You can help send a message to BCC to saying how much we want our libraries protected at Libraries Consultation 2024 – Birmingham City Council – Citizen Space (birminghambeheard.org.uk)

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In response Green Party Group Leader Julien Pritchard said:

“Unlike the Council Leader, I find it hard to see the positives in this announcement. Previous government interventions in Birmingham, such as the Kerslake Review, failed to solve the Council’s problems. How can we be sure this is going to be any different?

“One of the biggest issues with Birmingham City Council has been a lack of transparency and accountability and the centralisation of power. It’s not clear how these Government appointed commissioners will be held to account by the people of Birmingham and its elected representatives.

“This is really important. Birmingham Residents shouldn’t be made to pay for this crisis. Nor should the city and its communities suffer a fire sale of public assets at knock-down prices. So it’s crucial Brummies have a say in what happens next. It’s also vital the most vulnerable residents and left-behind communities are protected.

“Birmingham Greens will continue to listen to residents, as well as stand up for our communities from the double whammy of cruelty from Tory austerity cuts and incompetent handling of this crisis by this Labour administration.”

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Responding to the effective bankruptcy of Labour-run Birmingham City Council, Green Party co-leader Carla Denyer said:

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. Over the next two years at least 26 councils in some of Britain’s most deprived areas are at risk of going the same way and the Local Government Association has warned councils in England face a funding gap of almost £3 billion just to keep services standing still.

“Thirteen years of Tory austerity has left day-to-day local services delivered by councils crumbling. This cannot be fixed without extra revenue.

“This should serve as a wakeup call to Labour. It’s time to tax the super rich who have seen their wealth mushroom in recent years, so as to provide extra money to maintain vital public services.

“Even millionaires themselves have joined economists and politicians from around the world in calling for extra taxes on the richest. Labour needs to play catch-up and pledge to tax the super-rich, or a future Labour government will drag the country into bankruptcy.”

The Green Party Group Leader on Birmingham City Council, Cllr Julien Pritchard, also blamed mismanagement from the local Labour Administration for the crisis.

He said:

“Our Labour-run Council has been dealt an awful hand by Tory cuts but they have also played it terribly. They have utterly mismanaged an equal pay crisis with dreadful consequences. Ordinary Brummies shouldn’t have to pay for Labour’s mess.

“The government will need to step in to ensure Birmingham residents don’t suffer – it’s vital this isn’t solved with a fire sale of the city’s assets at knock down prices.

“We need to see solutions that ensure the most in need in our city are protected. This includes tackling the Council’s appalling housing conditions, supporting residents through the cost-of-living crisis, and protecting the vital services our residents rely on. Parks, libraries, community spaces and buildings are all essential to achieving a better quality of life for Brummies.

“While Labour fail citizens locally, the Conservative government do the same nationally. Birmingham’s Green Party councillors continue to be strong advocates for the people of Birmingham.”

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“This news is utterly staggering. It will be absolutely gutting and extremely worrying for anyone reliant on vital Council services.

“The residents of Birmingham are now suffering a double whammy of cruelty from Tory austerity cuts and incompetent handling of this crisis by this Labour administration.

“The scale of this crisis is truly astounding. If the Council was being run properly then this would never have happened. Ordinary Brummies should not have to pay for this crisis.

“In future budget decisions, the Council must prioritise improving its appalling housing standards, protecting services for residents and communities who are most in need, and ensure it lives up to its commitments to tackling the climate emergency and cost-of-living crisis.”

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This was despite the Sustainability and Transport Scrutiny Committee’s decision to call-in Labour Executive’s original decision, following a challenge by Green Party Councillor Julien Pritchard and Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors.

Approving the contract means Birmingham City Council will keep burning household rubbish in its incinerator until 2034 or 2039.

Councillor Julien Pritchard said:

“Deciding to keep the incinerator going for another 10-15 years completely flies in the face of the City Council’s climate change declaration to be net zero by 2030.

“By refusing to rethink, the Labour Administration are clearly not listening to concerns, and shown that they are wedded to this polluting and climate trashing, out-of-date and inefficient burner.

“Despite running the Council for over 11 years, the Labour Administration has not seriously looked at alternatives to burning Brum’s waste and only worsened Birmingham’s recycling rates.

“Now that the Labour Administration has ploughed ahead and decided to keep the incinerator, we need to ensure that this is the last incinerator contractor, and Tyseley is turned off in 2034.

