensure this does not impact on the lives of residents. If this has
increased to the point when people are being woken up early in the morning on an
almost daily basis, it is important the council uses legislation to tackle these
problems."'
College High School Becomes "North Birmingham Academy" From the Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
`OUT with the old and in with the new! Pupils
at a Birmingham school will start the year in a new environment - without moving
out of their existing classrooms.
Youngsters at the former College High School in
College Road, Erdington, are to start 2010 as students of the new North
Birmingham Academy, which opens its doors on January 6.
The academy is the third to be sponsored by the
Edutrust Academies Charitable Trust following those at the former Shenley Court
Arts College in Selly Oak and The Heartlands High in Nechells.
All three have been taken out of local
authority control, with three other Birmingham secondary schools earmarked as
academies under different outside sponsors.
Pupils of the new North Birmingham Academy will
be based in the existing buildings, but will move to purpose-built accommodation
in 2012.
Extensive improvements have already been
carried out while designs for the new building take shape.
Former College High head, and now North
Birmingham Academy principal Kim Popratnjak, said:
"I’m delighted to be opening as a new academy.
We have worked hard to prepare for implementing the new changes. This is an
opportunity for us to provide an exceptional learning experience."
The academy will have a new school uniform,
including the new academy logo which students helped to design.
Edutrust manages eight academies, including
ones in London, Sheffield, and Leeds, with more due to open next year.
Director General Sir Bruce Liddington said:
"North Birmingham will join our other academies
focusing on our vision of delivering educational excellence for all. Developing
a new academy will make a real difference to the future of the students, as well
as providing excellent new facilities to benefit the students and the wider
community for decades to come."
Birmingham’s academy programme, which also
includes two new 14 to 19-year-old institutions specialising in engineering and
the performing arts respectively, is still being opposed by the Anti-Academies
Alliance.'
Troubled Pub The Place 2B Sold From the Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
`THE pub that was owned by shamed TV presenter
Ashley Blake when he attacked a teenage customer has been bought by the garden
centre next door for £1million.
Blake, 40, was jailed in September after being
found guilty of hitting teenager Greg Jones in the face with a large wooden pole
outside The Place 2B, in Sutton Coldfield.
He was given a further six months in prison for
attempting to pervert the course of justice, by throwing the pole into the
garden centre next door, in Chester Road.
Mr Jones, who was 17 at the time of the
incident on January 25, needed ten stitches and now has a permanent scar from
his lip to chin.
The attack happened after violence broke out at
the end of an 18th birthday party at the pub, which Blake co-owned at the time
with his partner Jessica Hayes.
The pub was taken on a short term lease after
the couple left, but there was another tragic incident nearby in July, which
resulted in the death of one man and serious injuries to another.
The venue was put on the market by Punch
Taverns and has now been bought by the family business that runs the garden
centre next door. Robert Hall, senior partner of Hall’s Garden Supplied,
confirmed he had taken possession of the keys this week and that it would be
turned into a Christmas spectacular next year.
Mr Hall added: "The pub had been on a long-term
lease to Ashley Blake and his partner Jessica. Acquiring The Place 2B will allow
a natural progression to our current site adding both undercover showroom area
and outside display space. The new addition to the garden centre will initially
be open to the public in April with a new coffee shop, while other areas of the
building will be opened later."
Blake, a former BBC Midlands Today and Watchdog
presenter, had his challenge to his two-year prison sentence rejected by the
Court of Appeal last week.
His legal team argued before sentencing that he
had already suffered a severe punishment by losing his job. He was convicted of
attempting to pervert the course of justice by throwing the pole away into the
garden centre in an attempt to conceal it from the police.
He later admitted to lying to officers on a
number of occasions. He was dismissed by the BBC following an internal inquiry.
The pub was built in the 1920s and named The
New Oscott Tavern. Hall’s Garden Supplies moved next door in the 1950s.'
`ERDINGTON residents fear the Council’s cuts in
youth spending will see the return of anti-social behaviour to their streets. At
the Erdington Constituency Committee, which met at Stockland Green School on
Monday night (14/12/2009), they dismissed the case made for the Council’s
decision by the Head of Youth Service, Harry Fowler.
A full-time Youth Work post at the Malcolm
Locker Centre will go and be filled by two trainee youth workers.
The Pype Hayes Community Focus will also close
this month. Elsewhere a 17.5-hour-a-week post at the Green Door project, on
Wyrley Birch, will end in April.
Linda Hines, chairman of the Kingstanding
Neighbourhood Tasking group, warned Mr Fowler the cuts were a mistake.
She said the Green Door worker had helped
reduce anti-social behaviour to five incidents a week from 40 a year ago. The
58-year-old said:
"Be prepared. If anti-social behaviour
increases other services will have to come in to deal with it."
Area youth officer Jim Shand said in a report
handed to the meeting:
"Staff will endeavour to do everything to make
the required level of savings and to minimise the impact on services to young
people."'
"Dunhill Gardens" By Kirkwood Avenue If you look in the Birmingham A - Z, you'll see
reference to "Dunhill Gardens" over by Kirkwood Avenue. However you'll see too
if you actually go to that specific area that it doesn't actually exist! In
reality it's merely a continuation of Kirkwood Avenue.
The answer to that mystery, from A-Z themselves;
"The name Dunhill Gardens is one of our
copyright signatures which assist us in establishing copyright infringement.
This name will be removed in future editions."
Goosemoor Lane Bend - Speeding
Vehicle Demolishes Anstey Wall - Yet Again! For the THIRD time now a vehicle has again mounted the
pavement and demolished the Anstey (Goosemoor Lane Playing Fields) brick wall
where that has then been hit.
Same place (a few metres further along) that the same wall was hit a few
weeks back. You can see the THREE separate places now along that stretch of
wall.
It's only a matter of time before a pedestrian is hit along there I reckon,
and with the force clearly enough to knock down a brick wall - oh dear.
The Council have inspected the Bend and have said the traffic-calming there
is ok, I beg to differ though - and so does that brick wall knocked down 3 times
now.
Road Accident - Chester Road - Police Appeal For Witnesses By the railway station, Friday 27/11/2009 at 5.25pm. Call 0121 606
7845.
Tree In Park Collapses So a lucky escape here, has fallen
over in a little used part of Short Heath Park - at the rear of the electricity
substation on Court Lane, the corner by the car-park.
I do report trees in the Park that are obviously a danger,
difficult to check each tree for sure though since there are so many and with
some it isn't obvious.
