With effect from January 2007 the Edgbaston Executive Board is Chaired by Divisional Officer Mark Harper (West Midlands Fire Service) & Vice Chairman Ian Dodd (West Midlands Police) & consists of representation from Housing, Health, Edgbaston Constituency Senior Officer, South Birmingham Primary Care Trust, Environmental Crime Unit & Edgbaston Community Safety Coordinator.

The two operational sub groups are Chaired by the Edgbaston Community Safety Coordinator in partnership with Edgbaston Ward Support Officers, West Midlands Police, Housing, Neighbourhood Offices, Birmingham Anti-social Behaviour Unit, Regulatory Services, Environmental Crime Unit, Youth Offending Service, Birmingham Women’s Aid, Youth Services & the Voluntary Sector.

The Action Plan is coordinated through two working groups under the theme of:

(1) Reducing anti social behaviour & working in partnership with young people.

(2) Safer communities’ action plan (including domestic violence, hate crime & alcohol related violence).

Throughout both action plans is the recognition that there is a large element of commonality & overlap across the plans & within the intervention work proposed to tackle targeted areas of concern. Under the PSA1 crime indicators the main focus of activity has been in relation to:

• Safer Communities – Distraction burglary campaign in hot spot areas of the Constituency. Rose Road (F2) also introduced a “Nominated Neighbour” scheme to reduce the likelihood of vulnerable residents becoming a victim of crime. The person concerned nominates a neighbour who will act as the initial point of contact for any callers at this first persons address and who in turn verifies the validity of the caller. Christmas campaign to raise awareness for homeowners on how they can add to a potential burglary problem in their area by putting out empty boxes of Christmas presents received before the day of the weekly refuse collection. In effect you are advertising what “goods” are in your home.

• To Reduce Alcohol Related Violent Crime – Christmas campaign to highlight how excess drinking can often lead to an increase in the number of alcohol related domestic abuse incidents. Publicity around where help is available during a period when many facilities are closed. Multi agency campaign involving the environmental crime unit, West Midlands Police & Trading Standards to reduce alcohol related crime on eg High Streets in targeted areas. Visiting licensees to incorporate their support in drinking in moderation during the festive period.

• Public Place Wounding – F2 (Rose Road) provided a coordinated response to reduce violent crime and also reduce the likelihood of travelers becoming a victim of crime on the run up to the Christmas & New Year period. With the reintroduction of the late night bus services operating out of the City Centre, West Midlands Police in partnership with Safer Travel & Centro provide uniformed officers to travel on the buses and patrol at the bus stops in the Centre.

• Reducing Anti Social Behaviour – Across the Constituency many diversionary schemes have taken place over all the school holiday periods and not just a summer scheme. On of the most successful continues to be the K.A.N.O.E. Project (Kids Accessing New Opportunities & Experiences) and works with ten young people deemed at risk (age 10-14years). The work during school holidays provides a morning opportunity for bite sized learning & an afternoon leisure pursuit. The groups establish their ground rules and agree to remain out of trouble and not be stopped & search during their time on the course.

• Promote Home Fire Risk Assessments (HFRA) – Both Woodgate Valley & Bournbrook Fire Station continue to work in partnership to increase smoke alarm ownership in targeted areas. Operation Blitz in Bartley Green resulted in over 100 referrals to the service during a short period of time and reaching the more vulnerable members of the community.

• Implement the recommendations of the Safer Estates Review – Completed. The Edgbaston Constituency across all four Wards continues to be very well represented in terms of partner agencies participation and also the leadership by West Midlands Police and members of the Housing team.

Edgbaston Constituency is located in the south-west of the city. From the City centre, it stretches south to Selly Oak and Northfield and east to Sparkbrook. It abuts the boundary of Sandwell and Dudley Metropolitan Boroughs to the west and north, and also Ladywood to the north. It comprises the Bartley Green, Edgbaston, Harborne, and Quinton wards.

The Constituency is fortunate to house Birmingham University ’s Community Campus & approximately 27,000 students, in addition to 6,000 members of staff. Day to day needs are catered for in the University Centre, with banks, cash point, a convenience store, bookshop, stationery shop, hair salon , cafes & computing services. Calthorpe Estates has announced that they have secured full planning consent from Birmingham City Council for the redevelopment of the former Edgbaston Shopping Centre. A new gateway scheme to Birmingham city centre can now be created which is to be called Edgbaston Galleries.

University Hospital Birmingham is celebrating after receiving the green light to build the city’s first superhospital.

The population of the Constituency is 89,910 (2001 census). Within the Strategic Assessment for the area, Edgbaston is below the Birmingham average in most major crime categories but, does have varying degrees of deprivation in some wards.

In late 2005 opinion pollsters MORI carried out public opinion surveys of Birmingham residents. Whilst some aspects such as pavement repairs, clean streets and activities for children still required attention, overall Edgbaston Constituency came out very positively.

The One Edgbaston Partnership (OEP) formally known as the Edgbaston Strategic Partnership includes representatives from residents, public service agencies including the police, fire service, local businesses, city council & the voluntary, community & faith sectors. The production of the Community Plan acknowledges their commitment through a number of key pledges & identifies their twelve top priorities for the Constituency. The Chair of this Partnership is Councilor Deirdre Alden. In addition the Executive Board (formally LDG) report to the Partnership on the progress of their action plans against identified time scales & targets.

Edgbaston Constituency – General Profile

• The population of Edgbaston is not generally very ethnically diverse in the Western & Southern areas
• The Constituency is covered by 3 Police Operational Command Units. A number of major routes traverse the Constituency including the Pershore Road, Hagley Road & Bristol Road
• There is also a wide variety of private and social housing in the Edgbaston Ward including the Benmore and Woodview Estates which since June 1999 have been managed by Optima, a new registered social landlord
• The Constituency includes Warwickshire County Cricket Club, Edgbaston Reservoir and the Botanical Gardens.
  Bartley Green is predominantly residential with an extensive network of open space, recreation and leisure amenities.
  According to the 2001 Population Census there were 21,296 people resident in Harborne
• The ward includes Harborne Church Farm Golf Course and areas such as Harts Green and even, California
• Quinton is a long-standing, well-established area with a full range of residential properties both private and council built and substantial roadside trees and grass verges. The Woodgate Valley Country Park , Quinton Meadows and the Spinney are our prominent nature conservation areas

Contact Details

Sue Hickin - Edgbaston Community Safety Coordinator - 07817167668

West Midlands Police – 0845 113 5000

Home Fire Risk Assessment – 0800 389 5525