“To do this we need a Council waste strategy and plan that improves the city’s shameful recycling rates, increases the number of different materials the Council recycles, reduces the amount of waste produced, and most importantly introduces a food waste collection.

“We need bolder, greener council leadership to make sure this happens.”

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Birmingham needs to seriously step up to achieve its ambition to have zero deaths and serious accidents on the roads per year.

We need immediate action to deal with dangerous driving and make our roads safe for pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and all vulnerable road users. The city must take this problem seriously to alleviate the fears of every family now wondering whether their loved ones will be the next victim of this abhorrent behaviour.

We desperately need more investment in improved street design to lower speeds, and protect vulnerable road users, as well as more 20mph limits.

This must go hand in hand with increased enforcement, whether through the use of cameras or traffic police officers.

Drivers in Birmingham must know that there are consequences if they do not obey the law and endanger the lives of others. Currently, there is a common perception that this is not the case.

Safer roads have multiple benefits, including for mental and physical health, cleaner air and less noise pollution. The people of Birmingham deserve this and the council must get on with delivering it.

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The Council’s Sustainability and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee upheld the requests for ‘call in’ from Green Party as well as Liberal Democrat and Conservative Party councillors.

The decision has now been sent back to the Council Cabinet for them to think again.

Councillor Julien Pritchard said:

“Keeping the incinerator going for another 10 years completely flies in the face of the City Council’s climate change declaration to be net zero by 2030.

“The Labour administration claimed there are no alternatives to their climate-trashing plan, but that’s because, despite running the Council for over 11 years, they’ve not seriously looked at alternatives to burning Brum’s waste.

“There are greener ways of dealing with most of what the Council decides to burn in the incinerator. Improving the city’s shameful recycling rates, increasing the number of different materials the Council recycles, and most importantly introducing a food waste collection, could drastically cut the amount of waste the City Council burns.

“But the Labour Cabinet ignored all of this in coming to their decision. Birmingham deserves better, bolder leadership on climate and a better deal for residents.

“So it’s heartening to see the scrutiny committee agree that the Cabinet’s decision was flawed and uphold our requests. I was pleased to have been able to play my part in challenging this decision.

“Hopefully the scrutiny committee’s decision to call this in makes the Labour administration think twice, and we get a better deal for residents, for Birmingham, and the planet.”

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Green Group Leader, Councillor Julien Pritchard said:

“There’s lots wrong with our Labour-run Council. A lot of this is caused by Labour’s tendency, both locally and nationally, to centralise power.

“So I’m not sure a change of Birmingham Labour leader imposed by Keir Starmer from London is the right solution for the Council, or the city. Our city’s leaders should be elected by the people of Birmingham.

“Birmingham needs new ideas, new leadership and a new way of doing politics – doing politics with people rather than to them.

“The Green Party gained over 200 seats across England in last week’s elections by doing politics differently. Ultimately, for real change in Birmingham we need more Green councillors at the next City Council elections in 2026.”

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The Green Party councillors have requested a ‘call-in’ of the decision, asking the Council’s Sustainability & Transport Overview & Scrutiny to look again at the decision. The Committee will look at the request and the Council’s decision on Thursday 18th May.

Councillor Julien Pritchard said:

“The decision completely flies in the face of the city council’s climate change commitments.

“In 2019 the city council unanimously declared a climate emergency and promised to reach net zero by 2030. Awarding the incinerator contract to Veolia means one of the city’s largest emitters of carbon dioxide will keep burning waste for at least another 5 or 10 years after that.

“The Labour administration claim there are no alternatives to their climate trashing plan, but that’s because, despite running the Council for over 11 years, they’ve not seriously looked at alternatives to burning Brum’s waste.

“There are greener ways of dealing with most of what the Council decides to burn in the incinerator. Improving the city’s shameful recycling rates, increasing the number of different materials the Council recycles, and most importantly introducing a food waste collection, could drastically cut the amount of waste the city council burns.

“If done in the right way, introducing a food waste collection could also mean the return of a free garden waste collection. Meaning a win-win for residents.

“But our Labour-run Council seem to have ignored all of this in coming to their decision.

“Birmingham deserves bold leadership on climate and a better deal for residents. Unfortunately, this Labour Council is failing on both counts.

“We hope to show what alternatives look like and will be asking the Labour Cabinet to think again.”

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