'Please fix our city': Heated row over progress on potholes at West Midlands council

The deputy leader of Birmingham Council has said work is under way to “fix” the city following a heated exchange over the state of its roads.

A minority coalition including the Liberal Democrats, Green Party and various independents took control of the city council from Labour following this year’s local elections.

Amid challenges such as the fallout of the council’s financial crisis and the ongoing bins strike, the council’s new leadership has said it wants to help restore hope in the second city – but there is an array of pressing issues to contend with.

One is the potholes which blight communities across Birmingham.

Earlier this week Councillor Raihaan Abbas (Sparkbrook & Balsall Heath East, Birmingham Independent Workers Group) questioned the progress being made.

But Councillor Julien Pritchard – deputy leader of the council – hit back and argued the city’s new leadership needed more time to “fix 14 years of mistakes and underinvestment in Birmingham”.

Speaking at Tuesday’s (November 3) full council meeting, Councillor Abbas said: “The leaders have told us time and time again this is not a coalition of chaos, this is a coalition which is going to work.

“So my question is simple – for the past three months, I’ve sent five emails to your cabinet member asking him to come down to my ward.

“In my ward the potholes have become craters, the speed humps now have holes either side of them that are breaking people’s cars.

“You said you are not the coalition of chaos, you said the work is going to get done. Can you please tell us: what is your cabinet doing? Are they actually doing the work?”

“I can assure the member that cabinet members are working pretty much every hour God gives,” Councillor Pritchard (Green Party, Druids Heath and Monyhull) responded.

“If I’m quite honest, we made a commitment at the start of the administration that cabinet members would be working full-time hours – and I can absolutely vouch that they are doing that.

“And I would also point out that is unlike cabinet members in the previous administration who did other full-time jobs […] and we were surprised why we ended up with roads full of potholes that we are now trying to fix.”

Councillor Abbas fired back: “Again, same thing – quick to point fingers. That administration is gone, you are now the administration.

“You guys are in charge so take accountability.”

He acknowledged that “some of your cabinet members are doing work” and that litter is being picked up in his area.

“But what’s happening with our roads?” he continued. “There’s motions and petitions that were put into place in January at the start of the year – you weren’t in charge then.

“You’re saying to them [Labour] ‘be accountable’ – you be accountable as well.

“Answer your emails, do the work and can you please, please fix Birmingham – I thought that’s what you’re trying to do.”

Councillor Pritchard gave a firm defence of the coalition’s short time running the council, saying: “We have approved three cabinet reports increasing investment in our roads.

“That is starting to roll out, we are starting to see the potholes being fixed, the roads being patched.

“But it’s a bit of a backlog that we’ve got to clear. You can’t fix 14 years of mistakes and underinvestment in Birmingham in just four months.”

He continued: “So I can assure him we are getting on with the job, we are sorting things out and if he wants to work constructively with this administration, our door is always open.

“We are working for Birmingham and we are getting on with the job of fixing Labour’s mess.”