
Cradley Heath residents angry over housing plans near landslip
"Because there's no movement on this landslip, people are just outraged that they've got the audacity to sort of even submit it [the application]. There's definitely a feeling of outrage," Mr Aleksander said.He said the landslip currently looked stable, but if it didn't get sorted by winter, he was worried that could change."We had that biblical rain a couple of days ago, and a lot of the clay and silt was still running down into the road and into the drains. Through the winter, that makes things worse."
Street lights in the area have never worked and Mr Aleksander said he was concerned that if they were not fixed by the winter local residents would start to worry again.Local MP Ballinger has submitted a formal objection to the planning application for Farmhouse Close "on the grounds of land instability and public safety".He said the site had already experienced a partial landslide and there was "clear evidence of ongoing land movement".He wrote: "Further development could exacerbate the instability, endangering new and existing properties."The MP said residents' homes in Haden Cross Drive were still blocked by last year's landslide and Dunedin Homes had a "troubling history of unresolved issues".
Earlier this year, Dunedin Homes said much of the work on street lights had been completed and sewers that needed to be taken on by the water company would be adopted "in due course".At the time, it added the landslip was not a "simple, quick or easy fix", but that it was working on a temporary measure.
Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mirror
a minute ago
- Daily Mirror
'Labour must act on bin strikes or people will vote with feet' says Unite chief
As Birmingham's bin strike enters the sixth month, Real Britain guest columnist Sharon Graham, general secretary of trade union Unite, says workers are not being supported. The Birmingham bin strike has just entered its sixth month. It could be the straw that breaks the camel's back. Workers are being told to take up to £8,000 worth of pay cuts while councillors' allowances increase and government commissioners – brought in to control the council – earn an eye-watering £1,200 a day. In the last six months, not one Labour politician, either locally or nationally, has bothered to find out about the state of negotiations or even join them. Not one. This, in a Labour -controlled council and with commissioners directly accountable to the Labour government to oversee decisions – a council that has spent tens of millions on a failed IT system, and many more other failed projects, and which is now asking workers to pay the price. These workers, like so many others now, are scratching their heads and asking, "What the hell is Labour doing?" Instead of rolling up her sleeves and finding out what is going on, Angela Rayner – who has direct authority in the government for the commissioners – has not spoken to one single worker who is on strike. It seems she's too busy holding photo opportunities with agency staff, using Thatcher's laws to try to break the strike. Workers aren't stupid, they can see what is going on. It comes after Keir Starmer hails a major UK-France deal to tackle Channel small boat crossings. These drivers are being told to accept their wage cuts or get out. Jobs some have been doing for more than 20 years. Their homes are now at risk because they can't pay their mortgages. Labour is effectively threatening these workers with "fire and rehire". Pure and simple. All of this makes an absolute mockery of Labour's pledge to "make work pay". The government is failing to deliver for workers. From Grangemouth and now the Lindsey oil refinery, for example, too often Labour hasn't safeguarded Britain's industrial base. In Birmingham, Labour seem blinded by its own self-regard, lost in a toxic mix of arrogance and incompetence. It seems to expect Unite to roll over and allow this outrageous attack on workers to continue because the government wears a red rosette. Workers will always come first for me no matter the colour of the political rosette. Last month, 800 Unite shop stewards at our biennial conference decided to suspend the Unite membership of Angela Rayner and re-examine our relationship with Labour. It should be a red flag warning. Everyone who is asking what on earth Labour is doing can't be wrong. There are key moments for leaders when they need to see and feel the workers' mood music. This is not just a case of what I think, or what the workers in Birmingham think. There is now a groundswell against Labour, fast becoming irreversible damage. I'm not sure the penny has dropped within the ranks of the Cabinet. Workers will look for alternatives. Labour needs to wake up, and wake up quickly. In Birmingham a Unite poll has revealed 77% of residents believe the government should do more to resolve the dispute. And 49% say they will be less likely to vote Labour at the next election if it continues to refuse to intervene. It is a fact that millions of workers now feel politically homeless and are looking elsewhere