Bullying claims at the council and ‘intimidation’ by locals - it’s all kicking off

Dear readers — urm, remember how last week we made a big deal about the fresh promise and positivity of spring? 

Unfortunately with the dip in temperatures, there’s been an uptick in conflict. Today’s briefing brings you (more) bullying allegations at the council and one neighbour's disgust over a ‘Mortal Kombat’ style water feature. 

Elsewhere, a man has been arrested for attempting to rape two women, minutes apart, on Friday night in Birmingham city centre. Also today, Alison Hammond reveals her surprising famous namesake, and a 21-year-old Indian restaurant closes its doors. That’s all in your Brum in Brief, below. 

Catch up and coming up:

• Over the weekend, we published Tracy King’s incredible story about Deborah Douglas, who survived the 1974 pub bombings, then took on ‘butcher surgeon’ Ian Paterson, ultimately bringing him to justice. “I think this might be the best article Dispatch has ever put out,” one reader commented. Read it here. 
• Last Thursday, Shaun Patrick Hand treated us with tales of his day with Brum’s battalions of hardened litter pickers. Featuring urine, dirty nappies and a lot of sacrificed Saturdays, it’s quite the rollercoaster. “Good to see local heroes getting a mention,” wrote one reader. Read Shaun’s story here. 

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Photo of the week

RSPB Sandwell Valley last weekend, looking incredibly calm, on the first day of spring. Sent in by local photographer Carl Williams.

Brum in Brief

🥊 Big allegations at Birmingham city council as an official is accused of “bullying” two planning officers in order to get controversial regeneration plans over the line — despite missing some key financial details. Here’s the context: last October the council’s planning committee narrowly voted through a multimillion pound proposal to demolish 2,000 homes in Druids Heath. The houses would be replaced by 3,500 new residences, more green spaces, and better transport links to the area. But only 11% (400) of those new homes were going to be designated as ‘affordable’. Locals were up in arms, and mounted a successful legal challenge, with the High Court overturning the planning committee’s decision last month, thanks the council’s failure to publish a financial viability assessment, explaining why they’d signed off on plans with such low affordable housing provision.

Now the independent councillor for Harborne, Martin Brooks, has alleged “bullying” was involved in how the Druids Heath plans were approved. Brooks wrote to the council’s managing director Joanne Roney on Thursday. In the email, seen by The Dispatch, he claims he has: “strong reasons to believe that [name redacted] put undue pressure on planning officers to bring the planning application to committee, which caused them not to have sufficient time to give full consideration to the application.” Brooks also reveals that two planning officers, including a senior manager, have resigned from the authority as a result. “This will undoubtedly further undermine the already low morale of staff in the department,” he adds. The council has yet to respond to our requests for comment. 

☎️ There’s secondary fallout from the bungled regeneration: a civil war in Druids Heath. On Friday, it was reported in a council newsletter that Druids Heath residents who support the regeneration scheme are being allegedly “intimidated” by neighbours who oppose it. Reports of the menacing behaviour include “unsolicited phone calls” from people who have obtained their personal details without permission. “Intimidating, aggressive or confrontational behaviour to residents or staff will not be tolerated and will be acted upon,” Paul Langford, the executive director for city housing, is quoted as saying in the newsletter.

🍛 Got £1.25m and Masterchef-style ambitions? Fine dining Indian restaurant Itihaas in the city centre has gone up for sale after 21 years. The eatery is known for more than serving top-notch tarka daal — it has played host to several high profile TV shows. Itihaas provided a backdrop for Michael Portillo during his railway documentary series, has appeared on Brides on a Bus, and was the location for several days of filming with renowned chef Michel Roux Jr for the BBC. Executive chef Raj Rana is packing it in to open a new hotel in his home county of Worcestershire. “Itihaas has been one of the greatest journeys of my life,” he said. (Insider Media).

🚨 A 21-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of trying to rape two women in the city centre on Friday, attacks that took place within minutes of each other. The first woman was targeted on Church Street just before 1am, but was helped to safety by a member of the public. At about 1am, another woman was attacked on Newhall Street but managed to escape also after members of the public stepped in. West Midlands Police want to hear from people who were in the area at the time — including drivers who may have dashcam footage. (BBC).

