MP newsletter - flooding, child poverty, and bus services - 07 October 2024

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Good morning and thank you for subscribing. As Parliament has been in recess, this edition of the newsletter is focused on local news.

Birmingham news

Flooding

Houses, businesses, schools, and other public buildings across the Northfield area were flooded on Thursday 26 September. The flooding also caused severe traffic disruption, and, in some cases, cars had to be rescued.

My thoughts are with all those whose face the misery of flood damage. Even with insurance, the shock of the intrusion and the loss of personal items can be impossible to put right.

I spent that night and the days that followed escalating reports and appeals from constituents. Public information was also provided. A special mention is due for the constituency office team, who worked incredibly hard to get people support from the authorities.

As global warming rises, the risk of flooding is also set to increase. Although the River Rea swelled, this time the damage was attributed to groundwater flooding (in other words, from rain run-off).

A number of people have made reports of blocked drains, which can raise the risk of groundwater flooding. I am concerned that the highways contractor, Kier, has advised that it may take up to 16 weeks for drainage teams to visit ‘low priority’ reports. This takes us in theory beyond Christmas, and my office are working with local councillors to see if the callouts can be sped up.

Child poverty

In September, the Birmingham Mail published a hard-hitting report on child poverty in the city. It is a difficult but essential read.

The report sets out how the heavy ties of inadequate (and often shocking) housing conditions, hollowed-out public services, and low wages combine to hold people down. Locally, almost one in three children are in relative poverty, and one in five are in absolute poverty.

Nationally, child poverty rates were up by a third over the last eight years. But in the Birmingham Northfield constituency they almost doubled. Those rates started below the West Midlands average, but now we have fallen behind.

(Figures and graphic are care of the House of Commons Library)

There was once a legal duty on the government to prepare child poverty strategies, and to report against targets for reducing child poverty. Those targets were scrapped in 2016. The scrapping of targets means that the impact of government policy on child poverty is now lesser reported (for example, at a time when public sector pay is a topical issue, it is worth reflecting that past caps on pay made child poverty worse).

It is therefore welcome that a new child poverty strategy is due to be published next Spring. It is important that the issues raised by the Birmingham Mail’s report are reflected in its work.

Another immediate step is the creation of free breakfast clubs in primary schools. These clubs have been proven to reach children who might not otherwise get three meals a day, while raising attainment. Funding is now available for 750 ‘early adopter’ primary schools and I’d encourage schools in the Northfield constituency to apply.

These positive steps must be balanced by the extremely concerning news – confirmed today – that Birmingham’s youth service budget faces cuts of two-thirds, which places more than half of staff posts, and the future of the Factory youth centre in Longbridge at risk.

I have written before about Birmingham City Council’s financial challenges (of which, there is more below). The city must get back to a balanced budget. But what accounting is being made of the long-term social and financial costs of this reduction in services, particularly when organised crime gangs are targeting young people who are excluded (or at risk of exclusion) from the system?

These proposals are not yet confirmed – they will be subject to consultation, and I will make a full representation. As with the submission to the library consultation, this will be made public.

SEND surgery

One linked issue is Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Too many families and carers are being forced to fight for basic provision within a failing system. I have spoken to too many parents who have been forced to give up work in order to keep their children in education.

On Wednesday, I held my first ‘SEND surgery’ which was organised with the excellent SEND Socials Birmingham group.

Without going into the details of individual cases, there were some common themes, including: shortages in professionals (which is holding up diagnoses and making it harder to get Education, Health and Care Plans); and agencies not working together as they should.

I’m grateful to those who attended. It is not always easy for people to share their experiences. A number of casework issues were picked up, and it is very helpful for me to hear directly what is going wrong for the next time that SEND reforms are debated in Parliament.

Telegraph poles – investigation

I wrote about telegraph poles in the last newsletter. As an update: OFCOM has confirmed that it is now investigating BRSK’s approach to telegraph pole installation in Birmingham, following a complaint submitted by Birmingham City Council in May.

I attended a residents’ meeting in Pineview, near Northfield Station, to discuss the issue in more depth. I am in contact with BRSK and raising individual cases, but the problem remains that consultation is seen as ‘best practice’ only, due to changes made around a decade ago.

The debate on planning permission and telegraph poles has been delayed – hopefully by no more than a week – to make time on the Parliamentary agenda to mark the one-year anniversary of the appalling atrocities on 07 October, and in the days that followed. I hope to have a substantial update next week or the week after.

Birmingham City Council finances

Back in September, I secured a commitment from the new government that they would be ‘open to any representations they [Birmingham City Council] want to make’ over funding, and the central government approach to Birmingham that was inherited from the previous government (which was described by the West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, as a ‘political hit job’ last week).

