HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR

The Oscott Resident Groups Chairs

Maureen Byrne Oscott Elderly Residents Group
George Hough Oscott Disability Group
Nigel Quinn Oscott Residents Association
Brian Brookes Oscott Neighbourhood Police Initiative

On behalf of their groups and others in the area would like to wish every one a very Happy Christmas and New year.

If you would like any information regarding the groups in the ORG please ring 303 5502

HLB set to return to Oscott

The Oscott Residents Groups support the attempts being made by Councillor Barbara Dring to get the Oscott Housing Liaison Board Re established.
The Oscott HLB (which is made up mainly of Housing tenants but also of Owner occupiers and our Councillors Councillors, Keith Linnecor, Graham Green and Barbara Dring) was closed by the Housing department with no consultation with tenants or members of the HLB.
We hope this time for more success for the HLB which looks into issues to do with Housing and the locaL area.

More disabled drop curbs are on the way.

CHAIR OF THE ODG GEORGE HOUGH


The oscott Disability group (Chair George Hough) have been calling for some years for more disabled drop curbs to be put in at the end of some of our roads.
Now thanks to the support of Councillor Keith Linnecor the Council have agreed to start dong some of the work necessarry this coming year.
This wil not only be a great help to those residents in wheel chairs or using mobile scooters but it will also mean easier mobility on our street for mother with push chairs.

RUBBISH IS BECOMING A PROBLEM AGAIN IN OSCOTT.

Fly tipping has become a real problem in Oscott. The ORG call on the Council to do more to prevent it. Along with general litter on our streets and dog fouling it is one of the most common problems we here about. The Council should never have got rid of our Environmental Warden as part of their cuts.
We are encouraging our Oscott Councillors to battle to get the Council to reintroduce the service.

THE BATTLE FOR ROAD SAFETY ON THE ALDRIDGE ROAD GOES ON

The Oscott Residents groups are very disappointed that the Current Council Administration has refused despite a number of accidents there this year to improve road safety on the Aldridge road. We would like to thank Councillor Keith Linnecor for he's support (petitions and so on) in this matter and we will carry on with the battle.

THANKS TO OUR COUNCILLORS

The Oscott Resifdents Groups would like to thank our Local Councillors Keith Linnecor, Councillor Graham Green and Councillor Barbara Dring for all their help during the year.
WE LIKE TO THINK TOGETHER WE HAVE HELPED IMPROVE OSCOTT FOR ITS RESIDENTS.

COUNCIL REJECT BOWMAN AND CADDICK MAST

The Oscott Residents Groups were pleased to learn that the planning application to have a mast erected on land to the rear of 43 Bowman Road was rejected by the Council.
Our local Representatives including Bob Wild (ORA) did a great job helping local Councillors fight off this unwanted mast.

SAY NO AGAIN TO THE PROPOSED BOWMAN ROAD MAST.

Despite a similar planning application for a mast being reject only a couple of months ago another very similar application has been proposed for Bowman Road.
The proposed location is just a couple of hundred yards from the old application site.
Once again the ORA and the Booths Farm Neighbourhood Forum will be working with the Local community to object to this proposal

THE OSCOTT RESIDENTS GROUP'S SOCIAL 23RD NOV

The Oscott Residents groups are holding a Winter Social on the 23rd of November.(Wed)
The meeting will take place at the 610 Community Centre at 1.30.

There will be a free glass of Sherry and a mince pie. a raffle and a quiz. Why not pop in.

COME IN AND SEE US.

The Oscott residents groups which include-

The Oscott Residents Assocaition
The Oscott Elderly Residents Group
The Oscott Didability Group

and Co opted groups
The Niegbourhood Police Iniative
The Friends of the Queslett nature Reserve

Still meet on Saturday mornings at the 610 Community Centre Kingstanding Road, at 10.30am.

If you would like to come and meet with us and have a chat over a free cup of tea you are welcome. Let us know what you think of the local area.

CONSERVATIVE ATTACK ON LOCAL OSCOTT VOLUNTEER COMMUNITY GROUPS

Members of the various Oscott Community groups which make up the Oscott residents Group ORG were very unhappy to read in a Conservative Election leaflett That Councillor Graham Green seems to think we are not genuine Community groups because he and his wife are going to create some in the future.
Our groups help the most vulnerable people in Oscott the Elderly and disabled, we also try and help prevent crime and look after the Environment.
We have always been willing to work with our Councillors in Oscott but sadly Councillor Green has never really seemed interested in us unlike other local Councillors.
We would simply say regardless of this Councillors views we will carry on trying to help our local community and will continue to do so as UNPAID VOLUNTEERS.

B. Brookes on behalf of the ORG

ANOTHER ACCIDNET IN KETTLEHOUSE ROAD

Following being informed by a concerned residents of yet another Motor vehicle accident on the Kettlehouse Road The ORG call upon the Birmingham City Council to look again at the road safety measures needed for this road. It is time they took action.

IT IS ILLEGAL TO RIDE A PUSH BIKE ON THE FOOT PATH

IT IS ILLEGAL TO RIDE A PUSH BIKE ON THE FOOT PATH

A number of residents have contacted the NPI recently regarding push bikes being ridden on foot paths in the area. The rule in law is made quite clear below.