Birmingham Flat Blaze Man Dies After Being Rescued / From Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
`A MAN died after a flat fire in Birmingham,
despite attempts by paramedics and doctors to save him. Firefighters carried him
from a second-floor flat of a four-storey block, at Swan Gardens, in Erdington,
at about 4pm yesterday. Sep 23 2009.
The man was taken to Good Hope Hospital, Sutton
Coldfield, where he later died. West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said:
The man was brought out of the building by firefighters and we immediately
started advanced life support.
He was then taken on blue lights to Good Hope
Hospital but was sadly confirmed dead shortly after arrival.
Today, fire investigators were probing the
cause of the blaze.'
Mysterious Iron "Drain" At The Spinney All the recent rain has unearthed some puzzling
iron thing on the floor by The Spinney. If you stand at the 7/65 to-city
bus-stop, there's a grass verge of course. About 5 yards from the Cable box,
part of the verge has sunk. An iron grated drain is actually there you can now
see - was hidden under the verge.
Unclear how stable that area now is, the iron-grate has holes large enough
for (children's) feet to become stuck in (kids do play on that verge - often
when waiting for a bus - they could fall onto it too as it's presence is still
not that obvious), and it's unclear what it's original purpose was or is - the
pit below it MIGHT be deep, that's unclear too.
I've contacted the Council, so they can get to the bottom of it - excuse the
pun.
Court Lane Speed Indicator
Installed Wasn't aware there was a problem
there, but an electronic speed indicator has been placed on Court Lane near the
Jerrys Lane junction. For traffic heading towards Short Heath Road.
From Erdington Conservatives;
"Local Conservative Councillors ....... have been campaigning against
speeding traffic on Court Lane."
Area Behind The Woodyard - Still Appalling Drainage This large
grassed area is supposed to be for public open space, but after any rain it's
still useless for days, you sink to your ankles. Should be like Short Heath
Park. Can the drainage be improved? It has never been right in that regard since
it's creation in the 1980's.
Blocked Drains - Goosemoor Lane/Gravelly Lane/Summer Road / The recent heavy rain is showing where major blockages are;
On Goosemoor Lane at the junction with Top Croft Road, that big drain STILL
blocks up. Work is forever done there and still fails to solve the problem.
On Gravelly Lane opposite the Mona Road junction, a blocked drain causes a
HUGE puddle in heavy rain.
Just further up on Summer Road, under the railway bridge, passing cars
sometimes get stuck in a big water pool that forms in that dip in the road -
blocking traffic of course. The drains do clear the water eventually, but not
quickly enough. So another drain needs putting there under that bridge - there
are 3 big ones already but it's not enough.
All reported.
The Spinney News From Erdington Conservatives;
"We have reported The Spinney at the junction of Witton Lodge Road and Court
Lane to the City Council. We have asked the Council to clean up the inside, cut
back the bushes that have become so overgrown it is now difficult to see out,
and for the damaged fence sections to be repaired."
Major Road Accident - Gravelly Lane Thursday evening 30/4/2009, by the Oliver Road junction, road was cordoned off.
No more details available I'm afraid.
Goosemoor Lane Bend - Speeding
Vehicle Demolishes Wall A vehicle has mounted the pavement and demolished the Anstey
(Goosemoor Lane Playing Fields) brick wall where that has then been hit. You can
still see the tyre tracks leading up to the wall!
Same place that a lamp-post was hit a few weeks back.
On the odd side of the road, as traffic speeds down from the direction of
Court Lane and meets the roughly 70 degree bend. Often happens that vehicles
leave the road there. Traffic-calming has been put in over the years - still not
enough though.
So another dangerous incident, given that a brick wall has been demolished
this time (Monday night I think - 27/4/2009. Probably in all that rain/hail we
had).
The Council officially records only injury accidents, so the lamp-post and
now the wall being hit might officially count as "no accident" if no-one was
injured.
Bit of a farce if so, since lamp-posts and walls being hit and knocked down
will soon be a person if nothing more is done.
Hazard - Gravelly Lane Junction Problem - Still Happening (This problem probably not unique to
this type of junction). There is a small traffic island at the junction of Goosemoor
Lane and Gravelly Lane. 3 plastic keep-left signs are on that island.
Sometimes traffic coming down Gravelly Lane
(from Chester Road towards Station Road) ignores them (or doesn't see them) and
turns onto Goosemoor Lane on the WRONG side of that small island (i.e. using the
first gap instead of the second).
Then running head-on into traffic leaving Goosemoor Lane onto Gravelly Lane
(completely surprising both sets of motorists).
Happened around midday on Friday 25/4/2008 - but I'm now told it happens
lots. e.g. Happened again on Sunday 19/4/2009 around 10.30pm.
The 3 keep-left signs are either too small, or no-entry signs need to be put
where appropriate at that junction.
Jarvis Road News News sent in by a resident re Jarvis Road, when I've looked into it all I'll add
the responses.
"Just to mention that new large litter bins have appeared on
Jarvis Road, they seem to look out of place to me, there's even one in the
alleyway to Somerset Road.
The unofficial car space outside Alnwick House had metal
railings put around it today, this seems a thoughtless move as this area has a
shortage of car parking spaces and this will only add to them, can't help but
wonder why they did not leave it as it was. The workers had to park their truck
astride 3 parked cars in proper bays, thus proving the need for increased
parking facilities. There is always lots of work being done by council workers
and other service providers in this road which adds to the problem.
Considering Jarvis Road has a regular bus service up and down
every 20 minutes or so, cars which have to park next to the kerbs risk having
wing mirrors broke off or worse as the road has curves and is awkward and
difficult for the bus drivers to navigate.
There should also be the addition of parking bays for the
bungalows along this road as it gets more difficult for health workers such as
Nurses, Doctors and Social Services to get to provide the services they need,
there is plenty of room outside the bungalows for this work.
I have seen Ambulances and Fire Engines struggle to make their
way along Jarvis Road with all it's obstacles and cannot understand why the
Council does not improve parking facilities.
As we are now in Summertime it seems that children and adults
think it is fine to play football outside the flats in this area, pounding the
wall of the tower blocks and hitting cars parked nearby."
(There is a plan to build a park on the land between Jarvis and Topcroft,
more on that as it comes in).
Speed Check On Chester Road
Now Almost certainly in response to the recent fatal
accident (see Crime Page) a speed checker is now near the Lakehouse Road
junction.
Planning Boss Nearly Arrested
After Visit To Erdington Islamic School Site - Station Road From the Birmingham Mail website at
www.birminghammail.net
`BIRMINGHAM’S planning chief was almost arrested for causing an obstruction
during a visit to the proposed site of an Islamic school and education centre.
