Tag Archives: Birmingham

Flooding in Birmingham – the wrong kind of soil, the wrong kind of rain

24 Friday Jul 2009

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floodingbhamTo my huge surprise the two hour presentation/debate on flood management that I sat through at this week’s Regeneration Committee meeting, turned out to be really interesting. And given the ongoing problems with flooding in Birmingham, how we deal with this issue is becoming increasingly relevant.

Last year’s Pitt Review – set up in response to the problems caused by the widespread flooding of 2007 - contained 92 recommendations for improvements in Flood Risk Management (FRM). The review led to the Draft Flood Risk Management Bill which was put out for consulation in April ’08, and proposed/concluded the following:

  • high intensity localised storms (thought to be as a result of climate change) are causing increasing problems with flooding
  • it is now acknowledged that not all properties in flood risk areas can be defended
  • the Bill will create clearer structures and responsibilities for managing risks, and enable better planning/prediction and warning of floods

The wrong kind of soil

As Birmingham doesn’t have any large rivers, we don’t (usually, and 2007 aside) get the kind of dramatic headline grabbing incidents of flooding common to some parts of the country. However, probably uniquely in Europe, the city is part of a large conurbation at the top of a river catchment. It’s much more common for cities to have developed on the coast or near large rivers. We also appear to have the wrong kind of soil – there’s a geographical fault line under the city with impermeable clay to the south east/permeable sand stone to the north west. So we get our very own, special kind of flooding taking place simultaneously at several locations across the city (Aston/Witton/Handsworth etc). This makes it extremely difficult to offer effective flood warnings. (Though setting up ‘local flood action groups’ in these areas is seen as an attempt to tackle this).

The wrong kind of rain

Also, our location on top of a catchment of rivers makes flood warnings much less reliable than elsewhere in the country. It also means the city is much more affected by less predictable local weather patterns – we get different types of flooding in different parts of the city, depending on the intensity and duration of the rainfall.

So, the Pitt Review/Draft Bill is going to mean that Birmingham (for no extra cash) will have to:

  • lead in the management of local flood risk
  • establish ownership and legal responsibility of e.g. flood defence assets (embankments/gates/pumps etc)
  • collate and map the main flood risk management and drainage assets

As a lot of this is going on in Birmingham, anyway, it seems as though the real benefit of the bill – aside from making it clearer to everyone what they’re meant to be doing – will be in ensuring that neighbouring authorities operate to similar standards and under the same guidelines as we do.

Birmingham Citizens’ Advice Bureau and the Recession

23 Thursday Jul 2009

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Recent news from Birmingham’s Citizens’ Advice Bureau makes it clear that the recession is hitting harder in this city than elsewhere in the country. Locally the organisation has seen a:

  • 77% increase in debt related issues (c/w 32% growth nationally across the CAB network)
  • 60% increase in benefits issues (nationally 29%)
  • 14% increase in employment advice (nationally 9%)
  • 93% increase in Jobseekers Allowance Issues (nationally 61%)

The Birmingham CAB has also seen a 34% increase in mortgage arrears issues and a 184% increase in debt collection problems. The number of people seeking bankruptcy advice has gone up by 122%.

There are 426 CABs across the country, predominately staffed by volunteers and they’re independent charities, dependent on a variety of (often short term) funding streams. And it seems that the absence of more stable funding makes it extremely hard for Birmingham CAB to make long term plans. Even in the ‘good times’ the organisation was under pressure – over 58,000 people sought (free) advice from the CAB  in 2007/08 and it dealt with debt issues totalling £60m.

These latest figures don’t just underline how severely the recession is impacting on Birmingham – they also remind us as to the incredible job done by CABs across the country as well as of the huge importance of the volunteer workforce.

AWM Funding Cut and ‘Business Support’

21 Tuesday Jul 2009

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It’s hardly surprising, given the dire state of the economy, that AWM is having to cut funding for a number of projects in the region. After all, it’s had its budget cut by central government by £48m and has seen a significant drop in return from its own assets. However, this isn’t just a story about a budget squeeze and the pressure on public finances. Projects in the region are also being cut because AWM has been forced by the government to re-direct £64m of its funding, earmarked for regeneration schemes, into support for business. On the face of it, this is no bad thing. If ever there was a time for businesses to get extra help, then it’s now, as they struggle to cope with the worst recession in 80 years. However, I’m not convinced that the support AWM is funding is measurable in any way or is going to make any tangible difference. Take the £3.5m ‘Automotive Recovery Programme’, announced yesterday. Apparently 120 companies are to be ‘assisted’ and up to 1000 jobs safeguarded by AWM’s delivery of up to £50,000 of ‘specialist strategic consultancy’. Is this what companies really want at the moment? Consultancy? Wouldn’t a cut in regulation, support in retaining staff and improved access to bank funding be more helpful?

