We are continuing our trial of posting a summary version of the monthly committee meeting minutes. These are intended to provide a brief overview of the issues, discussions and ongoing actions related to topics we believe are of most interest to the community. For clarity, as not everyone will know who individual people are, in these summaries we refer to everyone by their role/position, with the exception of the two councillors.

KINGS HEATH NEIGHBOURHOODS FORUM 

Abridged Summary of Minutes 

8th July 2026 (7pm at Whitesmith Croft, Silver Street) 

• Work continued to strengthen ties and coordination with other local Forums. 
• The Forum ran a stall at the Brandwood Bash on 20 June. Represented by Chair and Secretary at “Great Get Together Street Party” in All Saints Square on 27 June.
• A committee member shared information and analysis with Councillor Jordan about drainage problems on the High Street which will be shared as a case study within Council about the need for a more coordinated approach between departments to tackle issues.
• Councillors will pass on a suggestion made that immediately before resuming recycling collections, there is a one-off amnesty where existing recycling bins are emptied as if they were regular rubbish bins. Forum agreed to liaise with council and councillors about the implementation of new rubbish collection scheme to make sure there is clear information and to consider hosting a public meeting about the new system when implementation date is known

Anti-Social Behaviour and Crime

• An “all-out” day took place in early July, of intensive enforcement action on and around Kings Heath High Street organised by the Council’s Community Safety Partnership as part of anti-social behaviour awareness week. Across the day, there was strong representation from the police, BCC community safety enforcement, Trident Housing, transport police, waste enforcement, trading standards, traffic wardens and BCC housing, others too. Jordan has since asked for a similar event to take place in Brandwood in the future.
• A number of concerns were raised relating to antisocial behaviour on Vicarage Rd near All Saints Centre, particularly targeting the children’s home in Vicarage Road. There was some discussion about other incidents, including an incident where a pupil from a local secondary school was attacked in Kings Heath Park. There has also been a spate of break-ins to businesses up and down the High Street, for which the BID Manager is also dealing with the police. Queries were raised about how the police are addressing the issues on Vicarage Road and in other parts of the local area. Concern was raised about recent occurrences of anti-social behaviour and the scope for it to escalate during the school summer holidays.
• As the police work is not always visible, the BID Manager will be encouraging the police to be a little more communicative to local residents and businesses, to make people more aware that there is ongoing police activity and involvement. Councillors will attempt to find out details of any ongoing action being taken by the police and other parties to address anti-social behaviour locally.
• Jordan reported success in removing reported abandoned vehicles working with the Council’s Parking team. He is continuing to work with them on long-term abandoned vehicles in Brandwood.
• Councillor Hamzah said that taking effective action to tackle anti-social behaviour is one of his priorities. He arranged a meeting with the team from the children’s home, and will look into specific reports raised of ASB related to properties believed to be managed by the council. Hamzah suggested that the WM Police & Crime Panel could be useful in addressing anti-social behaviour.  Hamzah is also looking into how to improve opportunities for young people in the area. 
• The Forum will consider organising a focused meeting with councillors and (both local) police teams about anti-social behaviour – would need to concentrate on possible solutions, actions and accountability.

Mums for Lungs Guest

• Kirsten de Vos from Mums for Lungs (M4L) gave an invited talk to the meeting about their work campaigning for improvements in air quality. The group’s motivation is the risk to health from local air pollution – linked to many different health conditions, with the youngest and oldest at greatest risk. M4L aims to encourage shifts in behaviour by individuals including stopping non-essential woodburning, and to think carefully about every drive in a motor vehicle, if it is necessary and if there is a reasonable alternative. M4L are supportive of interventions such as School Streets and Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone (“CAZ”). M4L would also like to see people feeling safer to use non-motorised means of getting round Birmingham, such as walking, wheeling and cycling. 

Other local issues

• Hamzah has been working with members of both the Jewish and the Muslim communities, relating to access issues in Brandwood End Cemetery due to a fence erected by the Council. 
• Jordan reported on the Kings Heath Park Improvements Scheme consultation to determine how funding will be allocated. Jordan expects the Council will be in touch with him later in July. Additionally, many residents have raised concerns about the lack of toilet facilities available at the park on weekends. Jordan has found out there is no longer any resource in the park service to provide them but is meeting a more senior officer in City Operations to explore potential solutions.
• Jordan is continuing work started by David Barker to get more cycle stands on the High Street using leftover budget from the Environment and Transport Neighbourhoods Fund for 25/26. 
• A previous planning application to convert a vacant office to 6-bed HMO (Use Class C4) has been rejected. The Forum had submitted an objection on several grounds related to provision of facilities for tenants and building regulations.
• Concerns were raised about reliability of the train service on the Camp Hill line. There was also a query about a “Friends” organisation for Kings Heath railway station. 

● 9 September, 7pm: Committee meeting in Brandwood