A police community support officer took Coun Peter Douglas Osborn’s name and
threatened to move him on as the Council planning committee chairman hosted a
site visit to Station Road in Erdington.
The committee was viewing traffic and parking congestion in the area before
considering proposals to convert vacant shops into an Islamic school and adult
education centre for up to 30 pupils.
The councillor’s claims that it was an important public meeting cut no ice
with the PCSO who wanted to clear the highway.
Coun Douglas Osborn (Con, Weoley) said: "He objected to us having a meeting
there, but I felt the obstruction was a minor problem and it was an important
that people could have their say."
The meeting was soon wrapped up and the small crowd allowed to disperse.
And planning committee members felt the obstruction and gridlock caused by
their arrival in a minibus showed that the road could not cope with up to 30
people coming and going to attend classes, despite assurances from transport
officers that it would not add to traffic problems.
The committee unanimously overturned the official advice and decided they
were minded to refuse the application.'
Oscott College Dangerous Trees Around the perimeter of the Oscott College (especially
on Chester Road), over-hanging branches are falling into the road and onto the
pavement in rough weather.
The Bend Is Tough For Lorries - Sat Nav Can Re-Direct Them? Articulated lorries find The Bend in Goosemoor Lane VERY difficult to negotiate,
but we have Cookes and Travis Perkins having to accept such deliveries of
course. Can Sat Nav be altered so that when directing lorries to those two
premises it's via the Court Lane end (Travis Perkins) or the Gravelly Lane end
(Cookes) and The Bend is therefore avoided?
(Although thinking about it - when they've unloaded wouldn't they have to go
round the Bend THEN to drive off - so IS there an overall solution? At least an
empty lorry would find The Bend easier to drive round though).
`Controversial plans to erect a 15-metre high phone mast on land near to a
busy road junction in Perry Common have been approved. Fifty incensed residents
put pen to paper and signed a petition calling on Birmingham City Council to
throw out Orange's plans to install the mast at the junction of Witton Lodge
Road and College Road.
But yesterday members of the planning committee gave the green light with
some conditions.
They ordered that the mast be in the style of a mock telegraph pole, and that
the number of cabinets be reduced from five to one and painted in anti-graffiti
paint to combat vandalism.
Gary Sambrook, who lives in Plumstead Road, visited scores of homes asking
people to sign the petition. He expressed anger at the committee's decision.
He said: "There are already enough phone masts in the area. We started a
petition three weeks ago and this was handed in to the council. It is
disgraceful that this phone mast has been allowed to go ahead, however we will
be making sure they do not break the conditions of the permission."
The mast is expected to provide 3G coverage to the Perry Common, Upper Witton
and Short Heath areas of the city.
Erdington ward councillor Robert Alden had supported the protestor's
campaign. Speaking after yesterday's planning meeting he said: "We are glad that
alterations have been made so that vandalism should be combated, however we are
concerned that the committee, following planning legislation, isn't allowed to
consider the health impact of a mobile phone masts."'
Fatal Road Accident - Perry Common - Police Appeal For Witnesses / (This will be moved to the
Crime Page if dangerous driving etc is later proved).
`A man died after suffering serious injuries in a road traffic accident in
Kingstanding today (Thursday).
West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to College Road shortly after
9.40am.
An ambulance, two rapid response vehicles and the Warwick and Northants Air
Ambulance were dispatched to the scene where the 27-year-old was lying in the
road with multiple injuries to his head, chest and leg.
A spokesperson for the ambulance service said the man was involved in a
collision with a vehicle and needed treatment at the scene before he was taken
to hospital, where he later died.
West Midlands Police closed Witton Lodge Road, Hawthorn Road and College Road
around College High School while inquiries were made at the scene.
A 40-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving.
Any witnesses, or anyone with information is urged to contact the road
policing unit at Castle Vale on 0845 113 5000.
Some initial reports from emergency services - including those received
before the January 23 edition of the Great Barr Observer went to press
this afternoon - suggested a child had been involved. That information was
incorrect.'
The issue of traffic safety on College Road between the Beggars Bush and the
One Stop Shopping Centre does keep arising at various meetings etc.
`A dedicated community worker who has helped tackle crime and
improve housing in Perry Common has been awarded an MBE in the Queen's New
Year's Honours List.
Linda Hines, who is director of Witton Lodge Community Association, was
awarded the MBE for her work in the community in north Birmingham.
Mrs Hines was named in the prestigious roll of honour for her steadfast work,
which includes playing an integral role in setting up Perry Common Community
Watch, which last year received praise from Prime Minister Gordon Brown.
The award is also in recognition of her work at Witton Lodge Community
Association, a non-registered Housing Association which owns rented properties
on the Perry Common Estate including an extra care sheltered scheme at Sycamore
Court in Buxton Road.
Commenting on the honour, 57-year-old Linda, said:
"It is quite an honour it has been the hardest secret to keep as I have known
about the MBE since November. When I received the letter I read it about 10
times to make sure it was correct. It is 18 years since I became active in the
community and I have not won this award on my own, so many people have supported
and helped me. I love a challenge and thrive on challenges. I do not know who
nominated me but when I find out I will give them a big hug."`
Power Cut - Happy New Year / The electricity went off across a wide area on New
Year's Day! From around 1.20pm - 2.30pm. The last one in this area was February
2008 - is that too many in too short a space of time? I'll keep an eye on it.
Jarvis Road Electrical Rewiring Faults / Cllr Compton recently
took possession of a petition from residents of Jarvis Road objecting to the
quality of rewiring work carried out on their properties.
The Mystery Of The Small Water-Mains Cover Outside 118 Goosemoor Lane
Sometimes it's
there, sometimes not and there's a hole in the pavement! Even those at 118 don't
know why it vanishes and then re-appears!
(One possible explanation is it keeps being nicked - it is metal - and Severn
Trent keep replacing it. How they know it keeps vanishing to replace it I don't
know though!)
The Hanging Baskets Of Station Road From Erdington
Conservatives member Cllr Robert Alden;
"I was especially keen to see hanging baskets along the Sutton New Road and
from Erdington train station to the High Street so residents and visitors could
follow the flowers to the High Street."
`The Princess Royal officially opened a 'state-of-the-art' adult care centre
in Perry Common yesterday (Thu 9/10/2008), accompanied by dignitaries from
across Birmingham.
Her Royal Highness visited the Perry Tree Centre in Dovedale Road, the first
of four pioneering care centres set to open in the city this year.
