Mystery donor pledges £10,000 to canal clean up

Plus, take the Opus restaurant tour

Good morning Patchers — Welcome to your Wednesday briefing. 

Today’s briefing sees a new note on the canal cyanide spillage to understand more about how it has, as one expert put it, “devastated” the local ecosystem. Sadly, there is only an estimate of how many dead fish have been pulled from the waterways so far.

We also have notes on a new prison policy briefing from the University of Birmingham — a current hot topic nationally —, why the renovation of a Grade II-listed building in south Birmingham has hit the brakes, and just how many apartments can potentially fit in an art deco building in West Brom. 

Till next time. Dan.

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Brum in Brief

🐟£10,000 canal clean up pledge: An anonymous donor has pledged £10,000 to a Canal and River Trust fund to clean up a sodium cyanide spill in Walsall, matching the initial target. The leak from metal finishing company Anochrome Ltd sparked national headlines last week and has resulted in circa 90kg (200lb) of dead fish being removed from the canal. Experts say it may have devastated the local aquatic ecosystem. With a 1km stretch of canal remaining closed to the public, temporary dams have been erected either side of where high levels of sodium cyanide and zinc cyanide were recorded. The Canal & River Trust launched its crowdfunder campaign on Monday and has £13,770 at the time of writing. Read more.

The section of canal on Reservoir Place that remains closed-off for the Environment Agency’s investigation. Photo by Kate Knowles/The Dispatch.

⚖️Birmingham prison research: At the start of this week, the government activated emergency measures to ease overcrowding in prisons. Now, the University of Birmingham, in conjunction with University of Bath and the Howard League for Penal Reform, is also getting in on the debate with a policy briefing on the potential for reducing and modernising the prison system. Dominique Moran, Professor of Carceral Geography at the University of Birmingham, said: “Time and again, we see mentions of Victorian prisons in the news — Wandsworth, Wormwood Scrubs, Dartmoor — but little attention is given to the nature of these prisons or why they are so prominent in our news cycles.” More here.

🏛️Renovation shortfall: The renovation of the historic home of former Birmingham mayor and MP Joseph Chamberlain has been put on hold after Birmingham City Council withdrew a £3.5m grant. David Kidney, chairman of the board of the Chamberlain Highbury Trust, which looks after Grade II-listed Highbury Hall in Mosley, where Chamberlain lived from 1880 until he died in 1914, says the council is currently unable to provide funds for the renovation. £12m is needed to restore the mansion and grounds. There are plans to open the grounds as a visitor attraction in the future. Kidney said: “Despite this setback, the Trust is determined to continue serving the community as intended by the Chamberlain family,” Full details.

🏢Building society for sale: A former building society HQ, which was touted to be turned into more than 100 apartments, is now up for sale. The old West Bromwich Building Society base has been vacant for several years, despite being a beautiful example of an art deco building. Apartment renovations had been planned by developers Empire but they went into administration last year. Rory Dillon, managing director of Fletcher Bond, appointed as receivers, said: “This is an exciting development opportunity in a town currently undergoing a resurgence with ongoing private and Towns Fund investment.” More here.

🥳Birmingham weekender: We’ve put a date-in-the-diary note for the Birmingham Weekender but here is a Dispatch reminder that there’s fun all weekend with free performances, fantastical installations, and pop-ups on offer. Punters can expect a range of circus shows, inflatables fun and orchestral experiences in malls. More here.

🥘Restaurant tour: For foodie folk, fine-dining restaurant Opal is running a tour of five of the city’s best restaurants, featuring a range of cuisines. Try Indian, Mexican, Persian, Texan and Japanese for a palette-extending culinary journey, starting at the Mailbox. Several dates are available. More details at a click.