Save Aston Arena Protest

HUNDREDS of Aston residents took to Victoria Square and the council house to protest against the demolition of a local sports centre.

Aston Arena is earmarked for closure and then demolition as a part of Birmingham City Council’s 15 year Area Action Plan. The council then plan to turn the Serpentine site, where the Arena sits, into a business park.

Despite claims of a 20,000 consultation, local residents are angry about the further depletion of sports services in the area.

Joining the protest was West Midlands MEP Nikki Sinclaire who is calling for greater sporting provision in the poorest parts of the city, not less.

Nikki Sinclaire said,

“As a politician myself, I know how important it is to listen to my employers, that being my constituents.

You should never ignore the will of the people, and the people of Aston and the surrounding boroughs do not want this site removed from the local area.

We cannot let a facility like this be bulldozed into history

Why do the local council want to diminish such an important sporting provision? For the second city, this is shameful

Where will the Olympians of the future train? Do we not want gold medal winners in Aston?

The efforts of the local community in coming together for this protest today are fantastic. This is what big society is all about. The council need to listen and rethink their plans”.

The group handed a petition for the attention of the head of the council, Albert Bore.

PRESS RELEASE: SAVE THE ARENA CAMPAIGNERS PLAN PROTEST OUTSIDE COUNCIL HOUSE

Nikki Sinclaire alongside local residents will protest outside the council house this coming Monday (August 20^th).

Backed by community groups and concerned constituents, the group are protesting against plans to close the Aston Arena, formerly known as the Aston Villa Leisure Centre.

Birmingham City Council has earmarked the site for demolition as a part of their Area Action Plan (AAP). The serpentine site is earmarked as a business park for Aston which the council believe will bring employment to the area.

Residents are angry that they have not been properly consulted. The council claim a 20,000 person consultation has been undertaken before these plans were agreed. However, local charity groups claim the figure is closer to 1000, and this number is made up of statutory bodies, meaning the number of local residents consulted is minimal.  

Nikki Sinclaire MEP is backing the residents in opposing the demolition of the sports facility,

“As a politician myself, I know how important it is to listen to my employers, that being my constituents.

You should never ignore the will of the people, and the people of Aston and the surrounding boroughs do not want this site removed from the local area.

We cannot let a facility like this be bulldozed into history

Why do the local council want to diminish such an important sporting provision? For the second city, this is shameful

Where will the Olympians of the future train? Do we not want gold medal winners in Aston?

If the politicians won’t listen to us, then the only solution is to go and protest on Monday and show them how much this issue means to us. ”

Pritesh Pattni, of the Bidgley Power charity said, “We need to save this facility for our kids. Nobody else is going to do this. We as a community need to work together to save the Arena.

The council will never build anything of this size ever again, so we must preserve this facility

We need the voices of the people of Aston to be heard”.

Rico Wojtulewicz, who has been working with Bob Cooper who is the current tenant at the Aston Arena, said, “Why would Birmingham City Council want to close the only facility of this size in the area? If Birmingham is serious about making a bid about future commonwealth games in the future, then we need to keep venues such as the Aston Arena”.

ENDS

We are expecting hundreds of people to turn up to this - if you feel strongly about the Aston Arena then please come along to protest with us!  

Speech in European Parliament on Students and and the EU Budget

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfmaoyKouQg

Mr President,

Last month in Strasbourg, this Parliament voted through a 5.9% increase in the EU budget. This included an extra 2 million for "entertainment" - to support the champagne lifestyle to which this place has become accustomed. I found the way in which colleagues applauded themselves to be offensive within the context of an economic crisis.

Today, the victims of this crisis from my constituency in Britain's West Midlands are making a stand. Students and university lecturers took their concerns to the streets of London. Whilst I deplore the action of a few today I applaud the many.

Students will be hard hit by the austerity package.

Tuition fees in universities are set to triple.

Courses are being scrapped, places are being cut back, and infrastructure will be put under more pressure.

Tomorrow's talent, that we will all rely on in the future, is being stifled. It is the younger generation that will suffer the most.

Mr President let me end with a warning your arrogance will lead to many people on the street, many more people protesting against this failed social project

Enjoy your Champagne, ladies and gentlemen.