The princess was shown around the centre by manager Mike White and then met
residents and their families, along with staff and partner organisations.
Princess Anne ended her visit by poignantly planting a perry tree in the
award-winning landscaped gardens.
"The Princess Royal took a genuine interest in what we are achieving here in
Birmingham," said Mr White.
"As patron for the Princess Royal Trust for Carers since 1991, she is working
towards the same goals that we are – to support older people and their carers to
remain independent for as long as possible."
The princess visited a rehabilitation and in-patient area on the upper floor,
which were provided by Birmingham East and North Primary Care Trust.
Director of strategy and redesign for the trust, Tony Ruffell, said: "It was
a real pleasure to be able to demonstrate these new facilities to the Princess
Royal.
"They will make an enormous difference to people in east and north Birmingham
who need our support to help them regain their independence."
The centre is at the cutting edge of support services for people with
dementia and boasts assistive technology, rehabilitation services, a gym and
therapy rooms.
Residents are accommodated in 64 en-suite bedrooms, including long-term care
beds.
The centre's gardens, which are specifically designed to help people with
dementia, won the special award category in the Celebrating Construction Awards
2008.
Councillor Sue Anderson, cabinet member for adults and communities said: "Our
care centres will enable us to deliver a much higher standard of care to older
people in Birmingham.
"They are also unique in the country and it is wonderful that Her Royal
Highness is with us today to help celebrate all the hard work that has gone into
making our vision a reality," she said.'
(Repton House is the tower block with red brickwork at the top)
"An Erdington man is recovering in hospital after being rescued from a blaze
in his seventh-storey flat.
The man, believed to be in his 60s, suffered a heart attack after breathing
in fumes from a severe fire at his home in Repton House, Baldmoor Lake Road in
the early hours of this morning (Tuesday 16/9/2008).
He was resuscitated by the ambulance crew and taken to Good Hope Hospital.
The fire brigade was alerted to the scene about 1am after a neighbour heard
an alarm and reported smelling smoke.
Another man in his 30s was treated for minor smoke inhalation."
Loose Bricks Around Tree Bases - Goosemoor Lane / There are trees with decorative brick bases on the odd-side by the
Court Lane junction. The heavy rain has caused some bricks to become
loose/dislodged though the trees are still safe. Can the brick-work be repaired
please?
(A glance at the 1930's photos on the History Page shows that brickwork is
historic and we have lost a couple of those trees already due to new driveways
etc. So can the brick-work be repaired in the original style too please? Would
look out of place if ordinary house-bricks were used).
Telegraph Pole Problem - Goosemoor Lane / Outside the Anstey on the Bend on that odd-side sits a
telegraph-pole. One of the lines attached has snapped. Is quite long and easily
touched but is only a phone-line NOT a power line. Reported to BT for repair.
(When people switch to Cable, BT don't disconnect the physical phone-line to
the house from their poles, so many are redundant so aren't noticed by residents
or BT when they snap).
Still Flooding Problems At The Top Croft Junction / / Council have spent all sorts of time and effort
on this but EVEN now in heavy rain it STILL forms a huge puddle! Before it was
because the camber was wrong, not it's because the drain just gets overwhelmed!
/
Coin From 1822 Found On Maxted Road / If you have a metal-detector you may want to get it out!
A coin dating from 1822 has been found by someone walking on the grass-land on
Maxted Road.
That land has never been built on and did belong to Oscott College;
Bears King George IV on it's heads-side with Britannia on the tails-side.
Coin isn't in good condition and has not yet been valued.
Full inscription as can be made out;
Heads - "Georgius IIII DEI GRATIA"
Tails - "Britannar REX FID DEF 1822"
(Seems a commemorative coin rather than currency - possibly celebrating his
Coronation. Became king in 1820 having been Regent from 1810).
Rats On Sunday Nights - Foxes And Hedgehogs Now Too
/ All sorts of wildlife is scurrying round the
bin-bags left out for Monday morning refuse collections - try to leave putting
them out until as near collection time as possible (e.g. Sunday afternoon seems
a bad idea). /
`An Erdington boy will be among a party of 300 teenagers who will today
(Friday 2/5/2008) debate major youth issues at the House of Lords.
In the hours after millions of adults cast their votes in the local
elections, Andrew Marlow, 16, a member of the UK Youth Parliament for
Birmingham, will take over the distinguished chamber. He will debate what issues
should become the subjects of Youth Parliament campaigns this year, with three
to be chosen from topics including public transport concession cards, university
tuition fees, youth representation in the media and lowering voting age.
"We are pleased that young people's issues are now being taken seriously as
evidenced by their access to the House of Lords chamber and we will continue to
support young people to get their voice heard at all levels across the city,"
said Harry Fowler, joint acting head of Birmingham City Council's Youth Service.
The debate will be chaired by Lord Speaker Baroness Hayman.
She said: "I am very pleased to welcome Members of the UK Youth Parliament
who will be coming from all over the country to debate important issues in the
House of Lords chamber.
"It is vital that we engage with young people and understand their views and
experiences in order to pass laws which are fit for the future."'
"The funeral of a well respected Sutton businessman will take
place next Friday (April 25). Ted Cooke, founder of Cookes Furniture, passed
away last week, aged 83.
A service will take place at 12 noon at St Michael's Church,
Boldmere, followed by a private service at Sutton Coldfield Crematorium.
Family flowers only are requested.
Donations to Mr Cooke's favourite charity, the Great Midlands
Fun Run, can be made c/o Ian Hazel Funerals Ltd, 5 Belwell Lane, Four Oaks,
Sutton Coldfield, B74 4AA."
Fire - Windsor House - Jarvis Road - No-One Hurt
www.firekills.gov.uk
A fire occurred recently in the middle tower block -
Windsor House - about halfway up the block. No-one hurt.
`A woman is recovering in hospital after being dragged from her burning home
at the weekend. The 49-year-old woman, who has not been named, was admitted to
the intensive care unit at Good Hope Hospital following a blaze at her Erdington
flat. She had to be pulled from the ground-floor property on Abbeyfield Road at
around 3am on Sunday after neighbours saw smoke billowing from the kitchen door.
Her condition was thought to be life-threatening when she was admitted on
Sunday, but further details were not being released to the media as the
Observer went to press.
It is thought the fire started in the kitchen after food was left cooking in
the oven.
Neighbours alerted the fire brigade after smelling the smoke from her home
and then hearing her fire alarm.
"We were on the scene quite quickly, as were the paramedics," said Mick Walsh
of Erdington Fire Station.