A Footpath means a highway over which the public have a right of way on foot only, [Section 329(1) Highways Act 1980].

This does not apply to clearly marked designated cycle tracks or disability motorised scooters.

It is dangerous to ride bikes on the foot path.

SAY NO TO CUTS IN THE YOUTH BUDGET

The Oscott Residents Groups are dismayed to hear that millions of pounds is to be cut from the Youth and community Budget in Birmingham.
For many years we have advacted more not less be spent on youth facilities in Oscott and the surrounding areas. The prosed cuts are a smack in the face for young people in this area.

COUNCILLOR KEITH LINNECOR GROT SPOT INITIATIVE

The Oscott Residents groups have been dismayed to learn that Environmental Wardens are under threat from the next round of Council cuts expected in April.
With this in mind we a fully behind Councillor Linnecors new anti Hot spot (in Oscott) Initiative.
The idea is that volunteers will go around the Oscott area trying to tidy up /litter pick those hard to sort out areas which have been neglected by the Council in the past.

John ORA

NO COLD CALLING PLEASE SALES REPS

WE are delighted to hear that the Police are following comments made by Councillor Keith Linnecor during a recent Oscott Police Tasking group meeting regarding the need to set up a No to Cold calling Zone in Oscott.
The Oscott Neighbourhood Team are working towards having a 'No Cold Calling' zone in the neighbourhood, this will be on a small scale to to pilot the scheme and to see if it is effective.
The idea is a selected area is agreed whereby the residents are educated via letter drops/meetings about the benefits of deterring doorstep sellers.
The residents will be given stickers to display on their front doors as a way off putting offdoorstep sellers.
Matthew Bolton college students from Aldridge Road have been enlisted to design the signage.

INCREASE IN DOG FOULING IN OSCOTT

\dog fouling is on the increase again in the area. The ORG have combined to call upon the Council to crack down hard on dog owners who let their dogs fould our street. Cuts in funding are no excuse for letting standards slip in this regard.

ALDRIDGE ROAD NEEDS TRAFFIC MEASURES NOW

It is time the Birmingham City Council did something to safe guard the road users on the Aldridge Road. Almost every other week cars are having accidents on the stretch between the Boars head and the College. many residents in that part of the road have also had their parked cars damaged. We also need a traffic light at the Greenholm Road junction. The Council top brass needs to stop making excuses and get something done.

COUNCILLOR KEITH LINNECOR A TRUE CHAMPION FOR THE DISABLED IN OSCOTT

I would like to thank Councillor Keith Linnecor for his help in obtaining yet more disabled drop curbs in the Oscott area. Those disabled resident like me who use a motorised schooter can not tell you how much easier these drop curbs make like for us.
Keith has gone out with me on dozens of occasion's looking at possible sites for these drop curbs and I this he is a true champion for the disabled and elderly in Oscott. Keith and his colleague Councillor Dring often have to battle with the Transportation department to get them to agree to install these drop curbs.

George Hough
Chair oscott Disability Group

Dog attacked in local nature reserve

The Oscott Residents Groups were horrified to hear about a vicious attack by 2 dogs on another dog and its owner using the Queslett Nature Reserve.

The NPI were out with the Police, the friends of the Queslett nature Reserve and Councillor keith Linnecor on Saturday asking passers by if they had any information.

The 2 dogs who made the attack were pit terrier type dogs 1 white the other multi coloured. Their owner who have not come forward are described as being in their early twenties, white with one having light ginger hair. if you have any information please contact the police.
The dog which was bitten is in a serious condition and has had to have 2 operations.

NEIGHBOUR HOOD POLICE INITIATIVE IN ACTION

NPI members have been out leafletting again recently putting out a simple message about how to prevent burglary. Senior organiser Brian Brooke's says "Along with other member and on occasions even Councillor Keith Linnecor I have been putting out leaflets warning resident to be vigilante. There has been a number of burglaries in the area and we all need to keep an eye on each other properties. "

Some simple measure to prevent crime are. Lock your windows and doors when you go out. leave a light on at night, lock sheds and garages and if you go away ask a neighbour to keep an eye on your home.

BLACK BAG FAILURE.

Like most people member of the Oscott Residents group felt let down by the Birmingham City Council over the way they dealt with the FAILED black bag collections of the festive season.
We felt they were too ready to make excuses and their alternative plans failed miserably.
MANY RESIDENT INCLUDING THE ELDERLY AND VULNERABLE WERE LEFT WITH BLACK BAGS PILING UP FOR WEEKS.
This was simply not good enough. What made matter worse over the Christmas period was the lack of gritting on our roads which made travel difficult. All this Council seemed to do was to make excuses.

SANDY LANE PARKING RESRICTIONS IN PLACE THANKS TO COUNCILLOR KEITH LINNECOR

The ORG have welcomed Councillor Keith Linnecor's efforts to get new parking residtriction put in place in Sandy Lane (Aldridge Road to follow.) We have appriaciated that he at least has not given up on this issue like us.
ORG hope these new measures will do the trick and the Aldridge Road safeety scheme will be completed as soon as possible.

B.B