It doesn’t make sense to stop funding projects by, for example, Thinktank and the Black Country Living Museum - projects which are helping to safeguard jobs and attract tourism into the West Midlands – and to spend the money instead on (relatively) small packages of consultancy support. And it will be fascinating to see how much of the total £64m is actually taken up by businesses. After all, the £2.3bn loan fund set up for the automotive sector in January has not yet been successfully accessed by a single company.

£500m Govt aid not helping jobless

20 Monday Jul 2009

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Interesting article in the Birmingham Post today about how the public sector led approach to tackling unemployment doesn’t actually appear to be making any difference. Even at the height of the ‘boom years’ unemployment in certain wards in the city was at 20%. ( And the figure was much higher if you included people on disability/single parent benefit).  With the unemployment claimant rate  in Aston currently running at 28.2% (and with the wider ’worklessness’ figure across the city at 37%) it’s obvious that we need a radical change in how we address this issue. The current approach just isn’t working.

July Unemployment Briefing

Culture bid worth it even if we lose

17 Friday Jul 2009

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If a serious bid is put forward for Birmingham to become the first UK City of Culture in 2013, and if it’s put together in partnership with as wide a range of interested parties as possible, then we’ve got to have a good chance of winning. There seems to be so much going on in this city at the moment, and so much energy and cross-over between events/projects etc that the city just seems ready for an award like this. We’re a long way from the embarrassment of the 1992 Olympic Bid when the city’s ambitions were seriously adrift from reality (were we really going to have sailing on Edgaston Reservoir?). However, even if Birmingham ends up not being successful in 2013, as long as the actual process of the bid celebrates all the good stuff going on in this city, then it will have been worth it. In the case of Liverpool, 2008 European Capital of Culture, Phil Redmond saw the process of bidding as being as important as the award itself:

The confidence of the people has improved not just because it had a fantastic year long festival of world class cultural events, but because they realised that great things could be done in their city. That great things had been done in their city and that great things could be done again in their city. And they could do them.
Yet, there was something else. It was done the way they wanted it done. Other’s were invited to the party but it was very clearly a family affair. Liverpool may have been the UK’s host city for the EU award, but Liverpool took what was nothing more than a badge of authority and made it its own.
No culture can live, if it attempts
to be exclusive.
Mahatma Gandhi
That is how the UK City of Culture of programme should inspire. Instilling a sense of ambition and ownership, while sending out a clear but simple message that wherever the “badge of authority” is awarded, the people there are part of the UK cultural mosaic but that they also have their own distinct culture to promote. Perhaps rediscover. Perhaps nurture. Yet, whatever the aim, like Liverpool, the badge of authority is their opportunity to make a real step change.
Whatever that is will be left to potential bidders to define, but will form part of the award criteria. It will also be a valuable asset in its own right because although the ultimate accolade, with its subsequent media exposure, will prove extremely valuable, the European programme has also demonstrated that the process of bidding, in terms of auditing assets and building cultural networks, is itself a very positive outcome.
It will be those networks that will deliver in the future. It will be those networks that will discover, like they did in a post-industrial Northern port city in 2008, that great things can be achieved individually, but even greater things can be delivered collaboratively.

UK’s ‘City of Culture’ 2013

15 Wednesday Jul 2009

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birminghamnightBen Bradshaw, the Culture Secretary, has announced that a competition is to be held to find the UK’s first ‘City of Culture’:

“Culture is something that we are incredibly good at in the UK.  But excellence and innovation in the arts does not begin and end inside the M25 and I believe we have been too London-centric for too long in our cultural life.  So this competition aims to find a city or area outside London that has the wow factor, with exciting and credible plans to make a step change in its cultural life and engage the whole country.”