"It was quite lucky that the neighbours smelled the smoke and heard her alarm
because of the double glazing.
"We say it enough but it really shows how important it is to get a proper,
working fire alarm installed."
A spokesperson for the West Midlands Ambulance Service said: "The woman has
suffered critical injuries after the house fire in Erdington. Crews immediately
started resuscitation attempts. She was taken on blue lights to Good Hope
Hospital where medics were on standby to receive her."
Fire investigations officers say they are not treating the blaze as
suspicious.'
(As the updated headline says - this fire was subsequently fatal).
Court Lane And Madehurst Road Junction Clean Up
/ From Erdington Conservatives;
"Your local Conservative Team cleaned up the rubbish around the junction
..... We managed to collect more than 5 big bags of rubbish and have reported
the site to the Council so hopefully they will maintain it's current state."
Jarvis Road And Somerset Road Alley Clean Up
/ From Erdington Conservatives;
"Local campaigner Jessie Holland carried out a litter pick and weed clearance
along the alley ... a large amount of plastic bags containing dog mess were
found along with a number of needles and foil.
Jessie says, `We have reported the mess to the Council Hygiene Squad ..... we
have also reported the matter to the police ..... '"
Short Heath Park Clean Up
/ From Erdington Conservatives;
"Robert (Alden) and Gareth (Compton) arranged for a Short Heath Park to be
given a special `deep clean' following complaints from residents ...... The
two-day clean up at the end of January has left the park looking better than it
has in a long time."
Short Heath Park Clean Up
From Erdington Tories;
"The Council has agreed to carry out two special deep cleans of Short Heath
Park ....... The first of these has happened already recently when the Council
spent a day picking up litter etc. They will be doing this again in coming days
...... These are special clean ups in addition to the ones which happen normally
during the month."
Rose And Crown Alley Clean Up
From Erdington Tories;
"This times it was the alley running between Goosemoor Lane and Gravelly Lane
that was the target of a clean up. Between them the Conservative Campaign team
managed to collect 12 bags of rubbish from along the alley. The rubbish ranged
from beer cans and bottles to sweet and crisp wraps but also building parts from
the contractors who have been working on the next door site. These have been
reported to the Council and we are calling on the Council to take action against
these contractors leaving dangerous items behind."
Failed Camber - Goosemoor Lane The road-camber has failed on the odd side of Goosemoor Lane at the junction
with Gravelly Lane (so a very large puddle forms in the rain). Reported for
repair ages ago but not fixed. Reported again. /
Speeding Incident - Goosemoor Lane Many makes of car now have the spare-wheel
attached underneath instead of in the boot, and we have those two "tippex
islands". On Sunday night (6/1/2008) one speeding motorist decided to drive over
instead of round the one by Top Croft Road - and tore the spare wheel clean off
the bottom of the car and it bounced along the road behind the car for several
yards!
It could have been quite a serious incident. Just as well the road was empty.
They did stop and re-attached it underneath.
`A neglected alley in Erdington got a new lease of life
last week after volunteers pulled out all the stops to get it clear. The alley,
situated between Marsh Lane and Summer Road, was dirty and neglected with litter
and rubbish strewn about the place. But last week Stockland Green and Erdington
Conservatives pulled together to make the alley - which is used by people
walking to the High Street and rail station - spick and span.
"Residents had come to me expressing their concerns
about the alley being so dirty and unsafe to walk along due to all the rubbish
building up and becoming wet and slippy," explained Stockland Green
Conservatives local campaigner Matt Bennett.
"I decided that I should ensure it was clean for the
local residents. For too long Stockland Green and its residents have been
ignored. I'm determined to ensure that doesn't continue and that the Stockland
Green residents have the quality of life they deserve. That's why I am fighting
to put the green back into Stockland Green."'
Dropped Kerbs - More
This came up some months back, the Council wanted all of those with driveways
for cars to have dropped kerbs installed on the pavement. Here is the Council
page; /
Minor Bus Crash - Court Lane - The Spinney
/ (This might have involved a traffic offence - we
shall see - so scant details here). Wednesday 13/6/2007 around 3pm. One of the
"independent" buses was in collision with a car. Police were in attendance but I
don't think anyone was injured. A very young child was aboard one vehicle. /
Traffic Survey/Speed Check - Jarvis Road
/ (Courtesy of Cllr Alden) Police conducted a
speed check on Jarvis Road during the last week in April. Over all they found
that only approx 5% of traffic speeds could be actionable. Although not as
serious as elsewhere, they did admit that some cars were going very fast. /
Suspected Drunk-Driver Arrested After Large Crash On Goosemoor Lane
/ On Thursday night/Friday morning 26-27/4/2007
around 0.15am a driver was arrested by police after a road incident at the
Kirkwood Avenue junction in which no-one was injured. More on this after any
court proceedings. /
Cllr Robert Alden is looking into road-calming. /
(This report will be moved to Crime Page depending on
those court proceedings). /
These Issues Have Been Raised By A Resident With Cllr Alden -
His Responses
/ 1. Rubbish left for weeks by the Council bin on Goosemoor Lane opposite
the Church of Christ.. This is now causing more rats in the area.
"We have contacted the fleet and refuse department regarding this and asked
that it be collected more regularly."
2. Rubbish bins being emptied at Cookes Furniture (twice a week) this is done
at 6.00am, when the vehicles reverse they are fitted with reversing proximity
bleepers, this is not a welcome noise at this hour!
"We have contacted the environmental health department and reported it as
noise nuisance. They will now carry out some monitoring."
3. What is the criteria for a residents parking scheme? Whenever there is a
"special event" at Cookes (e.g. a sale) then the road is chaotic with traffic.
"A residents parking scheme would require over 60% of the road to vote in
favour ....... It would mean that residents would have to pay yearly for a
parking permit. Schemes only guarantee ONE permit per house and therefore could
mean that you would not be able to park all your vehicles on the road."
4. More traffic calming measure in the road the as current "spot islands" are
not effective.
" ..... we collected a petition on this very issue a few months ago and it is
currently being processed by the Transportation department ...... "
5. Finally can you find out what opening restrictions the restaurant has in
Cookes as there seems to be people leaving the premises very late at night.