Reddit rage: it seems as though the R/Brum Reddit thread never fails to entertain — and this week is no different. Our favourite recent posts include a Perry Barr resident who has published a short video of their neighbour’s new, colossal fluorescent-lighted water feature. “What would you do if thats your life from now on?” they implored, prompting more than 90 responses. Elsewhere, a Bristolian has requested recommendations for cheap places to stay in the city after a gig, prompting a warning about the perils of staying at the Britannia Hotel and the following plea by a certain Mr_Kwacky: “Learn to play the pipes, enchant the rats of Birmingham with sweet hypnotic tunes, lead the rats out of Brum and become a local hero.”

Quick Hits

• Brum TV royalty, Alison Hammond, was named after Muhammed Ali she revealed on the Jonathan Ross Show last week. It turns out her dad was the famous boxer’s bodyguard, called out to protect him whenever he visited Birmingham. Anyone remember Ali’s visits? Let us know in the comments. (YouTube).
• Two men were  arrested in the city centre on Saturday after being found carrying an 18-inch machete and combat knife, (Birmingham Live) 
• 50,000 gamers descended on Birmingham on Saturday as the NEC held the e-sports festival Dreamhack, marking the first time it has ever been hosted in the UK. (BBC)
• Spotted an increasing number of measles billboards across the city? That’s because an outbreak has spread from London to Brum. In our city, the majority of cases are under fives — and most of them are unvaccinated. (The Times).
• A body has been found in the hunt for missing Blues fan Paul Pike. (The Mirror)
• Starting in 2027, owners of second homes in Warwick District Council will have to pay twice the amount of council tax. (BBC)

Media picks

🎨We’ve had our beef with some of Brum’s galleries, it’s true, but Ikon continually escapes our ire for their excellent stagings. The Guardian seems to agree: this week, the gallery’s Angela de la Cruz show gets a thoughtful write up in its pages. It’s de la Cruz’ first ever UK solo show outside London, despite being “being one of the biggest art names in the country,” according to critic Eddy Frankel. Wonky chairs, patched up sofas and mangled pianos take centre stage — the point of the show, speculates Frankel, is repair after collapse, inspired by de la Cruz’ own experiences after a stroke left her no longer able to walk. “These are funny, humorous artworks, filled with frustration,” Frankel writes. “They tell a powerful story, one of staying strong in the face of adversity, one of getting back up, no matter how hard you fall”. No, you’re crying.

📚Current chair of Birmingham City University and B: Music, former BBC broadcaster Anita Bhalla has somehow found the time to publish a memoir. It doubles up as a history of late 20th century Birmingham; Bhalla was one of thousands of Kenyan South Asians to migrate here with her family in the 1960s, at a time of increasing racial tension. Her political activism took her into direct contact with the National Front in the 1970s, before Bhalla became a pioneering journalist, founding the BBC’s Asian Network among countless other projects. Her autobiography, Though She Be But Little She Is Fierce (a Shakespeare quotation), is described as a “love letter to Birmingham". So we’re compelled to recommend it.

Our to do list

📚 Festivals

Get ready for A Matter of Life and Death Festival, a surprisingly enjoyable event about talking openly about death that returns in May. It inspired this Dispatch story by Ophira Gotliebb. Bookfest — the largest second hand book sale in the UK — arrives at the National Conference Centre on Thursday. There’s 100,000 books to choose from, with adult books starting at £3 each, and kids for just a quid. More info here. 

History

On Easter Monday, don your flatcaps and head on over to Coffin Works for a Peaky Blinder day. Meet a flatcap designer, and watch blacksmiths hone their craft for only £11. There are limited tickets left for Seed Talks’ ‘The History of Folk Horror’ at Glee Club. In two weeks time, join Dr Joan Passey for an evening of all things folk horror and ancient customs. 

🎨 Art

On Friday, head down to Seventh Circle in Digbeth for the opening of an exhibition exploring the art of Geishas in Japanese culture, which artist Sophie Rose Walters says she has always been fascinated by. Or, head over to Ikon gallery for a ceramics exhibition which explores boundaries and challenges the tradition of craft. 

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