to cast their votes. If Labour does not get a grip now and instead remains content with listening to those who tell it what it wants to hear, an even bigger vacuum will appear. One that will be large enough to swallow the party whole. Tory austerity debt should be re-structured or cut Thanks to years of Tory austerity, councils have been loaded with debt. Who pays for this? Residents and workers. Councils, in turn, pay the government interest, including in Birmingham where debt interest payments alone cost £9million a year. It means the Labour government is making money from years of Tory austerity when council budgets were slashed, forcing many into debt to keep services running. The picture across the country is shocking. As of the end of 2023, councils pay the government more than £3billion a year in interest. A major part of the problem is that Labour charges councils more than it must pay out itself. We estimate local authorities pay an additional £450m a year in interest above the government's own borrowing costs. This is a political instrument that Labour could change. During the financial crash RBS didn't pay any similar charges on its £ bailout. It's time for different choices. Workers and communities need to see and feel that Labour are on their side The Tories left a mess, but Labour calls the shots now. Nobody thought one of its first acts would be to target pensioners and disability benefits. While hitting some of the poorest in society, the party failed to restore the cap on City bonuses. So hundreds of thousands of OAPs panicked with anxiety before the eventual U-turn, while the City racked up record bonuses of £7billion last year alone. Failing Labour is losing millions of voters Workers want real change and will look for alternatives. We voted for change, not fiscal rules. After years of austerity and now more than 12 months into a Labour government, it's hard to argue that change is on its way. But perhaps more worrying is the growing expectation this government will fail to make our lives better. That's the reason that millions of workers are turning to Reform or considering a new Left party. Many now believe it is only Nigel Farage or Jeremy Corbyn that will deliver real change. Labour will get one shot to deliver. The party needs to change course and take it. Increased defence spending must deliver jobs at home When the government cut international aid at the same time as it committed to increased defence spending, I argued that it was presenting a false choice. If Britain wants influence overseas, then our aid budget is critical. Soft power is still important, even when you may need more combat drones. And when you commit to extra defence spending, it is just as important that the money to develop military production is spent in the UK, not overseas. We must invest in Britain, in British jobs and British industry and be proud to do so. This country has an enormous skills base in sophisticated defence manufacturing, and it cannot be allowed to wither on the vine. On the contrary, while nobody welcomes global instability, increased spending should be on British manufacturing, securing tens of thousands of jobs. It's not complicated.


The Independent
31 minutes ago
- The Independent
Northern Ireland ‘absolutely crucial' for UK's growth prospects
Northern Ireland is 'absolutely crucial' for the UK's growth prospects, the Chancellor has said during a visit to Belfast. Rachel Reeves made her first trip to the province as Chancellor and was asked whether she considers Northern Ireland to be an 'economic basket case'. As part of her trip, Ms Reeves visited the filmmaking facilities at Studio Ulster and also paid tribute to Northern Ireland's defence sector. Studio Ulster, which sits on the shores of Belfast Lough, was officially opened in June in what have been termed the world's most advanced virtual production facilities spanning 75,000 square feet. Speaking at the studios, Ms Reeves said: 'Northern Ireland is absolutely crucial for the United Kingdom, including for our growth prospects. 'We've got here, at Studio Ulster, not just the best facilities in the UK, but the best facilities in the world, for a part of our economy that is globally growing at such a fast rate. 'This is the best place in the world to make those investments, to start a business, to grow a business, whether that's in video games, or TV, or film. 'That's really exciting and we benefit hugely from the thriving creative industry sector in Northern Ireland.' She continued: 'As we step up that defence spending to 3%, and then 3.5% of GDP in due course, that will mean more good jobs, paying decent wages in Northern Ireland. 'My economic belief, my strong belief, is that all parts of the country should be able to contribute to economic growth and prosperity, and all parts of the country should benefit from economic growth and opportunities. 