"We have contacted the licence department regarding this
to find out the details ........ " /
Erdington Labour Party Info /
They've actually started sending me stuff (must be an election coming - oh yeah,
there is) and here is what is relevant to this area; /
"We are liaising* closely with Erdington's policing team,
and have worked in partnership to provide neighbourhood police stations in
Rookery House and Jarvis Road. We also share your concern about the often
poor-quality of local street-lighting, and as a result we are committed to
upgrading street lighting wherever possible. As a result we have recently
authorised a major street lighting improvement scheme in Goosemoor Lane." /
* A word very often spelt wrong and they did - put liasing
- I've corrected it ffor them above. Our schools are in safe hands then? /
Man Found Dead - Gravelly Lane/Jarvis Road Junction - Yet More
/ From the Sutton Observer,
www.thisissuttoncoldfield.co.uk
/
`A middle-aged man lay dying, face-down on a grass verge at the side of a
busy main road in Sutton. He was obviously in trouble, yet dozens of people
walked on by. Their actions have sickened one of the two Sutton men who did stop
to help.
Daniel Woodward, aged 23, who lives in Boldmere, was driving down Gravelly
Lane last Monday (February 19) at around 12.30pm when he noticed a young man
trying to get assistance from passers-by. Then he saw the older man lying face
down on the ground near the junction with Goosemoor Lane and stopped in his
tracks.
"I was on the way towards Erdington when I saw a man on his mobile phone
looking shocked and worried and there was an older man lying on the ground,"
recalled Mr Woodward. "People were just walking past."
"I parked up and went over to help. We turned him over and he was blue and
had stopped breathing. I quickly realised that all the time this guy had been
dead on the floor."
Yet despite their obvious difficulties, nobody offered to help or to call an
ambulance.
Mr Woodward continued: "Several people walked by and two men stopped, but
when they found out he was dead they just ran off."
The ambulance arrived and the paramedics pronounced the man dead at the
scene.
Police also attended and, after interviewing Mr Woodward and the other man,
allowed the pair to leave.
Now Mr Woodward says he is 'sickened' by the behaviour of passers-by who
chose to ignore their pleas for help.
"It was absolutely sickening," he said. "If that was a member of their family
I'm sure they would like to think someone would help them.
"I've got no first aid knowledge at all but at least I tried to help.
Everyone's got a mobile phone on them nowadays so they could have called 999 at
least.
"Even if they thought he was drunk they could have seen what the problem was
and sorted him out."
Steve Parry, spokesperson for the West Midlands Ambulance Service, confirmed
the incident, saying: "Ambulance paramedics did attend the scene at around 1pm.
"It was a male thought to be in his late 50s who had collapsed in the street.
"Paramedics certified the patient dead at the scene. It was natural causes."
Now of course I wasn't there but this was right at the end
of our road. Some Press accounts had people walking over the poor stricken man
(I suspected that wasn't true). The most probable version would be, lying on
that grass-verge by Jarvis Road is NOT that unusual - and when people saw others
then helping and with a phone just left it at that. As for people running off -
that's probably paranoia about the possibility of being falsely accused. /
(The number of times I'm warned over the website - that
police might accuse me of doing the stuff I'm mentioning! And an idiot Council
employee then did of course. Famously happened at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics too
of course - a security guard found a bomb, was then accused of planting it! The
real bomber then later found). /
So the area hasn't quite covered itself in glory, not
quite what appeared in some quarters though. /
More from later issues of the same newspaper. /
`The family of a man who was left lying on a busy
street after he had collapsed has thanked the people who stopped to help him.
Cornelious Collins, known as Con, died of natural
causes on Monday, February 19 after he collapsed on Gravelly Lane, near to his
home. He was 51. Then, the Observer reported how most people walked by, but that
he was helped by 23-year-old Daniel Woodward and an unknown man.
Now Con's sister, Eileen Hatfield, has contacted the
Observer to publicly thank the people who helped her brother during his dying
minutes.
"Con was a kind and generous man who fell on hard times
towards the later days of his life," said Eileen.
"But we are sure that put in the same situation he
would have been there offering assistance.
"Our family would like to thank Daniel Woodward and the
unnamed person who stopped to help our brother.
"We thought it was really kind and we just wanted them
to know."'
Spinney Now Cleaned Up
(The fenced off woodland at the junction of Court Lane and Witton Lodge Road -
the 7 and 65 bus terminus). / From Cllr Robert Alden
"It's not perfect but much better than before. We are asking for it to be
regularly cleaned from now on to stop it getting back to the situation it was
in. Also we will be starting a campaign for a bin to put there as it clearly
needs one for all the people getting on and off buses there."
Parking On The Pavement - Gravelly Lane
/ I got a complaint about cars parking on the
pavement between the Oliver Road and Station Road junctions (both sides). Cars
half on and half off the pavement. Very few houses there have garages. The
pavement is often obstructed to buggies etc. /
This has now been passed onto police by the Council. /
However; /
Be aware that situation allows Gravelly Lane at that
stretech to always be clear in BOTH directions for traffic to move. Anything
that makes residents park completely in the road WILL congest that busy road. /
Bulky Rubbish Collections - Free /
/ If you have old fridges, beds, cupboards etc -
the Council will collect them free of charge. 0121 303 1112. You are limited to
6 items however. /
Campaign To Build A Path Through The Park /
www.birmingham.gov.uk/parks
/ Another long running campaign set to succeed now. More as I get it. One
existed before (see History Page "Do You Remember?") but is now over-grown.
Gravelly Lane Car Crash Cuts Gas To Homes
/ (Birmingham Mail - Nov 28 2006)
"FOUR houses were left without gas when a car mounted a pavement and smashed
into a pipe.
Homes in Gravelly Lane, Erdington, were cut off at 10.35pm yesterday when a
driver lost control of his Ford Fiesta.
It collided with an external gas pipe connected to one of the properties.
The property was not badly damaged but the pipe fractured. Firefighters
performed an emergency repair job.
The Fiesta also collided with street signs and hit a parked Rover. It was
being driven by an 18-year-old man and his girlfriend was also in the car.
Police were today investigating the accident."
MP Lends A Hand With Community
Tidy-Up
(Sutton Observer) The project, organised by Kelly
Fogarty from the YMCA (Fosseway Drive), was part of Make a Difference Day which
gives people the opportunity to give a day of their time to contribute something
positive to the local community.
"Make a Difference Day provides a great opportunity for people to contribute
something to their local community without having to put their hand in their
pocket," said Mr Simon
The play area has been installed beside Court Farm Primary School.
