The ongoing saga of Birchley Island threatens to become a new mini Public for Labour run Sandwell council.
A Thousand Flowers Bloom
Some four years ago there was an enormous revamp of this traffic island at an atrocious cost. No modest Alan Titchmarsh makeover this. It was Emperor Nero at his most extravagant. The kind of folly that only a cash strapped Labour council could conceive and carry out. Sandwell Council spent £450,000 landscaping a traffic island
Lorry loads of rocks were imported, 235 trees planted and 2000+ shrubs and plants. The whole was set off by a 12 feet high 36 feet long metal “Sandwell” sign, a snip at £30,000. Hollywood had its sign, now too had Sandwell. A difference is that the Sandwell sign is usually obscured by traffic rounding the island, estimated at 92,000 vehicles per day.
Like the Public, the island had its admirers and defenders. There was talk of it being sponsored to defray costs. No sponsor emerged and so again Sandwell tax payers picked up the tabs. Even the Arts Council was not being caught out twice in Sandwell.
The high spot of adulation came with a prestigious award from UKRAS (The United Kingdom Roundabout Appreciation Society) presented by President, Kevin Beresford, an appearance in the society’s calendar. Mr Beresford has been quoted as saying “I see a roundabout as an oasis on a sea of tarmac”
This year he appears as Mr. January in the “Dull Men of Great Britain” calendar. We suspect Mr. Beresford might have something to do with the production of novelty calendars. No doubts seemed to have crossed the collective minds of Cllr. Mahmood Hussein and his trio of council officers as they unblushingly accepted the UKRAS accolade.
Then Sandwell Council decided to route the Wolverhampton Road right through the middle of this artistic horticultural achievement. The plan was first announced by Sandwell deputy leader, Cllr. Eling back in May 2013, when the island’s expensive arboretum can hardly have taken root.
The People Decide
Last autumn, four different road plan options affecting the Birchley island road complex were put out to public consultation. The council’s preference was still for a road through the centre of the island, the scheme Cllr Eling announced, now known as the “hamburger” island option. Unfortunately, the public in the consultation chose the wrong scheme, another option and rejected “hamburger”island.
Under the headline “£600K SPENT BUT DRIVERS IGNORED” the Express and Star reported the council’s decision to ignore the results of the consultation and proceed with the rejected “hamburger” island proposal. It claimed that £600,000 had been spent on drawing up the four schemes, the people had chosen, they were to be ignored. Shades of the Public arts centre; when Sandwell council despite popular objections had its expensive way.
Not long afterwards the Express and Star ran with a further story under the headlines “Officers’ choice for Birchley junction revamp is criticised Island decision is ludicrous –leader” The over-staffed press office at Sandwell council had clearly been busy in a damage limitation exercise.
The article quoted Cllr. Darren Cooper, leader of Sandwell Council as saying “The decision has been deferred pending the chief executive reporting back to me. It is ludicrous and I will not accept it. The chief executive needs to explain why this option was recommended over the option preferred by the public” So a man of the people was championing the peoples’ choice.
Well not exactly. Cllr Cooper should know that officers recommend, councillors decide. No more so than in Sandwell where It’s docility or dole for the backroom bureaucrats. So it was, perhaps, a tad yellowish to blame the chief executive. Robert the Bruce, a scot repeatedly defeated in battle by the English, saw a spider make repeated attempts to get to a point before achieving its objective, was encouraged and went out to win the last battle. Cllr. Cooper has certainly learned the same lesson; if at first you don’t get your way, try, try, try again.
There has been a second public consultation and, surprise surprise, now 83% of replies support the “hamburger” island option. The scheme first announced in May 2013 by deputy leader, Cllr. Eling. The scheme those impudent council officers tried to force through.
Let’s hope the public have now made the right decision…..…if they really had a choice.