'That has not been the case for far too long in the UK.' Ms Reeves will meet deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly and Finance Minister John O'Dowd later on Tuesday. She described the relationship between the British Government and the Northern Ireland Executive as a 'partnership approach'. The Chancellor told reporters she wants Stormont to spend its funding 'wisely' to get the best value for money for taxpayers. This includes growing the economy and creating good jobs that are well paid, Ms Reeves said. 'The UK Government, the Northern Ireland Executive have got a joint commitment to improve the lives for people here,' she added. 'We have made the record settlement at the spending review just a couple of months ago. 'Three-year settlement for day-to-day spending, a five-year settlement for capital investment and that means that the money we need for our public services in Northern Ireland and across the UK is now available. 'Now spend that money wisely to get the best value for money for taxpayers. 'We also need to grow the economy and create more good jobs, paying decent wages here.' Ms Reeves also referred to Thales, a defence firm in Belfast, which is manufacturing equipment to be sent to Ukraine. She said this is creating more jobs and bringing in higher salaries. The Chancellor also said that farmers with agricultural property worth more than £3 million 'should make a contribution'. Asked whether she had 'sympathy for farmers who are now facing an inheritance tax bill', Ms Reeves told reporters: 'We didn't increase taxes that ordinary working people paid. 'Their national insurance, income tax, VAT, fuel duty did not go up in the way the previous Tory government had in their plans, so protecting the incomes of ordinary working people. 'And since we came into office, real wages have been rising at a faster rate than inflation, and specifically on agricultural property relief (APR), if you've got agricultural property worth less than £3 million and you own it jointly with a partner, you'll pay no inheritance tax when you pass that farm on. 'But I do believe that if you do have agricultural property worth more than £3 million, you should make a contribution, but the APR, the inheritance tax on that is half the rate that anybody else pays, just 20%, and it's payable over 10 years interest-free.'


Telegraph
32 minutes ago
- Telegraph
Liz Truss criticises ‘multicultural' Olympic ceremony 12 years after praising it
Liz Truss has criticised the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony as not representing 'the views of the average Briton'. The former prime minister suggested that 'the views expressed' at the event were not those shared by people outside of London but of 'an elite that hates Britain', even though she praised the ceremony in 2013. Speaking to Ben Shapiro, a Right-wing US commentator, Ms Truss claimed that the 'elite are trying to suppress' the voices of those in small towns and rural communities. Shapiro, who hosts the Ben Shapiro Show, asked the former Tory leader about the 2012 Olympics opening ceremony, which took place in the capital. Former UK PM Liz Truss on what Britain must learn from Trump — The Ben Shapiro Show (@BenShapiroShow) August 11, 2025 He asked: 'Can there be a restoration of a true pride in what Great Britain was and should be in the middle of this bizarre sort of melange of multiculturalism that has taken over London?' Ms Truss replied: 'The views expressed in the Olympic ceremony are not the views of the average Briton. 'The problem is we have an elite that hates Britain, and they have done for some time, that is the history of people like Jeremy Corbyn [and] Keir Starmer. 'They want to help the human rights of anybody who doesn't live in Britain, but they're very reticent about actually defending our own interests. 'We need to galvanise the people who are patriots in our country, but they have been neglected. They generally don't live in London. They live in small towns, they live in rural areas. They don't have much of a voice. And what is happening is the elite are trying to suppress those voices.' But Ms Truss had previously praised the 2012 opening ceremony, which took place shortly before she became an education minister under Lord Cameron. In a speech in 2013, she said: 'Last summer's Olympics opening ceremony seamlessly combined Isambard Kingdom Brunel and William Shakespeare, Tim Berners-Lee and Mary Poppins.' In 2019, she told The Sunday Telegraph: 'I think we need to revive what I call the Olympics 2012 spirit [with] a modern, patriotic, enterprising vision of Britain and we need to use Brexit to achieve that.' The opening ceremony of London 2012 was directed by Danny Boyle and attracted some 900 million viewers. It featured a cameo appearance of Queen Elizabeth II alongside Daniel Craig in his role as James Bond. The pair apparently jumped out of a helicopter together into the Olympic stadium, where the late monarch was wearing the same outfit as she had been when she met Bond in Buckingham Palace. The show also featured references to the novel Peter Pan, the Chariots of Fire film, and several hymns and folk songs such as Jerusalem and Danny Boy. In a segment designed to celebrate the NHS, performers danced in traditional nurse uniforms and white doctors' coats.