Another Accident On The Bend - Goosemoor Lane - More /
Wed 14/9/2006 around 9.50pm. In the wet. As ever a car came down from towards
Court Lane too fast and failed to take the Bend. Mounted the pavement by the
Anstey but somehow missed everything down by there (the fence, trees,
telegraph-pole, lamp-posts, keep-left signs etc) before venturing back onto the
road and venturing on it's journey. /
All sorts of traffic-calming in place already there but
not enough. A chevron-sign used to be there too and has either fallen down or
been obscured by bushes. It should be easy to get that put back up though and I
reported that - got this back from the Council though. /
"An inspector has recently visited
the location stated in your e-mail and has advised that the signs and traffic
calming are of a good standard and meet the necessary requirements for the
location."
Court Lane Grass Verge To Remain - But Another Accident
/ (See Crime Page for more about the stolen-car accidents there etc).
Some residents wanted this verge by the Greyhound partly removed and then used
for parking. However some want it to remain (according to the Council Ward
report). It will remain, factors in the Council decision;
The dispute between residents,
Grass verges are a valuable amenity,
Money (as ever),
Sufficient parking already,
However another accident occurred there on Sat 2/9/2006
around 2pm. Vehicles travelling too fast in the wet and skidding when reaching
the bend (is it sign-posted beforehand in both directions?) It's worth noting
that unless someone is injured (and no-one was) police usually aren't made aware
to factor it in with any later decisions. /
Tree Down! Goosemoor Lane - Road Blocked - Sat 2/9/2006 We had a tree blown down in Goosemoor Lane near the Court Lane junction -
blocking the actual road. It caught telegraph-lines on the way down, pulling
those down brought down guttering on some houses and brought the pole down too.
/
The Fire Service did NOT attend as no-one was trapped (and
no-one was) so the Council had to clear it (road was blocked for several hours
around 10pm-5pm). The Fire Service told the Council. /
I was not aware of problems up by there. In the past trees
have been checked when reported by residents. /
Needs to be an investigation though, the wind was not that
bad. /
Road Accident - Goosemoor Lane Another minor shunt along the road as a van hit
a car, no-one injured. Sat 15/7/2006 at 11.10am by the Kirkwood Avenue junction.
Bear in mind when the road was built we didn't have as many cars, large business
premises requiring lorries, side-roads off and driveways to reverse off, the 66
bus and people using mobile phones whilst driving etc. /
Hence all these little shunts along the road. Bear all
that in mind when driving along Goosemoor Lane, all sorts of hazards along it. /
Station Road Bridge Walkway To Be Widened (See the Crime Page for the recent hit and run there). One side of this walkway
is very narrow and widening work was scheduled to start in 2003. This has kept
coming up in Ward meetings and the campaign started in 1936! Latest plans;
Negotiations have started with Network Rail, the bridge owner and associated
land. Provision of £90, 000 is contained for detail design work. Network Rail
Have been invited prepare a contract to deliver the work.
New Wardens Provided For The Topcroft Estate / (From Robert Alden - Local Cllr)
`Only a month after being elected as Councillor
for Erdington, Cllr Robert Alden, this month, announced a new clean up team for
the Topcroft Estate. It consists of 2 caretakers and 2-3 cleaners who will be
for the use of the Topcroft Estate and Jarvis Road. Cllr Robert Alden said "This
is the first time the estate has had this kind of support to help keep it clean.
The addition of this team, by the Conservative led Council, also demonstrates
how important the residents’ quality of life is felt to be by the Council".
Local campaign organiser Gareth Compton added
"this is further proof that the Conservatives keep their promises, we fought the
election on a Cleaner, Greener, Safer streets mantle and this is helping to make
sure we deliver. I ask residents can you remember this ever happening under the
old oppressive Labour administration? The answer is no because they had a no
star and failing Housing department. Under the Conservatives we have a one star
and improving department according to the independent audit Commission and we
are helping all residents of Erdington regardless of where they live".'
Road Accident - Goosemoor Lane
/ A minor shunt between two cars occurred at the
Kirkwood Avenue junction in the wet, 7am Tues 27/6/2006. No-one hurt. (Be aware
of the re-surfacing issue about Goosemoor Lane in the wet - see stone mastic
asphalt report below). /
Road Accident On Bend - Correction
/ Morning of Sunday 4/6/2006 around 4am.
Some car speeding from the Court Lane end of Goosemoor Lane to Gravelly Lane but
failed to take the Bend! Nearly ended up in the Anstey. I ealier said narrowly
missed a tree but in fact it hit it! (Always be aware of walking by the Bend on
that side as cars still rush down to there). No idea of casualties. /
Car Accident - Goosemoor Lane
/ Evening of Monday 8/5/2006 on the Bend (this
might explain the uprooted keep-left sign there now). No-one hurt from what I
can tell. /
Yet Another Low Bridge Incident In the Area - Chester Road /
(Sutton News/Sutton Observer) Nine cars were severely damaged
by a JCB carried on a lorry which struck the underside of the bridge and it's
arm then swung out onto the cars. No injuries. Friday 28/4/2006 at 1pm. Train
services were delayed for 20 minutes. /
Station Road in Wylde Green, Chester Road, Station Road
and Summer Road in Erdington all have low railway bridges with an increasing
roll-call of major accidents. /
Bridge Accident - Gravelly Lane
/ Friday 3/3/2006 at around 6pm, the railway
bridge across Gravelly Lane (by the South Road junction) was struck by a
high-sided lorry. Fire Service and police in attendance, road blocked in both
directions. I'm unaware if anyone was hurt. Fatalities have occurred in the past
at this location. /
Back in November we had a pedestrian seriously injured by
a car at the Station Road bridge, and even the Chester Road Station one has been
struck in the past (I'm unaware of the record of the Wylde Green one further
along the same line). /
All these low narrow bridges in the area. The issue needs
looking at in a wholistic way. /
College High School - City Academies Controversy
/ There are plans to turn some schools into "city
academies" and this is a controversial move. College High (formerly Perry Common
Secondary School) is one such school (no others in north Birmingham are in the
plan). Here is one side of the story; /
Paper Recycling Container
Fills Quickly
/ The large container where you can put waste-paper
for recycling situated at the Gravelly Lane junction outside the Costcutter shop
fills very quickly though the Council seems to keep up with emptying it - just!
Long-Standing Street-Lamp
Issues
/ The Beech Road Inset area has no lamps (see
Glossary). I have reported this for future consideration.
The Jarvis Road Estate; None of the side-lights illuminating the base of
Alnwick House work. None of the side-lights illuminating the base of Arundel
House work. All of the side-lights illuminating the base of Windsor House work
(compare it to the areas above to see the big lighting difference it makes to
the area around the block). All of the side-lights illuminating the base of
Berkley House work. Only half the side-lights illuminating the base of Stokesay
House work.
