Birmingham

Introduction

Birmingham City Council is the largest Local Authority in Europe and has undergone a process of devolution, with significant service provision and funding devolved to 10 Constituency Partnerships. Birmingham has a history of manufacturing, but has seen significant diversification of the economy within the last 30 years. A substantial business and financial services sector has developed, supported by a strong city centre and growing creative industries.

Recent Visits

• 12 September 2007 Parmjit Dhanda (Communities and Local Government)  - Preventing Extremism Unit  Pathfinder launch
• 12 September 2007 John Shaw (DEFRA) - Visit to Gas Street Basin 
• 13 September 2007 Barbara Follet (Communities and Local Government) Harriet Harman attending European Year of Equal Opportunities Event at the NEC
• 4 October 2007 Stephen Timms (BERR) - Launch of the National Review of Enterprise Policy event at Advantage West Midlands
• 18 October 2007 Sir Digby Jones (BERR) visit to Longbridge- Birmingham Chamber of Commerce
• 18 October 2007 Iain Wright (Communities and Local Government) visit to Youth Homelessness conference /St Basils Birmingham
• 19 October 2007 Ian Pearson (DIUS) - Launch of the Birmingham and Solihull Life Long Learning Network
• 19 October 2007 Joe Montgomery (Communities and Local Government), Director General meeting with Stephen Hughes Birmingham City Council - followed by keynote speech at the West Midlands Regional Observatory Annual Conference in Kenilworth

Demographics for Birmingham

Mid-2007 Population Estimates

Figures updated annually. Last update February 2009. Source: Office for National Statistics.

Children and Learners

• Over £10m has been allocated to Birmingham for the development of extended schools between 2005-2008.
• Nearly £200m has been spent on school renovation projects between 1998-99 and 2002-03, with a further £85m during 2003-04. Examples include over £3m to relocate Braidwood School for the Deaf onto the Hodge Hill Secondary School site; over £1.5m for essential building maintenance at Great Barr Secondary School, and £4m for the co-location of Fox Hollies Special School on the Queensbridge School site.
• Birmingham is in Wave 2 of Building Schools for the Future (BSF). Due to the size of the undertaking, it will also be spread through some of the later wave stages. The Birmingham BSF Strategic Plan is currently awaiting approval and includes plans for seven City Academies.

Health and well-being
• The total value of PFI schemes across the Birmingham is nearly £1.2bn, including the University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust receiving £520m, and West Birmingham receiving £591m.
• Birmingham has two NHS foundation trusts hospitals, these are the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust and the Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust.
• Additional treatment centres were opened in 2005 at Birmingham City Hospital, Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield, and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham. These provide safe, fast, pre-booked surgery and diagnostic tests for patients by separating scheduled treatment from emergency pressures.
• A new £627m PFI funded hospital for University Hospitals of Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust is expected to open in early 2010. 
• Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Trust opened its new £70m mental health hospital complex and community facility in May 2008.
• The Birmingham Walk in Centre opened in March 2007 in the city centre, operating  a nurse led triage system and providing links to other health services such as GPs, dentists, social services, secondary care and voluntary services.
• The new £5.0m Summerfield Primary Care Centre opened in March 2008.  This development is funded through the Birmingham & Solihull LIFTCo Public Private Partnership.