A cautiously encouraging update was given by the local government Minister, Jim McMahon, at Labour Party Conference, which is worth quoting:

’There is a commitment from us (the Government) to say to Birmingham ’we are open to receiving your proposals. We are listening, if you can present a proposal that holds water, that will satisfy the … Treasury. …

’What we have not said to the council is that we, the Government, have a proposal to extend the recovery period or give more money. But we have said to the council we are open to the council proposing an alternative. That is an important difference.

‘The onus is on the council to say ’we are seeking to reschedule things - the cost of Oracle is now this, the equal pay liability is now this, can we reschedule the borrowing on that basis through capitalisation, which means we don’t have to make the same cuts or asset sales.’

Birmingham faces real problems. It is better that those problems are fixed from within the city, but central government has an important role to play as well, and I am hopeful that a more constructive approach will be found.

Transport update

Cross-city buses - Longbridge to Sutton Coldfield

As mentioned in the last newsletter, Transform for the West Midlands has now published details of its proposals for bus services.

The planned scheme extends beyond the constituency, but details for Longbridge to Northfield high street can be found here. A second set of proposals affect the Bristol Road northwards, from (broadly speaking) St Laurence Road to the Weoley Park Road area. These can be viewed here.

Many of the details seem very sensible to me. At the southern end, TfWM proposes to extend bus parking areas, and minor road widening, in Longbridge, as well as putting up additional shelters. Better enforcement for the bus cage is also proposed for Northfield high street.

More extensive works are proposed north of Northfield high street through to Selly Oak high street, including the installation of a series of non-continuous bus lanes where there are stops. There would be some widening of the road and the loss of five trees through this section.

I travel most places by public transport. We need better public transport options to reduce emissions and free up space for all road users. I want to support proposals that will deliver a more reliable bus service, and I’d be really interested in your views on the TfWM proposals (questions are at the end of the newsletter).

Help with the cost of public transport

Richard Parker and Transport for the West Midlands have also launched a public awareness campaign to get more people who are starting new jobs signed up to support with the cost of transport.

Under the Workwise scheme, people who are starting a new job (and earning £30,000 or less) can get two months’ free travel on bus, rail and tram – followed by a further 50 per cent discount for a month. There is no income criteria for people who are coming off unemployment benefits.

If this applies to you (or someone you know) then you can apply for a ticket here.

Rail news

Finally, congratulations to Laura Shoaf, Chief Executive of the West Midlands Combined Authority, who has been appointed as the new Chair of Great British Railways – the body which will oversee passenger services under public ownership.

I first met Laura many years ago, when she was a director of the old West Midlands Integrated Transport Authority, and it can only be good for Birmingham to have someone based in the city in the driving seat as the railways change.

Kings Norton mop fair

The Kings Norton Mop Fair is today – rides and other entertainment are on the Green from 15:00 to 22:00.

Out and about

Since the last newsletter, I attended a meeting of the Northfield Business Improvement District (BID) to hear about potential improvements to the high street. I also spoke at a public meeting organised by the Friends of Northfield Library (alongside a representative of the Birmingham Loves Libraries campaign).

I attended the in-person consultation at Frankley Community Library, alongside local residents, to help make the case for a viable future for this community asset. I also had the privilege of spending some time at King Edward VI Balaam Wood Academy next door, where the leadership team has done a very impressive job of improving the school over the last eight years. Funding has been confirmed for a rebuild of the 1980s site – it is now important that the timetable is confirmed.

With thanks to Northfield Community Partnership, I attended and spoke at their International Day of Older Persons event at Hawkesley Community Centre. It was great to see so many people there. Along with my team, we shared information on Pension Credit applications, which will also go on the website when it is refreshed. Another important community initiative is FoodCycle at St Gabriel’s in Weoley Castle, where free hot food is available each Tuesday, and I was glad to spend time with volunteers and guests.

I also met UNISON representatives to talk about public services (it can become a politicised point – but I will always be proud of my trade union background). Unfortunately, I couldn’t attend a meeting with Shenley Neighbourhood Watch and the canal clean-up in Kings Norton due to illness at the end of last week, and I hope to rearrange soon.

International

The fear of a wider war in the Middle East is compounding the scenes of horror in Palestine, which underlines the need for an immediate ceasefire, progress towards a two state solution and – one year on from the October 07 pogrom – the release of hostages. I am hoping to speak in a debate on the importance of getting more aid into Gaza later this week.

If you know anyone who has ties to the constituency and who is attempting to leave Lebanon then please get in touch.

What do you think?

Have you had a chance to look at the proposed bus measures along and the around the A38? What is your view on TfWM’s plans? Are there other specific improvements that you would like to see to local bus services?

I’d be particularly interested in different perspectives on the proposals – such as from residents, as well as bus passengers, drivers, pedestrians and cyclists who use the route.

Best wishes

Laurence Turner
MP for Birmingham Northfield

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This newsletter was mostly written at the weekend alongside domestic duties so please excuse any typos.