On Jarvis Road not far from Pertemps is a lamp obscured by an over-hanging
tree. Has been reported for pruning. When it is that lamp will illuminate an
unlit garage area too.
I'm a firm believer that if a system of street-lighting exists it should be
functioning. (I've christened the 3 Top Croft Estate maisonette blocks on my
website Glossary Page for clarity, though I'm unaware how widespread usage is;
North Block - the one nearest Goosemoor Lane.
West Block - the one stretching parallel lengthways to Short Heath Park.
South Block - the one nearest Cayton Grove).
All these have a system of 2 exterior lights on their side and 1 above both
entrances/exits. So I count each block to have 6 exterior wall lights, so 18 in
all. Only 3 work it seems, on the South Block (none vandalised it seems). If you
stand on the short side of that South Block, the short side that doesn't face
the Park, you'll see 2 side lamps on and the light given off is very good
(another is on by the entrance/exit). Multiply that by 6 by fixing all the other
exterior wall lamps that are attached to these 3 blocks of maisonettes and the
estate will be considerably lightened, especially some previously dark areas. I
have reported all of these for repair.
The lamp at the back of the Top Croft South Maisonette Block (see Glossary
page) is still off, so is the other one now!
Another at the junction car-park of Goosemoor/Hawthorn is out. This is
classed as private so no word on repair.
A lamp in the driveway of LA Gym/Pavillion Housing on Gravelly Lane is out.
Private again.
The specific Council webpage for reporting broken lamps etc is;
Pigeons - Jarvis Road/Top
Croft Estate
/ These birds have no owner and have become a
severe pest. Some residents are being forced to fence off balconies etc. I will
speak to the Council to see what can be done.
Land At The Back Of The
Woodyard - For Sale?
/ This rumour has been doing the rounds (Littlecote
Drive Public Open Space aka The Common). I've asked the Council and so far
nothing back. This land is part of their wider public space strategy.
Park Cleaner /
www.birmingham.gov.uk/parks
/ The park is cleaned weekly by a company called Service Team (tel 0121
764 3333). They use the same person as when the Council did it! He reports
things for repair etc. Nice to know someone is looking after it.
Calls For Traffic Calming On Court Lane (See Crime Page) - More
/ (Sutton News) Some residents want traffic calming after a series of
incidents. On Monday morning 2.30am on 10/11/2003 and 10.30pm on 14/9/2003
vehicles collided with parked vehicles.
Parking Problems /
/ Somerset Road/Gravelly Lane junction - Cars are parking on the pavement
and too near this junction. A Traffic Regulation Order is going to drawn up,
such as double yellow lines. However this will take time.
A resident has since emailed;
"Do you know if it is possible to get double yellow lines outside the shop at
the corner of Goosemoor and Gravelly Lane? Cars park on the bend when using the
shop and this causes disruption for cars turning left and buses turning right at
this junction."
I will pass this on to the Council.
New Estate Planned
/ This is in the very early stages but plans are
being drawn up for a new estate to sit between the Top Croft and Jarvis Road
Estates (on what is now the Court Lane Allotments etc). Updates will be here.
Anstey Fence Strengthened
- The Great Escape? - More Land Sought / I'm
almost expecting to see Steve McQueen ride his motorbike round it! The Anstey is
fenced off (again and much er now) so work can start on it (the fence was
being torn down each time by some determined person(s) unknown!) This has been
bought for housing by developer Walton
Homes, subject to planning permission. Where the traffic will come out I
don't know, hopefully not by the Goosemoor Lane bend (there were traffic
problems when Hawthorn Close was being built). Originally the Anstey entrance
was on Gravelly Lane but that is part of the Alexandra building there now. It
means less open space in the area but with homes on flood-plains now being seen
as a bad idea I suppose they have to build somewhere nationally.
(Sutton News 13/6/2003) A third party is wanting to buy adjacent land that is
currently gardens on Chester Road and sell it to the developer. Hints that exit
traffic will be onto Goosemoor Lane.
Dodgy Lamps - List
/ Since I've started monitoring this I've found the
same lamps tend to go again and again, rather than every lamp bulb having the
same "life" (it's not vandalism). They should last several years but some last
only a few months. It may be the lamps not the bulbs that's to blame! Here's the
"dodgy lamp" list for the area.
Lamp 1, Bowling Green Close (at the Goosemoor junction)
/ Lamp 15, Gravelly Lane (just before the post office going towards
Station Road)
Here's the Transport Dept report on those first 3;
"From an enquiry into the street lighting maintenance system the lamp in
Goosemoor Lane had been reported faulty on 4 occasions by a member of the public
yet we have no report from our night inspectors. This may indicate a faulty time
switch that is late in switching and the lamp is operating when the night patrol
see it. The time switch will be replaced for a photoelectric cell that will
operate automatically dusk and dawn. These devices are unaffected by power cuts
and this should cure the problem. The other two street lamps in Bowling Green
Close and Gravelly Lane have each received 2 fault reports in the last 12 months
and this does not indicate a problem area. However, we will ensure they are
monitored carefully over the next few weeks."
The report on Lamp 20 bears almost no resemblance to what has been going on
with it over the last year, reported here each time it's gone off. (It was not
coming back on very late at night each time, nothing like that. Some along
Sycamore Road were doing that. Lamp 20 was being fixed within a week but going
again after a few months. How come it's bulb is much brighter now? How could
that occur if the Council report is true? It's a different bulb). The other 2
should last far more than 6 months. I will be pursuing lighting issues across
the whole city now. The present system seems pretty hopeless.
Learner-Drivers At The
Bowling Green Close Junction
/ Specific road junctions are popular with local
driving-instructors teaching pupils how to do certain turns etc. The Goosemoor
Lane/Bowling Green Close junction is one such place. Be aware of this when near
that junction.
Weather Warnings
/ The Met
Office sometimes slip up as they can't give very localised patterns. I now
can detect severe storms coming into the area (though sometimes only 1/2 hour
etc notice). I've wondered how to make use of this via the site. The
E-Group
will be used for this. Bear in mind I won't always be able to get to a computer
always or be with my instruments, so not every storm will be forecast. Each
alert will also link to the official
Birmingham Met
Office site etc so you can see who is the more accurate (time constraints
mean I can't give a daily forecast).
Sion Simon MEP Is Losing
His Sight
/ Sad news, our MP is gradually going blind. He has
a condition called choroideremia
There is no known cure or treatment so gradually over a period of years he
expects to lose his sight completely, and it has already started to happen. He
intends continuing as our MP though.