Working to protect and enhance the Lickey Hills and their environs
Birmingham City Council has launched its public consultation into its 2018/19 budget proposals.
The Council has already saved more than £642 million since 2010 but now needs to find further savings of £54 million for 2018/19. However, most of this has already been consulted on and are ongoing savings, so this specific consultation covers £14 million of new savings proposals.
Regarding Parks Services, it shows that Parks will be looking at ways to bring in more income. We take this to mean that there are no proposed cuts this time. We know that the Council views the remaining Park Keepers and Rangers as important to us all and so there are no cuts being proposed in the Budget for 2018/19.
​​​​​​​Source: – Birmingham Open Spaces Forum – January Newsletter
If you would like to find out more about the Heritage Lottery Funded WW1 project 'Hidden First World War Heritage of the Lickey Hills' there are a couple of free events coming up in September.
Rubery Festival - Sunday 3rd September 2017. St Chad's Park, Rubery. The Lickey Hills Local History Society and the Lickey Hills Society will have a stall to promote, and provide a progress report on, the project. Our much sought after walks book will also be on sale. See our events page for more information on the festival - a free family fun day.
Heritage Open Weekend - Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th September. Visitor Centre, Warren Lane. The Lickey Hills Local History Society will host this, with the Rangers. There will be guided walks of the WW1 site on both days. You can also find out about Zeppelin attacks in the midlands: men on our war memorials: more local characters - this year the baddies: the Lickey gibbet: local Wakes and Fairs.
Worcestershire World War 100 Bell Tent re-enactors will also be there.
You will be aware that a large number of trees have been felled on Cofton Hill – there were reports in the press and on BBC Midlands Today. The felling took place to help limit the spread of the plant viral disease phytophthora ramorum and to encourage the regeneration of heathland. Much of the timber went to sawmills whilst the brash was shredded and was used to create biomass for electricity generation. The company that carried out the work was on a ‘zero contract’ and there was no cost to the Country Park. In the felled areas, a few trees have been left to break up the skyline. On Rednal Hill where trees were felled a couple of years ago, bilberry is starting to regenerate and the heathland is becoming established. It is anticipated that the same will happen on Cofton Hill.
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