Birmingham’s bid to be the 2008 European Capital of Culture went horribly wrong (despite us serving up Balti to the panel of judges) with the prestigious title going to Liverpool. And although the award doesn’t bring any extra funding Liverpool has by all accounts really profited from their year in the spotlight – the city seeing a significant boost in publicity and a large increase in visitor numbers.

Apparently the regional character of our bid worked against us last time – judges felt that our ‘Be in Birmingham’ phrase also really meant ‘Be in Warwick’ and ‘Be in Stratford’. It was suggested that we should have just concentrated on selling Birmingham. Also, it was rumoured that the committee chairman was critical of the city’s built environment and our lack of iconic architecture. A lot has changed, of course, over the last 6 years (the competition was held in 2003) and we now, of course, have Selfridges and a re-developed Bull Ring.

Outline applications have to be in by 16th October and the winner will be revealed at the end of 2010.

Jam Session at the Botanical Gardens (7pm Thurs 9th July)

09 Thursday Jul 2009

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jazzredThe Birmingham International Jazz Festival celebrates its 25th Silver Anniversary this evening, with an All Star Jam Session at the city’s Botanical Gardens. It was a jam session in 1984 – fronted by the late Humphrey Lyttleton - that directly led to the very first festival , and went on to become  the Sunday Times’ ‘jazz record of the year’. The show tonight will be packed with some of the biggest names in British jazz, and will feature two interchangeable front lines. The full line up is:

  1. Digby Fairweather (trumpet). Festival Patron and the only one of the Team of 1984 to play in this year’s version.
  2. Enrico Tomasso (trumpet). Trumpet player with an authentic jazz pedigree, as a 7 year old famously played to Louis Armstrong on the tarmac at Leeds Airport. ‘I’ve not seen so much talent anywhere’, commented the great man.
  3. Robert Fowler (tenor sax). Original and powerful soloist on tenor sax, baritone sax and clarinet. Played with the Pasadena Roof Orchestra and Alan Barnes’ Octet.
  4. Art Themen (tenor sax). British Jazz Award winning, ex-orthopaedic surgeon (!), played with Alexis Korner, Mick Jagger and Jack Bruce.
  5. Mark Nightingale (trombone). Ex MYJO and NYJO trombonist who has worked with international stars including Ray Brown and Clark Terry.
  6. Ian Bateman (trombone). Versatile trombonist and member of Acker Bilk’s Paramount Jazz Band. Regular player with the Ronnie Scott Big Band.
  7. Jim Hart (vibes). Talented drummer, pianist and vibes player. A regular with Sir John Dankworth’s bands.
  8. David Newton (piano). One of the country’s most versatile and talented pianists. A regular winner of British Jazz Awards.
  9. Dave Green (double bass). Freelance bassist and member of the Chris Barber Band. Played with Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins and Sonny Rollins.
  10. Ralph Salmins (drums). One of the country’s most accomplished jazz drummers. Played with everyone from Madonna and Bob Dylan to James Moody and Jimmy Wetherspoon.
  11. Val Wiseman (vocals). West Bromwich born singer, closely associated with the Billie Holiday tribute ‘Lady Sings the Blues’. Numerous recordings under her own name.

Tickets £10 (0121 454 7020 or 0121 454 1860)

Birmingham Jazz Festival – Pee Wee Ellis

06 Monday Jul 2009

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peeweeellisPee Wee Ellis turned in an incredible perfomance at Birmingham’s Star City last night. I hadn’t heard him play before but was well aware of his musical pedigree – ex James Brown MD (where he picked up the title ‘The Man Who Invented Funk’), sideman to Van Morrison etc. He didn’t disappoint for a moment and played two great sets, made up almost exclusively of jazz numbers. Pee Wee studied with the great Sonny Rollins way back in 1957 and his R&B re-working of jazz had a huge influence on the likes of George Clinton and Sly Stone. That the Birmingham International Jazz Festival was hosting him for free was a reminder (not that you’d need one) of just how special this festival is. 

His band last night was also extremely impressive. With Gareth Williams on piano, Laurence Cottle (I think!) on bass as well the hugely talented Mark Mondesir on drums, the crowd knew from the off that it was witnessing something very special. And it was great to see Pee Wee and band clearly enjoying themselves in the somewhat incongrous setting of Star City.

