City centre news for August 24:
- Teacher waves flag in Birmingham for Libya – A Staffordshire teacher from Libya has held a flag up in Birmingham city centre after claims from rebels that they have controlled 95% of Tripoli.
- Motorway works cleared for holiday getaway – All roadworks on motorways in the West Midlands will be finished or lifted in time for the bank holiday getaway, highways bosses have pledged. Around 365 miles of roadworks on England’s motorways and major trunk roads will be completed this week and a further 95 miles of works will be suspended, the Highways Agency said.
- Enterprise zones: why government needs to foster a green ethos – The government last week announced the remaining areas to be made enterprise zones. This policy forms the nucleus of the government’s growth strategy to make more “stuff” other than financial services. The zones will provide businesses with tax breaks, planning concessions and super-fast broadband. However, it comes as no surprise that there were no green criteria in the selection process or measures to incentivise businesses that move into a zone to reduce their environmental impact.
- New supermarket plans for Colmore Row – A MINI express supermarket war could break out in the Colmore Row area of Birmingham after Waitrose submitted plans to build new shop. The chain, part of the John Lewis Partnership, is hoping to build a ‘Little Waitrose’ at One Colmore Row which would create 50 new jobs.
- Bore: we need a markets guarantee – COUNCIL bosses are being urged to issue a cast-iron guarantee that Birmingham will continue to have a major wholesale market. The plea came from city Labour leader Sir Albert Bore, who warned that losing the 21-acre markets site in Digbeth would be a blow for the local economy.
- Support our Markets: Ladywood MP backs traders’ campaign in visit to wholesale markets – AT THE crack of dawn, hundreds of workers swing into action at a multi-million pound business. When most people are still tucked up in bed, Birmingham’s under-threat Wholesale Markets are in full swing, a crucial part of the city’s economy.
- Trader warns hospitals and schools could suffer – A FRUIT and vegetable wholesaler has warned that schools, prisons and hospitals could also suffer if the Digbeth-based market is closed. Many organisations buy their fresh fruit, veg, fish and meat from traders like Naim Alvi who has been running Amin and Sons for the last 30 years. Mr Alvi said that they rely on the Wholesale Market as much as the region’s independent shops, restaurants and takeaways.
