Wainy316 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-26445914 Birmingham's NEC Group put up for sale The NEC Group brings in some £2bn a year to the West Midlands economy, the council says Continue reading the main story Related Stories Equal pay deal could force NEC sale Council in £200m bill shortfall Equal pay deal will cost £757m Birmingham's NEC Group has been put up for sale by the city council. The council, facing a £1.1bn bill for equal pay settlements, says it wants to ensure the existing uses are preserved. It says the group is "vitally important" to the West Midlands economy, bringing in £2bn a year and supporting some 29,000 jobs. As well as the National Exhibition Centre, the group incorporates the International Convention Centre, the LG Arena and the National Indoor Arena. The pay settlements have been agreed with thousands of women who, over many years, were paid less by the city council than workers - mainly men - who did equivalent jobs. One law firm is said to be dealing with 4,000 outstanding cases. The council said it would be inviting potential buyers to participate in a pre-qualification process for the NEC Group. Sir Albert Bore, leader of the Labour-run council, said: "An open sale process has been identified through extensive strategy review as the way to achieve full value for this internationally renowned asset, while achieving the other principal objectives of enabling the group to achieve its potential." The National Exhibition Centre, which opened in 1976, is situated outside the city, close to Birmingham Airport, alongside the LG Arena. The ICC and NIA are in the city centre. Looks like the council have got themselves in a bit of a pickle and need to fund themselves. What would this mean for the future of the centre? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFCforever1991 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 What would this mean for the future of the centre? Not much other than the council lose one of it's major sources of income because of no win no fee solicitors. Brummies of today are going to lose out because of what the arseholes in charge of the council did in the past. It will probably open the floodgates for similar litigation around the country, but as a resident of Warwickshire all I can say at the moment is lol, sucks to be you West Midlands. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 (edited) Birmingham City Council are in a whole heap of problems. The equal pay claims haven't helped but the biggest issue is that they have had Government funding slashed by over 40% since 2010. It is not just the NEC being sold off it is community centers, car parks and the town hall in Sutton Coldfield. Libraries are about to be closed, neighborhood offices, registrars etc. Libraries and leisure centers will now be considered a luxury rather than an essential service. I have no problem with the NEC being sold off so long as that money is used to protect public services that the poorest and most vulnerable in society are most reliant on. It is a shame though that due to the ideological actions of the Government it has come to local councils having to do such things. Edited March 5, 2014 by markavfc40 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Birmingham City Council are in a whole heap of problems. The equal pay claims haven't helped but the biggest issue is that they have had Government funding slashed by over 40% since 2010. It is not just the NEC being sold off it is community centers, car parks and the town hall in Sutton Coldfield. Libraries are about to be closed, neighborhood offices, registrars etc. Libraries and leisure centers will now be considered a luxury rather than an essential service. I have no problem with the NEC being sold off so long as that money is used to protect public services that the poorest and most vulnerable in society are most reliant on. It is a shame though that due to the ideological actions of the Government it has come to local councils having to do such things. Sutton Coldfield shouldn't even be under the control of Brum City Council, but that is a whole other argument! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 Is it not officially part of the city? Brum needs Sutton park on it's list of attractions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Is it not officially part of the city? Brum needs Sutton park on it's list of attractions. It's been part of the city for 40 years. Some people who live there get all pissy about it because you know, Sutton's dead posh and Birmingham isn't. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 No wonder Birmingham languishes behind all the other cities in the view of the nation when the locals act like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xela Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Is it not officially part of the city? Brum needs Sutton park on it's list of attractions. It has been since 1974. Previously in Warwickshire. Birmingham swallowed it up when the West Midlands was formed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 You should talk to the people who live in the Black Country. Their entire sense of identity seems to revolve around the fact that the are near Birmingham but not in Birmingham. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 (edited) Can't we all get in an exclusive, over proud, deluded, self serving huddle scousers? Edited March 5, 2014 by Wainy316 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 i last worked for them about a year a go, the claims were only at £800m and i thought they were trying to get a cut off deadline i was on a framework to do £200m worth of construction work over 4 years, after 2 and a half years we'd done about £18m worth... they are proper broke, still have a huge number of agency and subbed out staff on the construction side, and most of the work we did for them was refurbing their offices dont think wolverhampton are doing much better, im sure they were having a vote on whether or not to sack 2k members of staff today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Birmingham City Council are in a whole heap of problems. The equal pay claims haven't helped but the biggest issue is that they have had Government funding slashed by over 40% since 2010. It is not just the NEC being sold off it is community centers, car parks and the town hall in Sutton Coldfield. Libraries are about to be closed, neighborhood offices, registrars etc. Libraries and leisure centers will now be considered a luxury rather than an essential service. I have no problem with the NEC being sold off so long as that money is used to protect public services that the poorest and most vulnerable in society are most reliant on. It is a shame though that due to the ideological actions of the Government it has come to local councils having to do such things. Sutton Coldfield shouldn't even be under the control of Brum City Council, but that is a whole other argument! If Rob Pocock gets his way then eventually it won't be. Becoming a town council is very much on the agenda at present but its the local Conservative Councillors that are dead against it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 (edited) Is it not officially part of the city? Brum needs Sutton park on it's list of attractions. It's been part of the city for 40 years. Some people who live there get all pissy about it because you know, Sutton's dead posh and Birmingham isn't. Parts of Sutton are. Then you have other parts that are shit holes. I do agree you do though have a fair few Sutton people who are way too far up their own arseholes and think that being associated with Birmingham is below them. Edited March 5, 2014 by markavfc40 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mockingbird_franklin Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Not all of Sutton Coldfield is under Birmingham control, I live in Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham isn't my controlling council. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 Do you count towards the populace of the city of Birmingham? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted March 5, 2014 Share Posted March 5, 2014 Shouldn't do. Census data (as far as I'm aware) is based on where your council tax goes. That's why boundaries and borders don't really mean that much in certain situations, you get areas which are geographically in one place but politically in another. Castle Brom being part of Solihull is a classic example. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted March 5, 2014 Author Share Posted March 5, 2014 So Brum has it's million people without the Sutton preppys? Pah, Let them have their little Tamworth satellite town then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetrees Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 So Brum has it's million people without the Sutton preppys? Pah, Let them have their little Tamworth satellite town then. I think that you will find that it is the rather large amount of council tax revenue that ensures keeping Sutton in Birmingham. The scandalous 'garden grab' developments, a result of Labour policy, helped to increase that revenue further. Sutton people getting 'pissy' is more about the fact that they pour revenue into the city coffers, but are the last to get anything out and, as a result, are short on school places and the like. This in turn isn't helped by the eco-friendly Labour party introducing a policy that allows people to drive their kids across the city to attend Sutton schools. We are a bit like the reverse of Scotland. Labour don't want to lose us because of the revenue, and the Tories don't want us out because it would severely diminish their standing in the City Council elections. Me, I would leave Birmingham behind tomorrow and let them go and develop brown field inner city sites, rather than our green belt. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markavfc40 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 This in turn isn't helped by the eco-friendly Labour party introducing a policy that allows people to drive their kids across the city to attend Sutton schools. They are not Sutton schools though are they. They are Birmingham schools. Many of those residing in Sutton Coldfield may not like it but is just as much a part of Birmingham as Erdington, Northfield, Ladywood, Hall Green, Perry Barr, Kingstanding etc. I have lived or worked in Sutton Coldfield for a good chunk of my life and some think they are a cut above being associated with Birmingham. Why I don't know because they aren't and just simply come across as deluded prats with their heads up their own backsides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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