Birmingham Jazz Festival – latest press release

02 Thursday Jul 2009

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nomyGREAT BRITISH JAM SESSION HEADS RECESSION-BUSTING BRUM JAZZFEST.

 

The Birmingham International Jazz Festival is set to celebrate its first quarter of a century in the same way it all started, with an All Star Jam Session.

 

Back in 1984 Birmingham-based independent record company Big Bear Records organised a jam session, in Cannon Hill Park, featuring the dozen top UK jazz musicians of the day. It was a sell-out, the recorded album won “Jazz Album of the Year” and before the sun went down, Big Bear and the City Council had agreed to launch the Jazz Festival the subsequent year.

 

So it is only to be expected that the main feature event of the 25th Birmingham International Jazz Festival will see another amazing array of the top British jazz talent, eleven of them, onstage together at The Botanical Gardens on Thursday 9th July at 7pm.

 

It has been many a year since such Jazz Galacticos, poll winners to a man, have been on one stage together. Digby Fairweather, Festival Patron and the only one of the Team of 1984 to play in this year’s version, will lead affairs on trumpet, alongside Enrico Tomasso, also on trumpet, Robert Fowler and Art Themen, tenor saxophones, Mark Nightingale and Ian Bateman, trombones, Jim Hart, vibes, David Newton, piano, Dave Green, double bass, Ralph Salmins, drums and Val Wiseman, vocals.

 

Between them, they have clocked up appearances alongside the biggest names in the music biz including those of Frank Sinatra, George Shearing , Henry Mancini, Benny Goodman, Humphrey Lyttelton, Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, Buck Clayton, Charlie Watts Quintet, Count Basie Orchestra, Van Morrison, Robbie Williams, Madonna, Bjork, Macy Gray, Sheryl Crow, Elton John, Elvis Costello, Diana Ross and Bob Dylan.

 

With 180 jazz festival performances in 70 venues across the City with 90% free to the public, then Birmingham is not the place to be this summer for anyone who doesn’t like jazz.

 

Europe’s biggest free jazz party will take place in shopping centres, arcades, bars, museums, hotels, cafés, on the streets, even on canal boats and the City’s tour bus while zany Chicago Beat Poet Steve Steinhaus will be making unscheduled appearances on commuter buses delivering his very hip, cool poetry.

 

Star City will be presenting three important jazz names whose normal environment is Symphony Hall or Town Hall, but it will be free to see Kenny Ball [Friday 3rd], Alan Price Set [Saturday 4th] and Pee Wee Ellis Band [Sunday 5th].

 

                                                          For further information please call 0121 454 7020

Address: PO Box 944, Birmingham, B16 8UT 

Email: admin@bigbearmusic.com

Marketing Birmingham

29 Monday Jun 2009

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buildingMarketing Birmingham, the public-private partnership responsible for ‘improving national and international perceptions’ of the city, is to be scrutinised by the Council’s Regeneration O&S Committee later in the year.

The Council reduced its shareholding in Marketing Birmingham to 49% in 2007, in order to give the partnership greater autonomy, and it currently provides the organisation with £1.968m in funding per annum.  In return, Marketing Birmingham agrees to:

  • Improve the value of the events and conference sector by £25m per annum.
  • Improve perceptions of Birmingham as a visitor destination.
  • Improve business perceptions of Birmingham as a ‘place to do business’.
  • Increase the number of visitors to the city.
  • Increase the economic impact of leisure tourism.

The most recent monitoring report, for 2007-08, showed Marketing Birmingham reaching the majority of its (16) targets. It failed on just one - that of ‘improving the perception of the city as a visitor destination’ – with a recent survey ranking  Birmingham as 6th against a target of 2nd. There are clearly still plenty of people around unaware as to how much the city has changed over the last 20 years.

As part of the review, the Committee will approach the usual big name quangos, public bodies and ’partners’ and ask them to share their experiences of working with Marketing Birmingham and no doubt there will generally be a postive story to tell.

My suspicion, though, is that smaller organisations and events inevitably end up getting squeezed out by these bigger names. These bodies don’t often get much in the way of funding from the council and rely heavily on ‘help in kind’ instead. It’s essential, then, that the review gets as wide a variety of responses as possible. I’ll be pressing to make sure, for example, that we talk to organisers of some of the festivals that take place throughout the city.

Any ideas, comments or suggestions would be gratefully received.