Latest news with #SaimaSuleman
BBC News
22-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Birmingham City Council to close Sutton Coldfield library
A community library is to close under plans to transform library services across the Birmingham City Council Coldfield library would shut on 27 June, due to what the local authority called "significant investment" required to address the building's condition and health and safety closure of the facility, based in the Red Rose Centre, would also allow it to redevelop the site, it added.A spokesperson said the authority remained committed to providing a library service across Sutton Coldfield and a mobile library service would continue. The cash-strapped local authority had set a target to cut its libraries budget in a bid to save costs, with 10 community libraries set to become hubs, opening for a minimum of four days a a cabinet meeting on 11 February, senior councillors had agreed on plans that would leave seven libraries in the city at risk of closure, if new partners could not be found to run Saima Suleman, cabinet member for digital, culture, heritage and tourism said they would continue to work with partners for the continuation of the Boldmere and Walmley libraries, alongside services at Mere Green Library."The mobile library service will also continue to serve the area providing access for those impacted by the closure," she added."Residents in Sutton Coldfield can continue to access the 24-hour online service, citywide book reservation service, self-service, library services at home, and digital library offering." Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
30-04-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Birmingham Heritage Week to return after finding new funding
An annual city heritage festival which includes tours of historic buildings will still take place despite its council funding being cut as part of cost-saving Heritage Week, which has previously featured tours of the Alexandra Theatre, the Greek Orthodox Cathedral and a former rubber factory, will take place between 12-21 festival's organisers said they have secured new partners this year after local authority cuts to funding for culture projects and local arts development.A Birmingham City Council spokesperson said they had to make "very difficult budgetary decisions" to get back on the path to financial stability. The authority signed off a wide-ranging package of cuts in March 2024 after it effectively declared itself bankrupt the previous savings included plans to scrap almost all arts funding over two Heritage Week, which will host its 11th event this year, did have council funding for 2024-25 but its grant was cut in 2025-26. Councillor Saima Suleman added that the council's financial situation had affected the support it was able to offer the city's cultural said they were working to find external sources of funding to support the heritage sector going forward. In previous years, the city council funded the full cost of the festival through a grant to Birmingham Museums Trust. This year's heritage week will still be supported by the trust as well as new supporters - the University of Birmingham, the National Trust, Birmingham Municipal Charity and the William A Cadbury Charitable Trust. The festival's organisers said they were aiming for this year's week to include more than 100 events, walks and tours and potentially more than asked organisations that were interested in planning an event or activity to apply by 31 year's heritage week included a guided walk past listed buildings in Aston, a run through street art sites in Digbeth and tours of historic buildings in Bournville and Sutton Coldfield. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
13-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Birmingham library campaigners vow to fight on after cuts approved
Campaigners have vowed to continue to fight cuts to Birmingham's library service after senior councillors signed them city council plans to save £2.285m annually from next year by reducing overall library opening times by a third and outsourcing the running of seven Wells, from the Friends of Erdington Library, said his group would still be "campaigning very strongly" to get a cut in opening times Saima Suleman, cabinet member for culture, said a plan to merge library and advice services would keep them "in safe spaces, open to all". The savings form part of wider budget cuts of about £148m after the authority declared itself effectively bankrupt in September the plans, 10 community libraries will become hubs, opening for a minimum of four days with a wider range of others will open for a minimum of three days and seven will become "partner-led".According to a report to cabinet, the proposals would mean a loss of 38 with the council's Neighbourhood Advice & Information Service will create a new Connected Communities service, meaning some libraries will also house resident-support workers, a spokesperson adds. 'Major concessions' Suleman told a cabinet meeting on Tuesday it was a "positive step" all part-time libraries would open for a minimum of three days rather than an initial proposal of two."We think that's a result of a massive campaign," said Mr Wells. "There's been some major concessions from where we were back in July."We're still very, very disappointed with the overall picture they've presented."He outlined how a temporary closure of Erdington library in July on a Monday had become permanent. The former teacher added: "Erdington is an area that suffers high levels of deprivation – how much does one day cost?" "It's such a petty closure in my view and we want it back to what it was." Rukhsana Malik has campaigned to save Hall Green Library, which will drop from a four to three-day claimed the council was slowly reducing its hours since 2017."Due to staffing they had to shut some libraries temporarily over the summer for an extra day a week but that's never been reinstated," she said."It's a high deprivation ward – people don't have internet at home. Parents can't afford to buy their kids books."If the library is not there, the children will not be able to read." Emma Lochery, from the Birmingham Loves Libraries campaign, called for the council to commit to a return to four and five-day weeks when its finances "are in a better state".She wanted the authority to release details of which days each library would open."As a campaign we want as many libraries as possible to open on Saturdays," she said. "We also want to see libraries open after 17:00 GMT." The cabinet report also suggested Boldmere, Walmley and Sutton Coldfield libraries could become fully funded by Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Conservative Sutton Coldfield town councillor John Cooper, who is campaigning in the Vesey ward, said his authority could not commit without further financial details ."The town council pay currently £137,0000 and have done for seven or eight years to keep the central library in Sutton town centre open," he said."They are prepared to consider the possibility of more funding or even taking over Walmley and Boldmere officers have applied to Birmingham for some financial information and it's not being forthcoming."Councillor Suleman acknowledged to the Birmingham cabinet that no formal agreement had been reached. "I am keen to continue ongoing dialogue with Sutton Town Council to address the future provision of library services in Sutton," she City Council was contacted for a response to Mr Cooper's comments. Follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
